Fraudulent Postcard From "County Deed Records" Circulates Again in Iowa

Des Moines, IA- County recorders in Iowa are notifying residents of a scam once again circulating in Iowa. This warning comes after the Winnebago County Recorder’s Office assisted a resident with questions regarding a confusing postcard they received, which was quickly identified as fraudulent. The postcard claimed to be from “County Deed Records/ Home Warranty Division” with false information about the recipient’s home warranty replacement notice and advising them to call for uninterrupted protection.

The postcard claims, “This is your Warranty Replacement notice advising you to contact our offices so you do not have a lapse in coverage…” The mailing further request immediate action to contact them immediately or be “left vulnerable to expensive repairs and/or product replacement.” The Iowa County Recorders Association in partnership with Iowa Land Records confirmed that this information is not legitimate. Similar letters and postcards have been found across the country.

Fortunately, in this case, the resident alerted the county Recorder’s office with questions before taking any action. If you or someone you know has received a postcard and/or letter claiming to be from the County Deed Records/Home Warranty Division, please DO NOT RESPOND to the request in any way.
· Do not pay
· Do not call
· Do not go to the website
· Do not return any mail requests

Polk County Recorder, Julie Haggerty says, “The scam that was reported in Winnebago County should not be considered an isolated incident to only that community. We have seen similar scams in Polk County in the past. Therefore I encourage residents of Polk County to be suspicious of any post card claiming to be from the Recorders office.”

If Polk County residents have a question about what they believe to be a suspicious mailing or post card they are encouraged to contact the Polk County Recorders office to verify its authenticity at
515-286.3160.