McKenna
OLYMPIA, Wash. (Legal Newsline) - Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna issued a consumer alert on Thursday warning consumers about phone solicitors trying to sell reverse mortgages while falsely claiming to work for the state.
McKenna's office joined the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs and Revenue to warn consumers about solicitors posing as state agents for a program related to senior property tax relief. The auditors allegedly call themselves Seniors First and imply or overtly state that they are marketing the programs on the state's behalf.
The solicitors request personal information, including age, income and employment status, while pretending to help seniors determine if they qualify for the state's property tax relief program or for assistance and aid programs for veterans. The callers then try to sell reverse mortgage programs.
Some of the information the callers provide is incorrect and the callers are not trained to ascertain whether or not seniors actually do qualify for programs through the state.