DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — Local officials are warning Montgomery County residents of false notices threatening foreclosure.
Multiple property owners within the county have reportedly contacted the Montgomery County Treasurer’s Office after receiving letters in the mail threatening their properties would be sold at auction in 10 days unless they contact the sender.
“The letters mailed to property owners were designed to look like a foreclosure case filed in court,” said Treasurer John McManus.
“The sender has tried to make it look as official as possible, even down to a notary seal, a judge assignment, and a court stamp. The documents also included a letter pretending to come from me personally but with a phone number that does not belong to the Treasurer’s Office.”
The letters allegedly contained references to legal proceedings filed in the Dayton Municipal Court, preying on those without knowledge of the legal system.
Dayton Municipal Clerk of Court Marty Gehres said, “Any attempt to misrepresent our court or our community’s judges will not be tolerated. These deceptive tactics are designed to scare you into making a bad decision. If you ever believe a court document may be falsified, I encourage you to reach out to my office to verify its legitimacy.”
If you believe you have been victimized by a scam like this, you can contact Prosecuting Attorney Mat Heck’s Consumer Fraud Unit at 937-225-4747.
To verify if a foreclosure case has been legitimately filed, call the Montgomery County Treasurer’s Office at 937-225-4010 or view Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas records online by clicking here.
