I recently wrote here about buying my new home. Since then, the experience has been slightly soured from a never-ending onslaught of predatory junk mail and door-knocking salespeople trying to swindle me into signing up for products or services I neither need nor want, targeting me as a new homeowner.
Many of them use fear-mongering tactics disguised as helpful advice, from mortgage warranty companies warning of natural disasters or my own death to security system salespeople making up stories about a “recent string of burglaries in my neighborhood”.
What’s worse, these exploitative and predatory practices are completely legal. My information was sold, traded, and exploited to bring these scammers right to my doorstep, which is at once unsettling and infuriating.
Already settling into a new mortgage, renovations/repairs, and unforeseen expenses, the last thing new homeowners need is predatory companies adding to the pressure.
If you’re experiencing something similar, stay informed and don’t fall for it.
Here are some resources to protect yourself:
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