Imagine a letter that appears to be from GreenStone. It includes your name, property address, lender, and loan information. It may say “FINAL NOTICE,” resemble a check, or demand an immediate call. 

Would you assume it came from GreenStone? 

That is exactly what scammers and aggressive marketers are counting on. 

$20.9 billion. That is how much victims reported losing through the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center in 2025—a 26% increase from the previous year. Even more alarming, people aged 60 and older reported $7.7 billion in losses, a 59% increase from 2024 and more than any other age group (Jessica McMaster, 2026). 

Scammers exploit trust to prompt action. 

Public records, data breaches, social media, and data brokers can all provide details about you. Artificial intelligence can help criminals turn those details into convincing emails, letters, phone calls, and even cloned voices. 

The information creates credibility; impersonation creates the opportunity for fraud. 

Identification Is Not Verification 

Identification and verification are related, but they are not the same. 

Identification helps determine which person or account is involved, using information such as your name, address, phone number, property information, or loan details. 

Verification confirms that the person making the request is actually you. 

Personal information can be found, purchased, or stolen. Property records reveal owners, addresses, lenders, and mortgage amounts; social media and breaches expose more. 

A criminal may know enough about you to identify your account without proving they are authorized to access it. 

Before discussing sensitive information or making changes, GreenStone will verify that we are speaking with you. This may include ending the call and calling you back at a trusted phone number already associated with your account. 

Accurate loan details do not prove a caller represents GreenStone or another financial institution. End the conversation and call your branch using a number you know or one on GreenStone’s official website. 

Knowing the details may identify the account. A trusted process verifies the person. 

When Loan Information Appears in Your Mail 

GreenStone customers may receive unsolicited mailers that mention GreenStone or include information about their property or loan. 

GreenStone does not sell your personal or financial information. 

Companies use public property records for targeted ads. Credit-reporting agencies also supply data for prescreened credit or insurance offers. 

A mailer may know who your lender is without it coming from GreenStone or having any relationship with us. 

Not every unsolicited mailer is a scam; some are legitimate advertisements. Others mimic official correspondence from GreenStone, a financial institution, or a government agency. 

Watch for mailers that: 

•  Use phrases such as “FINAL NOTICE” or “IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED” 

•  Include an image that looks like a check but is not negotiable 

•  Display GreenStone’s name while stating in the fine print that the sender is not affiliated with GreenStone 

•  Ask you to call an unfamiliar number or scan a QR code 

•  Request a fee or additional personal information 

•  Offer mortgage relief, warranties, insurance, or other services you did not request 

Read the entire letter, including the fine print. If it appears to concern your GreenStone loan, contact your local branch directly. Do not use the phone number, email address, website, or QR code printed on a questionable mailer. 

You can reduce prescreened credit and insurance offers by visiting OptOutPrescreen.com or calling 1-888-567-8688. You can opt out for five years or begin the permanent opt-out process. This will not stop every promotional mailing, but it can reduce offers generated through the major credit-reporting agencies. 

The risk is not limited to mailers and phone calls. When personal and property information is misused, identity theft can escalate into attempted property fraud. 

When Identity Theft Becomes Property Fraud 

Title piracy shows how far identity theft can go. 

Fraudsters use property owners’ information to create false identities, including fake IDs, email addresses, and phone numbers, before contacting real estate agents or title companies. 

The criminal then pretends to be the owner and attempts to sell the property, all without the owner’s knowledge or consent. Fraudulent deeds or other documents may also be used to make the transaction appear legitimate. 

Vacant, lien-free parcels can be attractive targets. A criminal may impersonate an out-of-state owner, demand a quick sale, and transact remotely. The owner may not discover the fraud until the property is listed or proceeds transferred. 

Title fraud may occur without your clicking a link or answering a call: the criminal deals directly with real estate professionals. 

Protecting Your Property 

Property owners can take several steps to detect suspicious activity sooner: 

•  Check whether your county Register of Deeds or other recording office offers alerts for newly recorded documents. 

•  Periodically review the public record for your property. 

•  Investigate unexpected changes to ownership records or missing property tax and utility bills. 

•  Check vacant or infrequently visited property regularly. 

•  Ask a trusted neighbor to report real estate signs, visitors, construction, or other unusual activity. 

•  Search for your property online and investigate any listing you did not authorize. 

•  Review your owner’s title-insurance policy and ask your insurer or attorney whether it includes protection against forgery or fraudulent documents recorded after the policy was issued. 

If you discover a suspicious deed, listing, or attempted sale, act quickly. Contact the county office that maintains the property record, local law enforcement, your attorney, your title insurer, and any financial institution involved. Internet-related property fraud can also be reported to the FBI at IC3.gov.

How Verification Interrupts a Scam 

Scammers create urgency because they do not want you to stop and think. Be cautious when someone unexpectedly asks you to send money, change payment instructions, provide sensitive information, sign property documents, or grant access to an account. 

Do not let the person who contacted you control verification. A “supervisor,” new email, or alternate number supplied by the same source is not independent verification. 

End the communication and start a new one yourself. Call a trusted number, visit the organization’s official website, or contact a representative you already know. 

Never share a password, PIN, or multifactor authentication code with someone who contacts you. Giving away a code may let someone access your account. 

Verify unexpected payment changes using a known number, especially for wires, real estate, equipment, or vendor payments. Fraudulent transfers can be hard to recover. 

How GreenStone Helps Protect You 

GreenStone uses layers of protection for customer accounts and communications. Verification may feel inconvenient, but it helps prevent impersonation using public or stolen information. 

GreenStone will never ask you by email or phone to provide your full Social Security number, password, or multifactor authentication code. If you receive such a request, do not respond—even if it appears to come from GreenStone or another financial institution. 

If you are unsure about a communication or believe fraud has occurred, contact your local GreenStone branch directly. 

Trust but Verify 

A letter may contain accurate loan information. A caller may know your personal details. An email may look identical to one you have received before. 

Those details do not verify identity or prove that a request should be trusted. 

If something does not feel right, pause before acting. End the communication, independently contact the person or organization through a trusted method, and verify the request. 

 

To view the rest of the 2026 Fall Partners articles please click here.