By Tyler Plack
Tyler Plack is the Chief Executive Officer of South River Mortgage. He joined the company as a founding employee in 2017 and served as President before becoming CEO in 2026. Tyler holds an active FHA Direct Endorsement (DE) underwriting certification.
While you sort the morning mail, a caller says there is a problem with your reverse mortgage. To check reverse mortgage scam calls, hang up and contact your loan company through a number you already trust.
In this article11 sections
- What Should You Do About Reverse Mortgage Scam Calls?
- Can You Trust the Name on Your Phone?
- What Should Stay Private Until You Check?
- How Do You Make a Separate Call?
- What Can You Say Without Arguing?
- What If Someone Says Your Home Is at Risk?
- Do Reverse Mortgage Scam Calls Change Your Loan Duties?
- What If You Already Shared Details or Sent Money?
- How Can Your Family Help Check the Story?
- What Should You Record After You Check?
- The Bottom Line
What Should You Do About Reverse Mortgage Scam Calls?
You do not have to settle an account question during an unexpected call. Pause before sharing details, sending money, or following steps on your phone. After you end the conversation, you can check the request using your own trusted records.
The company that handles your loan is called your servicer; find its number on a recent statement you already received. Use that number to start a separate call and ask about the request.
- End the unexpected call without giving private details.
- Find your latest statement in your own files.
- Call the company through that established number.
- Ask whether it contacted you and what needs attention.
Keep the two calls separate in your notes so you can follow events when you review them later. A familiar company name alone does not settle who called you. Our guide to reading your reverse mortgage statement can help you find the account records.
Can You Trust the Name on Your Phone?
A familiar name can make a call feel safe, yet the name or number shown on your phone can be false. The Federal Trade Commission explains this in its guide to phone scams and caller ID.
Even a local number can belong to someone pretending to be elsewhere. Do not use the screen display as your only check of identity. The same care applies when a voicemail sounds calm and professional.
- Use your own records to choose the number you call.
- Avoid pressing a button to return the unexpected call.
- Do not treat a caller’s confidence as proof.
You do not need to argue about whether the number looks real. Simply end the call and use your own contact route instead. That gives you space to check the issue without pressure.
What Should Stay Private Until You Check?
Leave account numbers and other private details out of an unexpected call. Do not read passwords or sign-in codes to callers, or send statement photos through links they supply.
A caller may ask you to confirm details before explaining the problem. You can decline and contact the company yourself through your own records. Ask the verified team how it checks your identity before you continue.
| Caller Requests | Your Next Step |
|---|---|
| A sign-in code | Keep it private and end the call. |
| A statement photo | Ask the verified company how to send papers. |
| A bank account change | Confirm the request through your established contact. |
Do not install an app or share your screen at a stranger’s request. You can ask your trusted support team for another way to get help. Keep control of your phone while you make those checks.
How Do You Make a Separate Call?
Put down the phone and find a recent statement you already trust. Choose the company number from that record, rather than the caller’s message. If your loan recently moved, check the transfer letters in your files.
Our reverse mortgage servicer change guide explains how to check who handles your loan. If those records disagree, ask each company through its established contact route. Leave new payment or bank instructions on hold until you understand them.
- Tell the verified team when the unexpected call arrived.
- Describe the request without repeating private codes.
- Ask whether there is a matching note on your account.
- Ask what you should do next and how to confirm it.
For example, say the caller claimed your insurance proof was missing. Ask your verified servicer whether it needs that proof and where to send it. Write down the answer before you leave the call.
What Can You Say Without Arguing?
When you feel caught off guard, you can say, “I will call the company using my statement.” You can end the call after that reply and make your own checks in a quiet place.
You do not need permission to stop the conversation, even if the caller keeps talking or asks you to explain. Save any message for your records rather than calling back through it.
- “I do not share private details on unexpected calls.”
- “I will check this through my usual contact.”
- “Please send information through the company’s normal process.”
Keep a sample reply beside your phone if it helps, and adapt the words to suit you. A simple plan can help you pause before agreeing to anything.
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What If Someone Says Your Home Is at Risk?
If a claim about your home leaves you unsettled, end the call and ask your verified servicer about the account. Take a real letter seriously, but check who sent it before acting.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s mortgage relief scam guide lists pressure and redirected payments as warning signs. A stranger’s offer to fix a loan problem deserves an independent check. Do not sign papers you cannot explain in your own words.
- Keep the letter and its envelope together.
- Ask your servicer to explain any real account issue.
- Write confirmed dates on your own calendar.
- For legal questions, speak with an attorney.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) approves housing counselors. You can ask one to help you understand a notice or prepare questions for your servicer. Ask whether the counselor works with reverse mortgage borrowers before arranging a call.
Bring the verified notice and your questions to that conversation.
Do Reverse Mortgage Scam Calls Change Your Loan Duties?
A suspicious call does not replace the terms of your existing loan. Keep paying property taxes, homeowners insurance, and any homeowners association dues. You must also keep the home in good repair and meet its residence rules.
A Home Equity Conversion Mortgage, or HECM, is a common kind of reverse mortgage. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s reverse mortgage guide explains the main borrower duties. Keep confirmed notices separate from messages you still need to check.
- Ask who handles each property charge under your loan arrangement.
- Keep real bill dates on your calendar.
- Follow up with your verified servicer about unfinished questions.
Selling the home, a permanent move, or the last borrower’s death can make the loan due. A healthcare absence over 12 straight months can also matter if no co-borrower remains home. Some spouses may have protections that let them stay; ask about your circumstances before moving.
What If You Already Shared Details or Sent Money?
Contact your bank or payment company through its verified number, explain how you paid, and ask what steps are still available. Do not assume that a payment can be returned or stopped.
Then contact your verified servicer if loan details or instructions were involved. Describe exactly what you shared so the team can discuss appropriate next steps. If a password was shared, change it through the verified site.
- Save messages and note what you shared or sent.
- Contact the bank or payment company through your own records.
- Tell your verified servicer about any loan-related details.
- Use the reporting steps in the official phone scam guide above.
Do not pay another stranger who promises to recover your money. Keep a record of each verified call and any next steps given. You can ask someone you trust to sit with you while you make them.
How Can Your Family Help Check the Story?
Your son or daughter can help find your statement and write questions while you describe what the caller wanted. Keep your passwords and sign-in codes private throughout the conversation, even when someone you trust is helping you.
Agree on a simple household plan for reverse mortgage scam calls before another one arrives. You might keep verified contact details beside the phone in a closed folder. Choose a place you can reach without searching through many papers.
- Keep the latest statement with your regular loan records.
- Write a short reminder to end and check unexpected calls.
- Ask your servicer how a trusted helper can join a call.
Being family does not automatically give someone access to your loan account. Let the company explain its process for including a helper in the conversation. You can still stay in charge of the questions and decisions.
What Should You Record After You Check?
While the verified conversation is fresh, record the date, company, request, and next step you agreed to take. Leave passwords, codes, and full bank details out of these notes.
Keep the original message apart from the verified answer so you can see what remains uncertain later. If the company confirmed a real request, ask how you will know it is complete.
- What did the unexpected caller ask you to do?
- Which trusted number did you use to check?
- What did the verified company confirm?
- What remains to be done, and by whom?
Even if the call matched a real account question, use the verified instructions rather than the unexpected caller’s link. The point is to check the route before sending anything private.
The Bottom Line
Check reverse mortgage scam calls through contact details you already trust. End the unexpected conversation, call your verified servicer, and record the answer. Keep real loan duties and confirmed notices on your calendar while you check.
Use our statement guide above if you need help finding your loan records. If you are weighing a new HECM, counseling with a HUD-approved counselor is required before getting the loan.
Explore our reverse mortgage calculator, or call 855-212-9114. No pressure. No obligation.
