BBB reminds folks about the red flags of home warranty scams

Have you ever gotten a call or letter about a home warranty? You probably weren’t expecting it, and it likely said that there was an issue with your home warranty, that you needed to renew, or that your mortgage would be at risk if you didn’t “activate” your warranty coverage.

There’s a good chance that letter was an advertisement. Because some information about home ownership is public record, both companies and scammers can send you official-looking mail that includes details about your loan or appears to be from your mortgage company. This can make it difficult to tell what’s spam and what’s real, important mail.

Notices about home warranties can come from real companies, but they may still be misleading. BBB received nearly 15,000 complaints about home warranty companies in 2025, many mentioning deceptive mailers and hard-to-cancel programs. These notices may also come from scammers who are impersonating a trusted company or hiding behind a fake one.

If someone tries to scare you or pressure you to act quickly, it should set off alarm bells. Home warranty coverage generally isn’t an emergency, and there should be time to contact your mortgage or warranty company directly to find out if a phone call or letter is real. Don’t feel pressured to sign up for a new warranty without taking your time to research companies first.

How can I tell if a home warranty notice is real?

• Look closely at unexpected mail. Be cautious if a letter claims there’s an issue you haven’t already discussed with your mortgage or home warranty company.

• Double check with your warranty or mortgage company. If you’re not sure if a piece of mail or a phone call is legitimate, contact your mortgage or warranty company directly to confirm. Call their number directly from their website or your address book – don’t call numbers on any piece of mail that seems off, and don’t use redial if you get an unexpected call.

• Check companies with BBB. If you don’t recognize a company on a piece of mail, search for it on BBB.org to see ratings, reviews, and complaints.

• Look for red flags:

• Urgent or emotional language. Phrases like “final notice,” “return promptly,” or “call immediately” are meant to catch you off guard.

• Typos or grammatical errors. You should also look for poor graphic design or logos that don’t look quite right.

• Limited, generic or inaccurate information. Vague wording like “call us about an important issue” is suspect. An incorrect closing date, address or loan amount could also be cause for concern. On the flip side, remember that accurate information doesn’t necessarily mean the mail is real, since some details of your home purchase are public record.

• Disclaimers in tiny print. A letter might appear to be from your mortgage or warranty company, but the fine print will say that the mail is not affiliated with your lender or that the information is from public records.

• Keep track of your documents. Keeping all documentation from your home purchase and warranty in one place can make it easier to check against potential junk mail or phone calls.

How do I reduce solicitations?

• Join the “do not mail” and “do not call” lists. Visit DMAchoice to manage the type and amount of unsolicited mail you receive, and the National Do No Call Registry to manage telemarketing calls.

• Report scams. Report scams to BBB Scam Tracker to help protect others.