[Update: This article is updated with information about the scam provided by Impac.]
California residents should be on the lookout for a scam involving someone contacting them and pretending to be Impac Mortgage Corp., the state’s financial regulator said recently.
A consumer notice issued this month by the California Department of Business Oversight stated that there is an “entity” operating in the state and pretending to Impac.
According to the CDBO, the entity is ending unsolicited emails to residents, offering them loans. The emails originate from the email address: "[email protected]," and the scammer is using the name of Impac’s CEO, Joseph Tomkinson.
The CDBO bulletin states that the scammer may be sending loan documents via email that have Impac Mortgage’s logo and other identifying information on them.
The scammer also requests money before the “loan” is provided to the would-be victim.
The bulletin does not state whether the scam has victimized anyone yet, but the CDBO suggests that consumers should “exercise extreme caution before responding to any solicitation promoting loans or other offers.”
In a statement provided to HousingWire, Impac said that the scammer has only contacted two people so far, but said that one of those people did send money to unknown bank accounts.
“At this time, we are only aware of two individuals that were contacted, both of whom were residents of Arizona,” Justin Moisio, Impac vice president of business development and investor relations, said in a statement.
“One individual knew immediately it was a scam and reached out to us, and unfortunately the other sent money orders to separate individuals in Texas and Missouri,” Moisio added. “We have been in touch with both of them and believe they are isolated instances.”
