Bing.com ads pixel

Abusing Trigger Leads

Home/Blog/Abusing Trigger Leads

Abusing Trigger Leads

Abusing Trigger Leads

This voicemail is from an actual trigger call made after someone applied for a mortgage. This is a prime example of a lender abusing the trigger data that they purchased from a credit bureau.

Everything the caller below says is factually inaccurate. He misrepresents who he is, where he is calling from, and even the purpose of the call.

First, he cleverly gives the impression that he is an Underwriter. This is simply a ploy to make his call seem official. The problem with this claim is that Underwriters are not telemarketers. They are not salespeople or customer service reps who speak with applicants.

Hear an actual trigger call below:

In the same breath, the caller falsely claims to be calling from Fannie Mae. Fannie Mae is not a lender. They are not in the business of calling consumers. Fannie Mae is a quasi-government agency that backs mortgages. An employee of Fannie Mae would have no reason to call you about an application that you just placed with a lender.

The caller goes on to misrepresent the reason for his call. He states that he is calling about a “loan application that was submitted to our agency yesterday.” This statement is false on multiple levels:

  • First, the consumer never applied with this "agency." How can he be calling about an application that was never submitted? This is a common ploy used to trick the consumer into thinking that he already has their information and just needs to ask a few questions and button up the application.
  • By using the word agency, he is again implying that he represents the government or Fannie Mae. Why not clearly state his company's name? He purposely uses the word “agency” to infer legitimacy. Referring to Fannie Mae is also a trademark infringement.

The sole purpose of trigger calls like this is to trick consumers into applying with their company. Many consumers have been duped into allowing these lenders to pull credit and review their financial information. It's only after speaking with their original lender that they realize they have inadvertently opened a credit file with an unknown entity.

It's important to screen these callers and add your name to the National Do Not Call Registry.

Got questions about trigger leads or about the mortgage process in general? Give us a call at 877-878-0100 or drop us a message.

ASK US YOUR QUESTIONS
By |2021-07-09T10:45:17-04:00October 31st, 2017|Comments Off on Abusing Trigger Leads