Beware of ‘Grandson Scam’

Scammer Using Westchester Clerk’s Office in Ripoff Attempt

WHITE PLAINS, NY: The Grandson Scam, this time using the Westchester County Clerk’s Office as the “collection agency”, has hit again in Minnesota.  This scam, in which potential victims are called by a man pretending to be a grandson who has gotten into trouble with the law, claimed $ 9,000 was due in the Clerk's office for bail. The person posing as the grandson requested bail payment in the forms of thousands of dollars in gift cards or to have the money wired from the grandparent.  Once the gift cards are sent, or the money is wired, it is nearly impossible to get it back. The potential victim did not fall for it because his grandson had never been to Westchester but did report it to Clerk Legal Division chief Joseph Castellano. 

Sometimes the scammer might say they are calling from the Westchester County Clerk’s office. Please be aware that this is false. The Westchester County Clerk’s office would never call an individual asking for bail money or any type of payment for a relative. If you ever receive a call from the Clerk’s office regarding any business you are not familiar with, you should report it to the Clerk at (914)995-3080.  

County Clerk Tim Idoni said, “The Grandson Scam has been around for over a decade. This is the first we have heard of any county office being named in the call. Residents should always seriously question anyone asking for money for any reason over the phone.”  

For more information on the “Grandson Scam,” and ways to protect you, please visit the Westchester County Consumer Protection page at the following link https://consumer.westchestergov.com/qgrandsonq-scam.

Number of Foreclosed Home Judgments Are Down

Westchester numbers remain relatively consistent

WHITE PLAINS, NY: Data collected by the Westchester County clerk‘s office shows that 2018 had fewer homes foreclosed in Westchester County than in the previous three years.  A total of 878 homes in Westchester were foreclosed in 2018, down from 1,062 in 2017. This was the fewest number of foreclosed homes the county has seen since 2014, which had 772 homes receive a final judgment of foreclosure. Foreclosures in Westchester County peaked in 2015 at 1,181.

Number of home foreclosures in Westchester County

2014 through 2018

Despite the decrease of 184 homes foreclosed on in Westchester, the data shows the numbers have stayed relatively flat since 2014 when the county saw an increase in foreclosed homes coming out of the housing crisis. Court rulings in 2012 had slowed judgments but the courts have now caught up. “This appears to be the new norm,” said Westchester County Clerk Timothy C. Idoni.

Clerk Idoni’s office oversees the judgments for foreclosures in Westchester. “If someone is having trouble with their mortgage payments, we want to see them connected with a foreclosure advisor immediately,” he said. Idoni continued, “It is important that everything possible is done to help the residents of Westchester County stay in their homes. We believe one foreclosure is one too many.”

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) offers programs to assist in making mortgage payments, and organizations like Westchester Residential Opportunities can help advise those who are struggling. More information can be found at https://www.hud.gov/topics/avoidingforeclosure and https://wroinc.org/ respectively.

For more information about the Office of the Westchester County Clerk, please call (914)995-3080 or visit www.WestchesterClerk.com.

The County Clerk’s Mobile Passport Office

Coming to a Town near You!

WHITE PLAINS, NY: The Mobile Passport Office, a service provided by the Westchester County Clerk, is returning in 2019. Check our calendar and be on the lookout for when the Mobile Passport Office is coming to your community this spring and summer!

From the County Clerk's Mobile Office, our staff can assist residents who visit to apply for a United States Passport, including having a photo taken. Over 1,000 applications were accepted in 2019, at our Mobile Passport Office.

County Clerk Tim Idoni said, “The Mobile Office is one of our crowd pleasing favorites. We travel to every city and town throughout Westchester every year!”

The first two stops will be March 26 at the Grinton I. Will Library on Central Park Avenue in Yonkers and on March 28^th at the Port Chester-Rye Brook Library at 1 Haseco Avenue.  Both sites will be from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 pm.

Do not wait until the last minute: Apply now.  Routine passport applications generally take approximately six weeks.  For an additional charge, expedited service will result in your obtaining your passport in no more than three weeks.  But only in emergency circumstances can a passport application be processed more quickly, so do not delay.

PLEASE NOTE: You will need a passport to enter the United States by air, by land or by sea unless you are a child under the age of 16 entering by land or sea with proof of U.S. citizenship or an adult with another travel document approved by the Department of Homeland Security.

Be sure to bring the proper documentation: You will need proof that you are a United States citizen such as an original or certified copy of your birth certificate, a consular report of birth abroad or a naturalization certificate.  If your Adult passport is expired OVER 5 years, you can apply with us by bringing your old passport.  If your passport has expired LESS THAN 5 years, you must renew by mail with a DS-82 application. You will also need proof of your identity, such as a current valid driver’s license or a government issued identification card.  For minors under the age of 16, both parents should be there to sign the application of the child. However, if only one parent appears and signs, that parent must submit the other parent's notarized Statement of Consent form (DS-3053) and a photocopy of their identification.

See our Calendar of Events or our Community Outreach page to see when the mobile office is coming to your community. Check back often as new dates are added. Please visit our Passports page for more information on fees and application requirements.