Is it common for banks to email mortgage offer letters via email?

SBelgium123

I have recently got my mortgage accepted by HSBC and they have sent me the letters via email. I wanted to know if anyone else has received their offer letters like this?

It looks like it has come from an official business email account, however nowadays you cannot trust everything you receive via emails. 

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated!

user1977

Pretty commonplace I would have thought. Why would a fraudster offer you a mortgage?

Mahsroh

Yes. my last two Mortgage offers have come via e-mail. 

theartfullodger

SBelgium123 said:

Is it common for banks to email mortgage offer letters via email?

Err.. how else would you "email mortgage offer letter" than "via email", please??

eddddy

If you're in any doubt, phone the lender using a reliable phone number that you got from another source (not the email) and ask.


Do you have any reason to suspect they're fake? For example, incorrect details, unprofessional looking, spelling mistakes etc?

I guess it's possible that a fraudster is trying to groom you by sending you 'exciting' emails saying you've been offered a mortgage - before following-up with further emails asking you to pay some arrangement fees for the mortgage, or asking you to send your purchase deposit, etc.

(A bit like the 'exciting' email telling you you've won the lottery - followed up with further emails asking you to pay fees etc.)

But maybe that's being over-suspicious.

TBagpuss

Yes, it's very common. 
If you are suspicious then as eddddy says, find the number elsewhere and call to double check.

user1977

eddddy said:

I guess it's possible that a fraudster is trying to groom you by sending you 'exciting' emails saying you've been offered a mortgage - before following-up with further emails asking you to pay some arrangement fees for the mortgage, or asking you to send your purchase deposit, etc.

It's possible, though I've never heard of such a fraud. And if they have all the info required to produce a convincing mortgage offer, they could just as easily send it to you by post.

aoleks

yes and there's no reason to be suspicious, you're not asked to pay anything. they have all your details, they know you want a mortgage, the documents are password protected and the documents simply tell you stuff you already know.

what exactly could go wrong?

SBelgium123

user1977 said:

eddddy said:

I guess it's possible that a fraudster is trying to groom you by sending you 'exciting' emails saying you've been offered a mortgage - before following-up with further emails asking you to pay some arrangement fees for the mortgage, or asking you to send your purchase deposit, etc.

It's possible, though I've never heard of such a fraud. And if they have all the info required to produce a convincing mortgage offer, they could just as easily send it to you by post.

Thanks for the suggestions. I have called HSBC to discuss some details in the offer letter, however, they were unable to talk to me about the details because it was completed by a broker and he would have to grant the underwriter access to the application. I found this very strange. I have contacted my solicitor which was supplied to me via the broker to check if they had received the offer letters and they haven't received anything yet. 

I think I am being paranoid and will most likely speak to someone in a branch about this. 

aoleks

you don't need to speak to anyone, honestly. I'm not sure why this is even an issue. you're using a broker, he's your contact with the bank, not some clueless staff member in a branch. check the details on the mortgage offer. if they're correct, relax and let the broker and the solicitor do their job.

SBelgium123

TBagpuss said:

Yes, it's very common. 
If you are suspicious then as eddddy says, find the number elsewhere and call to double check.

Thanks for the suggestions. I have called HSBC to discuss some details in the offer letter, however, they were unable to talk to me about the details because it was completed by a broker and he would have to grant the underwriter access to the application. I found this very strange. I have contacted my solicitor which was supplied to me via the broker to check if they had received the offer letters and they haven't received anything yet. 

I think I am being paranoid and will most likely speak to someone in a branch about this