Ticor Tech Tip – Facebook long lost friends may not be who they say KOMO / Ticor Consumer Tip

On December 29, 2020   /   Blog, Ticor Tech Tip, Uncategorized, WesternWA  

When a long-lost friend contacts you via Facebook Messenger, you need to stop and make sure they really are your friend and not a fraudster in disguise who hopes to get you to send them personal information or possibly money.

“Hi, it’s your uncle Bob. I just wanted to tell you there’s this new government grant that you can get more information about, just text me your number and we’ll talk to you about it.”


If you get contacted by someone via Facebook Messenger, whether you know them or not, and they immediately want you to text or email them, and they ask for money or personal information – you’re dealing with a fraudster.

Listen to the Consumer Tip Below.

Follow the link below to read more.

Back to Top

Ticor Tech Tip – New Gift Card Phone Scam KOMO / Ticor Consumer Tip

On December 15, 2020   /   Blog, Technology, Ticor Tech Tip  

We are proud to say we have partnered with long time local area consumer protection advocate Herb Weisbaum of KOMO to bring you Technology and Title Tips.

When someone calls you on the phone, it’s not always easy to tell if they’re a con artist pretending to be with a government agency, your bank or credit card company.

These imposters can be mighty convincing.

“I’m with the IRS and if you don’t pay right now with a gift card, you’re going to be arrested.”


“I’m calling from the courthouse and you owe a fine. You need to go out, buy a gift card, and pay it right now, or else.”

Before you listen to the call and run to the store to buy gifts cards, think about what you’re being asked to do and why it’s so ridiculous.

Listen to the Consumer Tip Below.

Follow the link below to read more.

Back to Top

Ticor Tech Tip – Beware of bogus emails about package deliveries KOMO / Ticor Consumer Tip

On December 1, 2020   /   Blog, Ticor Tech Tip, Uncategorized, WesternWA  

We are proud to say we have partnered with long time local area consumer protection advocate Herb Weisbaum of KOMO to bring you Technology and Title Tips.

Fraudsters are now sending emails designed to look like they’ve been sent from FedEx, UPS, DHL or the U.S. Postal Service.

The messages say a package is on its way, and you just need to click on the link or open the attachment to find out more and set up your delivery preferences. These bogus messages even have bogus tracking numbers. With so much online shopping going on right now, this is the perfect scam.

If you click on the link or open the attachment, you could put malware on your mobile device or computer, or you could be taken to a site that tricks you into giving away financial or sensitive personal information.

Listen to the Consumer Tip Below.

Follow the link below to read more.

Back to Top

Ticor Tech Tip – A Simple Way to Manage a Overload of Passwords KOMO / Ticor Consumer Tip

On November 17, 2020   /   Blog, Ticor Tech Tip, Uncategorized, WesternWA  

We are proud to say we have partnered with long time local area consumer protection advocate Herb Weisbaum of KOMO to bring you Technology and Title Tips.

You probably have dozens of online accounts and that makes it a real challenge to create strong passwords – passwords you can remember – for all of them.

That’s why so many people use a few simple passwords over and over again.
But weak passwords – like 12345, password, 123abc, admin, or iloveyou – are
easy to crack. And if that password grants access to multiple accounts, it puts all
of them at risk, if just one of them is compromised. The solution is to use a password manager. It lets you create complex passwords and store them securely for easy access on all your devices.

Listen to the Consumer Tip Below.

Follow the link below to read more.

Back to Top

Ticor Tech Tip – Fraudsters taking advantage of Contact Tracing process KOMO / Ticor Consumer Tip

On October 27, 2020   /   Blog, Ticor Tech Tip, Uncategorized, WesternWA  

We are proud to say we have partnered with long time local area consumer protection advocate Herb Weisbaum of KOMO to bring you Technology and Title Tips.

Contact tracing is one of the critical tools health departments have to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. Unfortunately, it’s also given criminals a new way to scam people. Impostors are texting people, pretending to be with a health department, in order to steal their personal information, money – or both.

Before calling, some health departments send a text message telling you to expect a call – from a specific number – about an urgent
public health matter. Real contact tracers will ask for your name and address, date of birth, work information, and contact preferences. They will never ask for your Social Security number, immigration status, your bank account or credit card information, or ask you to pay
for anything.

Listen to the Consumer Tip Below.

Follow the link below to read more.

Back to Top

Ticor Tech Tip – Public Phone Charging Station Risks KOMO / Ticor Consumer Tip

On October 13, 2020   /   Blog, Ticor Tech Tip, Uncategorized, WesternWA  
Charging Station

We are proud to say we have partnered with long time local area consumer protection advocate Herb Weisbaum of KOMO to bring you Technology and Title Tips.

Smartphones and tablets use the same USB port and a single USB cable for charging and sharing data. Plug that smartphone or tablet into a free charging station and unlock it – to check your email or go online – and all your data is vulnerable. It’s called “juice-jacking” and while this is certainly not the one of the major threats we face with our mobile devices, the potential for serious damage is real.

These are just a few of the items potentially at risk if a hacker gains access to your device…

  • E-Mails
  • Usernames and Passwords
  • Websites You Visit
  • Contacts

Listen to the Consumer Tip Below.

Follow the link below to read more.

Back to Top

Ticor Tech Tip – What Every Realtor Should Know About Owner’s Title Insurance

On September 29, 2020   /   Blog, Ticor Tech Tip, WesternWA  

You’re a real estate agent, so you know that buying a home can be overwhelming for many of your clients. Homebuyers can easily feel confused and frustrated by the mounds of paperwork they have to sign. Plus, all the fees associated with closing can sometimes be a surprise even to an experienced buyer.

Owner’s title insurance is one of those items often misunderstood by homebuyers at closing, yet its value is tremendous. As an important advisor to your clients, you are in the position to help them understand the value of owner’s title insurance and the dangers that can be incurred without it.

  • What is title insurance?
  • How does title insurance protect your clients?
  • Does title insurance ever expire?
Back to Top

Ticor Tech Tip – Understanding Probate

On August 18, 2020   /   Blog, Ticor Tech Tip, WesternWA  

If a home is to be sold but the record owner is deceased it is imperative to identify who now owns the property. The transaction can then close if the proper parties execute a deed to the buyer.

A formal probate allows for the protection and orderly distribution, after payment of debts, of the assets of the deceased to heirs and/or devisees or a sale to a third party by the personal representative. Nonetheless, even though Washington probates are not expensive or time consuming, they often are not done. But how else will the buyer know that all of the title interest is properly conveyed? What if there are valid liens (including estate taxes or state Medicaid reimbursements) against the estate that would otherwise be paid in probate? That is where the “lack of probate” concept comes into play.

Three Basic Probate Situations

  • The owner was single – not married or a domestic partner
  • The owner was married or a domestic partner and it was community property
  • The owner was married or a domestic partner, but it was separate property (not community property)

There are variations: did the deceased have a will? Is the estate being probated (with or without a will)?

Back to Top

Ticor Tech Tip – Loyalty Reward Accounts at Risk KOMO / Ticor Consumer Tip

On July 21, 2020   /   Blog, Ticor Tech Tip, WesternWA  

We are proud to say we have partnered with long time local area consumer protection advocate Herb Weisbaum of KOMO to bring you Technology and Title Tips.

Hackers are breaking into loyalty rewards accounts and stealing those hard-earned points and miles. This featured consumer tip covers how to protect yourself against this new online threat

  • Be sure to safeguard your frequent flier or loyalty account numbers
  • Use your accumulated rewards
  • Use strong passwords and enable 2-factor authentication if available

Listen to the Consumer Tip Below.

Follow the link below to read more.

Back to Top

Now you can Text with Ticor!

On July 7, 2020   /   Blog, Uncategorized, WesternWA  

You can now text your customer service requests into Ticor’s property information specialists.

More and more of our customers are preferring text communication over other traditional methods and we have the solution. In addition to our property information specialists, our closing teams are available to communicate via Text!  

Benefits of Texting

Improved communication
Quick response
Convenient 

Need a trio, a farm or want to place a title order on your next listing … text your request to your Ticor team today!
844-MY-TICOR or 844-698-4267 (Call or Text!)

Back to Top