BajaNomad

letter from HSBC regarding fediocamiso??

cofcortez - 3-12-2008 at 10:38 PM

I'm wondering if anyone else has recieved a letter from HSBC in regards to their fediocamiso?
The letter sent to me wants , a copy of my passport. Social Security number, bank account numbers , name of the officer at my banks, personal references, my updated address, and a copy of a utility bill to prove my address.
The letter also gives a PO Box in the U.S (San Ysidro) where I should send fediocamiso payments and my credit information.
The letter was suposedly sent because Bital Bank was taken over by HSBC.
However the take-over was made before my fediocamiso was made. That is, the bank mentioned in my fediocamiso is HSBC, not Bital. Hope that makes sense.
I have emailed the person who sent the letter with no reply.
Anyways , it seems a bit wierd, suspitious to me.
Has anyone else got this letter, so I'll know it is legit??
Thanks in advance.

livencabo - 3-13-2008 at 05:43 AM

These days I personally find that it is better to assume fraud on the part of any request for my personal information. Back track the legitimacy of the contact with your own current information, not by contacting the source of the potential fraud.
I am constantly contacted through email by a variety of sources, including banks with which I have never done business. Even blocking sender does not stop these contacts, nor does Prodigy or spam filters.
The legitimate holder of your fidecomiso has your information already I have to doubt that they are working from a PO Box in San Ysidro.

Bob and Susan - 3-13-2008 at 06:59 AM

it probably isn't a PO Box at the Post Office

it's probably a private mail box place...
ste
PMB
etc
they get ALL the fraud

if they use the US Post Office you can check the name of the business holder with the Local Post Office Branch

Fraud is then "corrected" by the Postal Inspection Service

Osprey - 3-13-2008 at 07:11 AM

The few banks that still hold bank trusts are all sending such letters. I have one from HSBC. All the banks have been instructed by the Mexican government to verify the identity/whereabouts of trust holders. Nothing sinister here as far as I know. Rumor is that if you don't provide the info, they can refuse your annual payment, close the trust for lack of conpliance. I heard this requirement is a must for them and us.

Acuity - 3-13-2008 at 08:03 AM

We received the same e-mail recently from HSBC, and a phone call the same day to plead (in Spanish) that we fill it in immediately. We knew the lady calling, so it wasn't a fraud. No matter that we had filled in exactly the same information just two years ago... It's just something that you have to deal with. And I believe (but could easily be wrong) it is because the government has been cracking down on verifiying accounts. She didn't raise the issue of non-compliance.

3 Years ago, we got a series of e-mails, ordinary letters and letters via Fedex etc from Scotiabank for the same information regarding the fido on our condo in San Jose Del Cabo, which we had sold a year before and trasnferred the fido. Replying several times that we had done this did not, unfortuately, stop the flow of demands. The condo has been sold one more time since, so I wonder what happened to the fido?:bounce:

Acuity - 3-13-2008 at 08:06 AM

BTW, I was asked by HSBC to return the info to the La Paz office. San Ysidro does sound fishy...

[Edited on 3-13-2008 by Acuity]

cofcortez - 3-13-2008 at 03:37 PM

Thanks for the replys!!

I guess this is something I have to follow up on. I quess a good excuse to visit the property. Can't be all that bad. A little R+R in baja never hurts.
The PO Box in San Ysidro is 434632 if that rings a bell.
But , as of now I'm finding it hard to send someone a kit to rip off my identity , so I'll have to go direct to the bank. Or i suppose I could Fed -EX the papers to the bank.
I ran the po box and supposed HSBC phone numbers through google with no matches. Maybe doesn't mean anything?
The form sent says "to be completed by the benificary only in transfer of ownership trusts in restriced area".
The form seems to be the same one I filled out to get the original fedo, 3 years ago. Anyone could get a hold of that form.
Oh well, looks like a 4 day drive to the bank.

Acuity - 3-13-2008 at 06:17 PM

The e-mail quoted the fido #, which would be hard for anyone to get unless they were at the bank

Capt. George - 3-14-2008 at 03:33 AM

When Mexicans buy property, "anywhere" in the U.S. of A. do they receive a clear "title" like everyone else??

The Ugly American, wadda joke!:lol: