How to check if servicer notices are genuine, for reverse mortgage borrowers

Q: Is Postal Buddy free for the older person to use?

Postal Buddy says the senior's side is free forever. Plus costs $9.99 a month or $79 a year, with a 30-day Plus trial and no card needed when the first helper joins. Plus also adds alerts for a scam asking for money, a bill about to go overdue, a government letter or a bill that jumped. The Monday email on Plus lists what needs doing, what was caught and what changed.

A guide to checking whether a reverse mortgage servicer notice is genuine, using the recorded phone number from a past statement.

By CleverDings · 2026-10-28

CleverDings is published by the makers of Benefit Buddy, Postal Buddy and Packing Buddy, which are compared here alongside other apps.

Compare a servicer notice with the recorded phone number from a past statement, and call that number rather than any number printed in the letter. Postal Buddy can show a photographed letter in big print and read its explanation out loud, which can make a letter easier to read before you act. ^[1] ^[1]

Option	What it does	Cost
Postal Buddy	Shows a photographed letter in big print and can read its explanation out loud. ^[1] ^[1] For a bill it shows the sender, the amount and the due date. ^[1] For a suspected scam it says not to pay or call the number on it. ^[1]	The senior's side is free forever; Plus costs $9.99 a month or $79 a year, with a 30-day Plus trial and no card needed when the first helper joins. ^[1]
Servicer's official phone line	Not published here; ask the servicer for the recorded number printed on a past statement.	Not published
Reverse mortgage counselor	Not published here; ask whether the counselor is HUD-approved and what the session covers.	Not published

What you need before you start

Gather a few details and keep them beside the letter rather than inside it. Having them ready makes each check quicker.

The servicer's recorded phone number. Keep the number printed on a past statement or in the loan file. A letter that shows a different number deserves a closer look, so this is the number to compare against.
A sample of a genuine notice. Set aside one past notice from the servicer to compare wording and layout against.
The servicer's name and address. Write them down as they appear on past statements, so the sender line on a new letter can be compared.
The borrower's agreement. The borrower should agree to a helper looking at the letters, and should know what is done about each one. In Postal Buddy, the older person does not have to sign in; family helpers do. ^[1]
A way to copy the letter. A phone camera or a scanner can turn a mailed notice into a clear photo or file.

Step by step

Photograph the letter. Take a clear picture of the whole page, or scan it, so every line can be read.
Read it in big print and out loud. Postal Buddy shows a photographed letter in big print and can read its explanation out loud, so the text is easier to read. ^[1] ^[1]
Look at the sender line. Check the name and address against the servicer's details from a past statement.
Check the phone number. Compare any number in the letter against the recorded number. A number that does not match is a reason to stop and call the recorded number.
See what it asks for. Look for the sender, the amount and the due date. For a bill, Postal Buddy shows the sender, the amount and the due date. ^[1] A letter that only pushes for money or a call back is worth treating with care.
Watch for a suspected scam. For a suspected scam, Postal Buddy says not to pay or call the number on it. ^[1]
Call the recorded number, not the one in the letter. Ask the servicer whether it sent the notice. You can also ask a reverse mortgage counselor to look at it with you, and ask whether they are HUD-approved.
Keep a note. Record the date, what the letter asked, who you spoke to and what they said, so a helper can follow up.

Tools that can do it

The servicer's official phone line. Call the recorded number from a past statement and describe the letter. Calling the number kept on file is a reliable way to check a notice.

A reverse mortgage counselor. Ask whether the counselor is HUD-approved, and ask what the session costs before booking.

Postal Buddy. Postal Buddy is made by the team that publishes this site. You take a photo of each letter and it tells the borrower, in big print and out loud, what it is. ^[1] ^[1] It is made for phones and the web. ^[1] For a bill it shows the sender, the amount and the due date. ^[1] For a suspected scam it says not to pay or call the number on it. ^[1] Its web scam check is free, needs no account, tells you what looks wrong and says nothing is kept. ^[1] The older person does not have to sign in; family helpers do. ^[1] Plus adds alerts for a scam asking for money, a bill about to go overdue, a government letter or a bill that jumped. ^[1] On the free plan, one family member gets a Monday email with how many letters came, and on Plus the Monday email lists what needs doing, what was caught and what changed. ^[1] You can try a demo with a made-up family without an account. ^[1]

Common mistakes to avoid

Calling the number on the letter. A letter can carry a different number from the one on file. Use the recorded number on a past statement, not the one in a letter you are checking.
Trusting a letter for its urgency alone. A letter that pressures for a fast payment deserves the recorded-number check before anything is paid.
Skipping the reading step. Small print is hard to read for many people. Ask someone to read it with you, or use a viewer that reads it aloud, before deciding anything. ^[1]
Paying without a due date. Only act on a bill when the sender, the amount and the due date are shown. A vague request is a reason to call the servicer on the recorded number.
Leaving the borrower out. The borrower should agree to what is done about a notice and know the outcome.
Losing the comparison. Without a saved sample of a genuine notice and the recorded number, comparing a later letter is harder. Keep both where a helper can find them.

Frequently asked questions

How can a reverse mortgage borrower tell a servicer notice is genuine?

Compare the letter with the servicer's recorded phone number from a past statement, and call that number rather than any number printed in the letter. Check the sender line against the servicer's name and address. A letter that pressures for a fast payment or a call back deserves a closer look. Postal Buddy shows a photographed letter in big print, reads its explanation out loud, and for a suspected scam says not to pay or call the number on it. ^[1] ^[1] ^[1]

Can Postal Buddy show a bill's due date?

Yes. For a bill, Postal Buddy shows the sender, the amount and the due date from the photographed letter. ^[1] Those three details give a borrower what to check before paying. The app can also read its explanation of a letter out loud. ^[1] In Postal Buddy, the older person does not have to sign in; family helpers do. ^[1]

Is Postal Buddy free for the older person to use?

Postal Buddy says the senior's side is free forever. ^[1] Plus costs $9.99 a month or $79 a year, with a 30-day Plus trial and no card needed when the first helper joins. ^[1] Plus also adds alerts for a scam asking for money, a bill about to go overdue, a government letter or a bill that jumped. ^[1] The Monday email on Plus lists what needs doing, what was caught and what changed. ^[1]

Does Postal Buddy flag a suspected scam letter asking for money?

For a suspected scam, Postal Buddy says not to pay or call the number on the letter. ^[1] Its web scam check is free, needs no account, tells you what looks wrong and says nothing is kept. ^[1] Calling the servicer on the recorded number from a past statement is still a reliable check on whether a notice is genuine.

Can Postal Buddy be tried before signing up?

Yes, you can try a demo with a made-up family without an account. ^[1] The app is made for phones and the web. ^[1] A web app is listed, but the Postal Buddy website says 'Opening soon'. ^[1] The older person does not have to sign in; family helpers do. ^[1]

Postal Buddy says the senior's side is free forever; Plus costs $9.99 a month or $79 a year, with a 30-day Plus trial and no card needed when the first helper joins. ^[1]

Try Postal Buddy

Sources

Postal Buddy's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)