Attorney General Martha Coakley is cautioning Bay Staters to beware of companies demanding money to obtain a copy of a deed to a home.

Coakley warns of a scam in which a consumer receives a letter from so-called "deed collection services" that offers to sell homeowners a copy of the deed to their home for a fee anywhere from $50 to $90.  The letters sometimes appear to be from a government office or look like an invoice, demanding payment or compliance by a specific date.

"Homeowners should not spend a significant amount of money to obtain a copy of the deed to their home," Coakley said in a statement. "We advise residents to contact their local registry with questions."

Homeowners are not obliged to pay these entities or to purchase a copy of their deed. Most homeowners receive a copy of the deed to their property at the closing for the purchase of their home. Homeowners can also obtain a copy of their deed for free or for a nominal fee by visiting the Registry of Deeds in person or online.

The attorney general’s office said it has received complaints about several such companies that have sent the demand letters, including Record Transfer Services, Record Retrieval Department, Proxy Data Retrieval LLC, National Record Service and Property Transfer Services.