Consumers Beware: New Foreclosure Scams
By Jason Meyer on Friday, February 17th, 2012 |
With headlines touting bank foreclosure settlement and independent foreclosure review in the news some consumers might find a new twist to loan or foreclosure rescue scams. Pathfinder Community Connections and other government partners want to remind consumers to be cautious of potential scams.
"It's getting much harder to identify the good guys from the bad guys these days," says Jan Baumgartner, Director of Pathfinder Community Connections. "We have often told consumers to be wary of any offers not directly initiated by the consumer but in the case of the independent foreclosure review this is not the situation. Eligible consumers were mailed directly."
Consumers should take advantage of free counseling and be wary of any firm that asks for an up-front fee. Warning sings of a loan modification scam are:
- Asks for fees in advance.
- Guarantees that they'll stop a foreclosure or get your loan modified.
- Tells you to stop paying your mortgage company and to pay them instead.
Pathfinder Community Connections assisted 401 families in Northeast Indiana in receiving free foreclosure assistance in 2011. Pathfinder Community Connections is a HUD certified counseling agency and advises consumers to contact Vickie Evans at 866-892-0513 or by e-mailing her at vevans@pathfinderservices.org.
Consumers can also call 888-995-HOPE to speak with a HUD Approved Counselor. For additional information and answers to basic questions about the review process, visit www.independentforeclosurereview.com. To report a scam at any time, call 1-888-995-HOPE. For more information about the Loan Scam Alert campaign, visit www.loanscamalert.org.
Pathfinder Community Connections is the community development division of Pathfinder Services and was created in 1997. Pathfinder Community Connections guides potential home buyers through the entire process of pre-purchase education, loan packaging, closing on the home, post purchase counseling, and when in need foreclosure prevention. Pathfinder Community Connections can be found online at www.cchomes.org.
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