Stop Loan Modification Scams!

    Know it. Avoid it. Report it.

     

    HUD's anti-scam campaign speaks directly to homeowners who might be looking for help in meeting their mortgage payments. HUD’s goal is to help American homeowners empower themselves with knowledge to shield themselves from scammers and report scam activity. This can be achieved through 3 important steps:

    1. Know it.
      This page provides links to key resources for at-risk homeowners to help them learn about scammer tactics. Learn more about loan modification scams by clicking below:

      Know it button
       
    2. Avoid it.
      Protect yourself and your home by calling (888) 995-HOPE (4673). These trained counselors are available 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week to help you with issues concerning your personal housing situation.

      Avoid it button
       
    3. Report it!
      Now you have the power…. Report a scam by clicking on the link below:

     

    Watch the video on YouTube in English or Spanish

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    Information for Homeowners:

    Are you having trouble with your mortgage? Have you recently lost a job or had a reduction in income? Are you facing a possible foreclosure? Loan modification scammers are targeting you.

    To counter this, HUD has launched a new public awareness and enforcement campaign specifically targeting loan modification scammers, calling on the general public to take three specific actions: “Know it. Avoid it. Report it.”

    Each day, scam artists posing as financial advisors and/or debt relief consultants take advantage of vulnerable homeowners whose homes have been threatened by economic difficulty. These scammers will often make promises that seem too good to be true, guaranteeing services that will either lower a monthly payment or eliminate back debt in order to save one’s home.

    To stop these scammers, HUD has merged the efforts of NeighborWorks America, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and the Homeowners’ HOPE Hotline at 888-995-HOPE to provide an “early warning system” that empowers homeowners to protect themselves and their homes, while providing the tools necessary to take action so that law enforcement agencies across the country can put a stop to these unacceptable practices.

    The purpose of this campaign is to:

    The first thing you may ask yourself is, “Could I really be the victim of a scam?”  To determine this, ask yourself the following two questions:

    1. Did anyone offer to help modify your mortgage, either directly or through advertising such as a flyer?
       
    2. Were you guaranteed a loan modification or asked to do to any of the following:
      • Pay a fee
      • Sign a contract
      • Sign over title to your property
      • Redirect mortgage payments
      • Stop making loan payments

    If the answer to either question is Yes, then report the possible scam. Call (888) 995-HOPE (4673) (with your permission the complaint will be shared with federal and state enforcement agencies).

    This campaign is designed to help you take charge of your situation, and shield you from illicit schemes. Arm yourself with this knowledge, take action against these scammers, and if you need help, speak to a HUD-approved counselor near you.

    Non-profit Resources

    Loan Modification Scam Alert: www.loanscamalert.org
    Prevent Loan Scams: www.preventloanscam.org
    Homeowners’ HOPE Hotline: www.995hope.org

    Enforcement Resources

    HUD Office of the Inspector General
    Phone: (800) 347-3735
    Email: hotline@hudoig.gov

    Federal Trade Commission: Report Fraud
    Phone: (877) FTC-HELP / (877) 382-4357
    Website: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/

    Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force
    Phone: (202) 514-2000
    Email: ffetf@doj.gov
    Web: www.stopfraud.gov

     

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