Search Results

Your search for “foreclosure scams” produced “22” results

Bank Nightmare Continues For Woman Whose Late Brother's Debt Left Her Facing Foreclosure
By Chris Morran on December 28, 2011 11:30 AM  
Some of you may remember the story from October of the New Jersey woman whose brother squandered more than $200,000 in loans tied to the home they inherited on numerous internet scams, and who was left facing foreclosure when the same brother passed away. After the media got involved, the bank said that after years of denying her a modification, it finally wanted to grant her one — but you wouldn't be able to tell by their actions in the weeks since. More »

Woman's Late Brother Pays $217,000 To Online Scammers Now She's Facing Foreclosure
By Chris Morran on October 24, 2011 12:40 PM  
We've written these words too many times to count, but they obviously merit repeating once more: "Never co-sign a loan unless you are prepared and willing to pay back the entire thing — plus interest and penalties — if the other person defaults." It's a lesson a New Jersey woman has spent the last four years learning, and who now faces foreclosure because her dead brother was taken by scammers. More »

Consumer Reports' Excellence Award: Tell Us Which Small Non-Profit Should Be Awarded $25,000!
August 24, 2011 9:00 AM  
Five small non-profits are competing for $25,000 as part of the first Consumer Reports Excellence in Consumer Advocacy Award, and we need your help choosing the winner. More »

(FTC)

FTC Wants To Ban Mortgage Mod Services From Charging Up-Front Fees
By Ben Popken on December 30, 2010 3:00 PM  
To combat mortgage relief fraud, the FTC would like to make a new rule that would ban mortgage modification services from charging up-front fees. "Homeowners facing foreclosure or struggling to make mortgage payments shouldn't have to contend with fraudulent 'companies' that don't provide what they promise," FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz said in a statement. "The proposed rule would outlaw up-front fees so companies can't take the money and run." Indeed, there are some shady operators in this area and consumers need to beware. More »

Scams: Do You Know About Mortgage "Flopping?"
By Ben Popken on December 21, 2010 1:00 PM  
You've heard of "flipping" houses, well now there's "flopping." While the first was speculative, this one is outright fraud. More »

FTC Launches First Wave Of Smackdown On Scammy Loan Consultants
By Chris Walters on July 16, 2009 2:17 PM  

—>Yesterday, as part of "Operation Loan Lies," the FTC and 19 states filed 189 lawsuits, cease-and-desist orders, and other legal actions to shut down loan modification consultants who prey on desperate homeowners. The scammers offer to help solve foreclosure problems for a hefty fee; instead, they fail to modify the loan at all while collecting payments for their services, sometimes even encouraging homeowners to stop communicating with their lenders completely or to send payments to the consultants instead of the bank.  More »

Treasury Announces Multi-Agency Crackdown On Mortgage Fraud
By Meg Marco on April 6, 2009 7:21 PM  

—>Various U.S. officials, including Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, announced a multi-agency crackdown on foreclosure relief fraud today, vowing to "redouble efforts to crack down on schemes that target distressed homeowners and also to share more information and resources across agencies and with state officials," says the WSJ.  More »

Top 3 Emerging Mortgage Scams To Watch Out For
By Meg Marco on March 19, 2009 6:28 PM  

—>In its recent annual report to the Mortgage Banker's Association, the Mortgage Asset Research Institute described three emerging mortgage fraud schemes that are either new or increasing in popularity.   More »

Top 3 Foreclosure Scams To Avoid
By Meg Marco on November 25, 2008 7:29 PM  

—>With so many people facing foreclosure these days, it's a good idea to educate yourself about the types of scams that take advantage of folks who are having trouble paying their bills. Even if you are doing ok, perhaps you can help someone else by recognizing a scam.   More »

After Losing His Home, Man Trashes House, Spray Paints Message To Bank
By Meg Marco on October 21, 2008 5:05 PM  

—>Here's an odd story from the Bay Area. A man who says his house was "sold without his knowledge" to a bank after he signed a "deal" to prevent foreclosure has trashed the property — spray painting a message to the new owner.  More »

Interview: I Fought Off The US National Bank Scammers
By Ben Popken on October 19, 2008 5:08 PM  

—>Almost immediately after Laurie Lucas picked up the phone, the many from "Legal Affidavit Office" began reading off a litany of charges he said "US National Bank" had filed against her. Theft of property. Fraud. Money laundering. "Eric Matthews" said that he, "felt sorry for the tragedy that was getting ready to befall" her for her failure to pay back a $5,000 payday loan. They would be coming to arrest her tomorrow morning at 11am, he said in an identifiably Indian accent. When Laurie protested that she had never taken out such a loan, or even a payday loan in her life, and had never heard of US National Bank, Eric said she should have kept better records...  More »

5 Scams To Watch Out For During A Recession
By Meg Marco on October 6, 2008 3:07 PM  

—>The LA Times says that recessions are boom times for scammers looking to take advantage of desperate people. They've listed 5 common scams that do well in a poor economy. They include bankrupcy scams, foreclosure scams, and fake home-based businesses.  More »

What Does The Bailout Mean For You?
By Carey Alexander on October 6, 2008 1:30 AM  

—>So, Congress finally passed the bailout bill. You know about the Treasury's newfound $700 billion, and you've heard about the snipped golden parachutes, but what does the 451-page week-old shotgun savior of a bill actually mean for you?  More »

Worst Company In America: "Final Four" Countrywide VS Wal-Mart
By Meg Marco on July 2, 2008 1:32 PM  

—>Here's your second "Final Four" matchup: #3 Wal-Mart VS #15 Countrywide Home LoansMore »

1 ... More »

Marketplace Money reminds you to watch out for "rescue scams" and "phantom counseling" when you're at risk of foreclosure. [MarketplaceMore »

"For Security Purposes, This Card Is Not Active" Is A Lie
By consumerist.com on February 28, 2008 2:00 PM  

—>When you get a new or replacement credit card in the mail, you have to call the number on the back to activate it, or else you can't use it, right? Wrong. Despite the sticker on the back that says, "For security purposes, this card is not active," credit card companies are mailing out cards that can be used without phone activation. This is a problem if the letter containing your credit card is intercepted by an identity thief, like what happened to reader PC Guy. The kicker? He didn't even request the card, it was a forcible reissue when his store-branded card switched from Visa to Mastercard. His story, inside.  More »

Smart Money has some new scams to watch out for, in particular, con artists trying to take advantage of people in foreclosure. [Smart MoneyMore »

New & Improved Scams To Watch Out For In 2008
By Chris Walters on December 28, 2007 3:58 AM  

—> SmartMoney has come up with five new spins on classic scams to watch out for in 2008: "The financial woes and natural disasters of 2007 have armed scammers with plenty of new tricks—or resourceful spins on old ones—aimed at separating you from your cash."  More »

Freddie Mac: Don't Let Fraudsters Steal Your Home
By Carey Alexander on December 16, 2007 4:30 PM  
Con artists use publicly available foreclosure notices to find victims for their equity stripping scams. More »