Foreclosure Rescue Fraud Is Top Complaint

Published by peter | Filed under Real Estate

With all the problems in the real estate and mortgage industries, many new scams seem to be traveling around the internet, as well as through direct mail and telemarketing. The one that has raised the awareness of the State of Florida concerns organizations that promote themselves as mortgage rescue specialists. While many of these law firms and mortgage companies are reputable, there are a great number of them in which you should be wary.

A valuable tool for Florida homeowners was recently developed by Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum.  His new website, http://myfloridalegal.com/mortgagefraud, provides consumers with easy access to current investigations, complaint forms, and tips to identify and avoid foreclosure rescue fraud.

Foreclosure rescue fraud, or fraud involving loan modifications related to foreclosures, is the complaint topic most commonly reported to the Attorney General’s Office and involves the charging of an up-front fee for foreclosure rescue services before any services are provided, if they are provided at all.

On the mortgage fraud website, consumers can access a list of investigations being conducted by the Attorney General’s Mortgage Fraud Task Force to see if a particular company is currently being scrutinized. They can also obtain information about active litigation and can download affidavit forms to fill out if they have been victimized by one of the listed companies.

In the current economy, consumers can use all the help they can get to protect themselves from scammers.