止赎诈骗 为了避免

In many communities, “We Buy Houses” and “Stop Foreclosure” signs are a familiar sight. If you are a desperate homeowner unable to keep up with your mortgage, 你可能会想要拨打一个标志上的电话号码. 不. There has been a slew of con artists that have popped up in recent years who prey on homeowners looking for a home loan modification or facing foreclosure.

红旗

这是骗局吗?? 要警惕那些提供帮助的人:

1. Only accept payment by cash, cashier’s check, or wire transfer.
2. 劝阻你不要和你的贷款人交谈.
3. Advertise their services by posting signs or slipping a flyer or business card in
4. 新闻ure you to sign documents without reading them first or discourage you from
5. Tell you that you must accept their offer now or they won’t help you.
6. Avoid directly answering your questions and tell you to just trust them.
7. Require you to pay an upfront fee, regardless of the outcome.
8. 让你把你的头衔转让给他们.
9. Guarantee that they can stop the foreclosure process.
10. 要求你直接向他们支付抵押贷款.

受欢迎的诈骗

If you’re facing foreclosure, you should first contact your lender directly. If you’re a Patelco member who has your mortgage elsewhere, we’re still here to talk with you about your options. 当你考虑你的选择时, you should be aware of these popular scams so you can avoid them:

• 假的再融资: the con artists claim that they are refinancing your loan to bring it current and have you sign the “loan papers’. 然而, often what you are really doing is signing over the title of your home, 让骗子们可以自由地再融资, 申请房屋净值贷款, or sell the home and keep the profit for themselves. Or they may charge you a hefty upfront fee for their “services” and give you bogus paperwork. Once you realize what happens, the con artists -and your money- will likely be gone.
• 买家寻找: the con artists guarantee that they will find a buyer for you, and that you both will split the profits when the home sells. There is just one catch; first you need to hand over the title to your home and move out. 一旦你搬出去, 而不是去找买家, the scammers rent out the home or cash out your equity and since they neglect to pay the mortgage, 你的房子还是会被没收. You are not necessarily spared from the credit report damage either because often only the title is transferred out of your name, 不是抵押贷款.
• 幻影贷款修改帮助: the con artists claim they can negotiate an agreement with your lender for a loan modification, 但他们需要预付费用. They may also ask you to start paying your mortgage to them. After they get your money, they usually disappear. There are some foreclosure rescue agencies that may try to contact your lender, but all they are really doing is charging you a fee for something you can do yourself.
• 自租: The con artists claim that by giving them the title to your house, they will take over your mortgage payments (or find an investor who will) but allow you to stay and pay a reasonable rent. They promise that you can buy back the home in a few years once your financial situation improves. 然而，现实却大不相同. 如果你的房子有产权, the scammers may drain it by taking out a home equity loan or refinancing. 一旦他们拿到钱, 他们停止支付抵押贷款, and you get evicted when the lender forecloses on the home. Other possibilities: they may raise the rent to an unaffordable level and evict you when you cannot pay it or set the purchase price so high that you cannot afford to buy the house back.

The fact that there are many con artists out there should not deter you from seeking help. The worst thing you can do if you are struggling with your mortgage is hide your head in the sand. You can get a list of HUD-approved housing counseling agencies at 住房和城市发展部.政府. 更好的是，联系 平衡 – they’re HUD-approved and already partner with Patelco. 此外, don’t be afraid to contact your lender directly and ask for help; they may be willing to modify your loan or work with you in other ways. 如果你贷款给帕特尔科 太阳集团平台. Even if your loan isn’t with Patelco, we’ll still be glad to talk over your options with you.

If you are facing foreclosure, it is easy to be drawn in by someone offering a quick and easy fix. 然而, 在接受任何帮助之前, keep in mind the familiar adage: “If it sounds too good to be true, 可能是的.” If you believe that you have already been the victim of a foreclosure rescue scam, 联系联邦贸易委员会 877.联邦贸易委员会.帮助 还有你们州的总检察长办公室.

Source: Broadridge Financial Solutions, accessed August 2, 2019.