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  Geebo 8:00 am on August 17, 2023 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: mortgage rescue, mortgage scam ( 4 ), natural disasters ( 17 ), real estate ( 118 ), Scams ( 1,227 )   

  Can your house be stolen out from under you after a disaster? 

  

  By Greg Collier

  The other day, a branch of the Federal Government issued two warnings about scams involving the Maui wildfire. Now, another federal office has issued an additional scam warning. And while the warning currently is intended for Maui residents, it can be applicable anywhere in the country.

  The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), through the Office of the Inspector General (OIG), has issued a warning about scammers who will offer mortgage rescue or mortgage assistance to homeowners affected by the Maui wildfire.

  A mortgage rescue scam is a fraudulent scheme that targets individuals who are struggling to make their mortgage payments or are facing the risk of foreclosure on their homes. Scammers prey on the vulnerability and desperation of homeowners in dire financial situations. They promise assistance in avoiding foreclosure or obtaining more favorable mortgage terms, but instead, they exploit the homeowners’ financial distress for their own gain.

  These scams can take various forms, but the most important one to look out for is property deed transferring. In some cases, scammers may pressure homeowners to sign over the deed to their property in exchange for promises of temporary relief from foreclosure or the ability to remain in the home as renters. This can result in homeowners losing ownership of their property entirely.

  Homeowners should also be wary of any mortgage relief program that asks for any fees upfront. Scammers may claim that these fees are necessary to initiate the process of refinancing, modifying the mortgage, or negotiating with lenders. Once the homeowner pays the fees, the scammers disappear without providing any actual assistance.

  To avoid falling victim to a mortgage rescue scam, homeowners should exercise caution and skepticism when approached by anyone offering assistance with their mortgage troubles. It’s crucial to verify the credentials of individuals or organizations claiming to offer such services, and to consult trusted legal or financial professionals before making any decisions.

  Legitimate assistance programs and organizations don’t demand upfront fees and provide transparent information about the services they offer. If something seems too good to be true or feels suspicious, it’s best to do thorough research and seek guidance from reputable sources.

   

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  Geebo 8:00 am on July 24, 2020 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: deed transfer ( 12 ), foreclosure ( 2 ), mortgage rescue, real estate ( 118 ), Scams ( 1,227 )   

  Be careful when seeking out foreclosure help 

  

  With so many Americans out of work, many homeowners are having trouble making their mortgage payments. To try to keep from being evicted from their own home, some will look to so-called mortgage relief companies for assistance. Many of these companies you may see advertised through things like mailers and street fliers are not companies at all. Rather they are scammers looking to take advantage of struggling homeowners at what could be their lowest point.

  In many cases, scammers will try to get you to sign the deed of your property over to a third party. Then the homeowner is given the option to stay in the home while paying rent to the deed holder. All too often in these cases, the deed holder will be charged an astronomical rent or price the house out of reach of the original homeowner. In either case, the original homeowner could still find themselves evicted from their home. In other instances of this scam, sometimes the deed will have never been transferred. So not only will the homeowner be evicted but they’ll still be responsible for the mortgage amount.

  A different scam involves scammers calling homeowners and claiming they can help lower your mortgage payment. However, they’ll only offer this assistance if you pay a substantial fee in gift cards. These fictitious fees could be in the thousands of dollars. As we often like to remind people, no legitimate company or agency will ever ask you for payment in gift cards. Scammers often ask for gift cards because once the funds are removed from the card they become virtually untraceable.

  Instead of going to one of these potentially bogus companies, it is instead recommended that you work with your lender to see if their loan can be restructured in some way to help reduce payments. Homeowners also have the option of trying to sell their home on their own in order to pay off the mortgage.