Foreclosure Rescue Scams Exposed part 6

List of Legitimate Resources for help

So something is not quite right with your transaction... If you think you might be the victim of a foreclosure rescue scam, you can get help at some of the links posted below.

Please go to the effort to lodge a complaint. You will be helping yourself and the general public by alerting the authorities.

1) Get professional help. In order to take action against someone who has defrauded you, you will have to take him to court. For help finding a lawyer, see the "Where to Find a Lawyer" section below. You can also contact a HUD-approved financial counselor to explore more options. HUD contact information is item #1 in the above section entitled "List of Legitimate Resources for Help."

2) You can file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. Their toll-free number is 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). They have an on-line system called complaint assistant. It takes you through an easy question and answer process. To use Complaint Assistant, go to https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/

3) Your state attorney general’s office is a great resource. They will decide whether or not to perform a criminal investigation based on your complaint of a foreclosure rescue scam. Use the following lists to get information on your state attorney general’s officehttp://www.consumerfraudreporting.org

stateattorneygenerallist.php and

http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/offices/index.html#m

I got in touch with my state attorney's office simply by doing a Google search for: Georgia State Attorney.

4) You can report foreclosure rescue scams to the U.S. Trustee office. Branch offices are listed in local phone directories, but they have community branch locations listed on their website at www.usdoj.gov/ust

5) The Better Business Bureau wants to know about your experience at http://www.bbb.org/

6) The local FBI is another important place to report a scam. Locate your local office at:http://www.fbi.gov/contact/fo/fo.htm

7) For other places to file a complaint, go to http://www.fraudproblem.com/where-to-complain/

8) Freddie Mac has set up a Mortgage Fraud Hotline at 1-800-4FRAUD8, that is 1-800-437-2838

9) Your local Consumer Protection Board or your local District Attorney should be alerted as well. They will be listed in your phone book.

10) If someone licensed by the state defrauds you, report them to your state's Department of Financial Institutions. Here are a few links: Wisconsin www.wdfi.org

Washington state www.dfi.wa.gov

California www.dfi.ca.gov

Arizona www.azdfi.gov

Tennessee www.tennessee.gov/tdfi

Illinois www.idfpr.com

Florida www.fldfs.com/fortheconsumer.asp

New York http://www.banking.state.ny.us/ccs.htm

11) If you are worried that your identity has been hijacked, log on to www.ftc.gov/idtheft for steps to take, or call 877-438-4338.

12) Forward fraudulent e-mails to the Federal Trade Commission at spam@uce.gov and to reportphishing@antiphishing.org. The latter is a consortium of businesses and law-enforcement agencies. If you receive an e-mail from a fraudster that is using the name of a legitimate business, be sure to send a copy of the e-mail to the company that has been impersonated. Go to the Main Menu of the Foreclosure Rescue Scams Series
Part 7) HOW TO TAKE ACTION AGAINST SCAMMERS