Foreclosure Rescue Scams ExposedPart 7) HOW TO TAKE ACTION AGAINST SCAMMERS
So something is not quite right with your transaction. If you think you might be one of millions of victims of foreclosure rescue scams, you can get help at some of the links posted below. Take time to lodge a complaint. You will be helping yourself and the general public by alerting the authorities. 1) Get professional help. For homeowners to get their money (and maybe even their homes) back from foreclosure rescue scams, they will have to take the scammers to court. For help finding a lawyer, see "Where to Find a Lawyer" in module 9 (Go to the main menu link at the bottom of this page to access module 9.) You can also contact a HUD-approved financial counselor to explore more options. HUD contact information is item #1 in the section entitled "List of Legitimate Resources for Help" (also accessible through the main menu link at the bottom of the page). 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. The following sites have information on your state attorney general’s office http://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. Here is the url address http://law.ga.gov/02/ago/home/0,2705,87670814,00.html 4) You can report 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 url addresses: 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.
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