6 Mortgage Relief Scams To Avoid - #5

Misrepresented attorneys general settlement

The attorneys general settlement with the five largest mortgage lenders brought out a new group of people who call homeowners and tell them they represent the lender. They will request $500 or more to facilitate the homeowners getting money from the settlement.
Another common scam is for homeowners to be told that a caller is from a government agency with information about the mortgage settlement. The caller requests a bank routing number or other personal information to "facilitate the refund," but then the scammers drain the bank account.
People are always looking for fresh ways to get homeowners' money. One of the newest is for a scammer to tell the homeowner they will put their money in an escrow account and hold it during the loan modification process. Once the money is in the account, they drain it and disappear.
To avoid this scam, never give out personal financial information to anyone who calls. And don't pay a fee for housing counseling.