1.A company/person asks for a fee in advance to work with your lender to modify, refinance or reinstate your mortgage. They may pocket your money and do nothing to help you save your home from foreclosure. 2.A company/person guarantees they can stop a foreclosure or get your loan modified. NO ONE can make this guarantee to stop foreclosure or modify your loan. Legitimate, trustworthy HUD-approved counseling agencies can assist you with options and facilitate communication with your mortgage company.
3.A company/person advises you to stop paying your mortgage company and pay them instead. Despite what a scammer will tell you, you should never send a mortgage payment to anyone other than your mortgage lender.
4.A company pressures you to sign over the deed to your home or sign any paperwork that you haven't read or you don't fully understand. A legitimate housing counselor should not and will not pressure you to sign a document of any kind.
5.A company claims to offer "government-approved" or "official government" loan modifications. These may be scam artists pretending to be legitimate organizations approved by, or affiliated with the government.
6.A company/person you don’t know asks you to release personal financial information. Check to be sure you are speaking with a legitimate company/person by contacting your mortgage lender directly.
