InfoBytes Blog
FTC Announces Settlements with Alleged Mortgage Modification Scammers
On December 15, the FTC announced stipulated court orders banning four individuals from selling debt relief products and services. According to the FTC, the individuals “promised consumers help getting their mortgages modified, but instead stole their mortgage payments, leading some to foreclosure and bankruptcy.” The FTC’s April 2015 complaint states that the defendants targeted homeowners facing foreclosure and “engaged in a course of conduct to advertise, market, sell, provide, offer to provide, or arrange for others to provide [Mortgage Assistance Relief Services], including loan modifications.” The complaint further alleged that consumers never received modifications, lenders did not receive their trial payments, and consumers’ payments were never refunded. The court orders prohibit the individuals from engaging in the practices they respectively exploited, such as telemarketing, selling credit-related financial products and services, using aliases, and using material misrepresentations and unsubstantiated claims to sell financial products and services. Combined, the individuals will pay more than $6,250,000 in monetary judgments.