Mortgage Relief Scams and Mortgage Advertising and Servicing
Mortgage relief scammers falsely claim that, for a fee (typically hundreds or thousands of dollars paid up-front), they will negotiate with consumers’ mortgage lenders or servicers to obtain a loan modification or other relief to avoid delinquency or foreclosure. Many of them pretend to be affiliated with the government or government housing assistance programs. Some falsely claim to be offering legal services or “audits” of consumers’ loan paperwork to help them negotiate a resolution with their lenders. Unfortunately, these operations often fail to obtain the relief they promise, and they sometimes fail to take even minimal steps to help consumers.
Over the past few years, the FTC has filed over 35 cases against marketers of mortgage relief services, and the agency has partnered with state law enforcers to bring hundreds more. Additionally, in 2010, the FTC issued the Mortgage Assistance Relief Services (or “MARS”) Rule – which bans mortgage relief providers from collecting fees until they have obtained a loan modification or other relief for a consumer. The Rule also prohibits providers from misrepresenting material aspects of their services and requires that they disclose key information to consumers.
Mortgage advertising and servicing
The FTC also works to protect consumers from illegal practices in the mortgage lending industry, with emphasis on the subprime market. Our cases have targeted deceptive and unfair practices by entities who work with consumers throughout the mortgage cycle – including advertisers, lenders, and loan servicers. In 2011, the FTC also issued the Mortgage Acts and Practices (or “MAP”) Rule – which bans advertisers from misrepresenting mortgage terms.
- Lanier Law, LLC ( )
- Consumer Defense, LLC, et al. ( )
- Ygrene Energy Fund Inc., FTC v. ( )
- CD Capital Investments, LLC ( )
- A to Z Marketing, Inc., also d/b/a Client Services; Apex Members, LLC, also d/b/a Apex Solutions, also d/b/a MacArthur Financial Group, et al. ( )
- Student Loan Help Direct ( )
- FTC v. Lake, et al. (HouseHoldRelief) ( )
- E.M.A. Nationwide, also d/b/a EMA and Expense Management America, et al. ( )
- Wealth Educators, Inc. ( )
- Lakhany, Sameer, The Credit Shop, LLC, Fidelity Legal Services LLC, Titanium Realty, Inc., Precision Law Center, Inc., and Precision Law Center LL ( )
- Washington Data Resources, Inc., et al. ( )
- Green Tree Servicing, LLC ( )
- Philip Danielson, LLC ( )
- Home Relief Foundation, Inc. ( )
- FMC Counseling Services, Inc. ( )
- Intermundo Media, LLC (Delta Prime Refinance) ( )
- LucasLawCenter Incorporated, d/b/a Future Financial Services, LLC, et al. ( )
- First (1st) Guaranty Mortgage Corp., et al. ( )
- Heritage Homes Group, Inc., et al. ( )
- Philip A. Flora, also known as Phil P ( )
- FTC Sends Refunds to Consumers Harmed by Lanier Law Mortgage Relief Scheme ( )
- FTC, California DFPI Case Leads to Ban Against Operators of Mortgage Relief Scam Home Matters USA ( )
- FTC Announces Claims Process for Consumers Harmed by Lanier Law Mortgage Relief Scheme ( )
- FTC Sends More Than $1.2 Million in Refunds to Consumers Harmed by Deceptive Mortgage Loan Modification Scam ( )
- FTC, California Act to Stop Ygrene Energy Fund from Deceiving Consumers About PACE Financing, Placing Liens on Homes Without Consumers’ Consent ( )
- Federal Trade Commission Returns More Than $164,000 To Consumers Harmed by Bogus Mortgage Relief Scam ( )
- FTC Finalizes Order with Mortgage Analytics Firm, Requiring it to Strengthen Security Safeguards, Increase Oversight of Vendors ( )
- FTC Sends More Than $250,000 in Additional Refunds to Victims of Mortgage Modification Scheme ( )
- Mortgage Analytics Company Settles FTC Allegations It Failed to Ensure Vendor Was Adequately Protecting Consumer Data ( )
- Mortgage Relief Defendant Banned from Debt Relief Business in Settlement with FTC ( )
- FTC Obtains Preliminary Injunction Against Mortgage Relief Operation That Deceived Homeowners ( )
- FTC Staff Perspective Examines Key Financial Issues That Affect Military Consumers ( )
- FTC Sending Refund Checks Totaling More Than $533,000 to Consumer Victims of Phony Mortgage Relief Scam ( )
- Court Finds Defendants Lied to Consumers When Selling Legal Services for Mortgage Relief ( )
- FTC to Coordinate with and Provide Resources for Military Community at Financial Workshop ( )
- FTC Announces Agenda for Military Consumer Financial Workshop: Protecting Those Who Protect Our Nation ( )
- FTC Announces 2017 Military Consumer Financial Workshop: Protecting Those Who Protect Our Nation ( )
- Defendants in Student Loan Debt Relief Scheme Banned from Industry in Settlement with FTC and Florida ( )
- Mortgage Relief Defendant Banned from Debt Relief Business ( )
- FTC Halts California Based Mortgage Relief Scam ( )
- When the economic impact of COVID-19 hits home( )
- CROA case shows why piggybacking isn’t the answer for consumers shouldering bad credit( )
- Front and center for military consumers( )
- The lesson of the MARS Rule: Not one penny up front( )
- So You Received a CID: FAQs for Small Businesses( )
- Will a $63 million FTC-CFPB settlement encourage Green Tree to turn over a new leaf?( )
- Deceptive mortgage ads hit close to home( )
- FTC's record-setting Do Not Call settlement: 4 tips for business and one candid suggestion( )
- Quoth the Maven( )
- FTC 86s LOAN MOD TXTS( )
- LOANMOD TXT MSGS VIOL8 LAW, SEZ FTC( )
- BCP Business Center: Your Link to the Law( )
- Reverse Mortgages & Housing Related Scams: LGBTQ+ Consumer Rights and ProtectionsMay 14, 2024
- Military Consumer WorkshopJuly 19, 2017
- Working Together to Protect Michigan Consumers: A Common Ground ConferenceJuly 13, 2016
- Sharing a Common Ground: A Common Ground Conference in St. LouisMay 1, 2014
- North Carolina Consumer Protection Workshop January 16, 2013
- Western Region Common Ground ConferenceSeptember 19, 2012
- In Short: Advertising & Privacy Disclosures in a Digital World May 30, 2012
- New Hampshire Common Ground Conference April 20, 2012
- Common Ground Conference January 9, 2012
- Tennessee Law Enforcement & Legal Services RoundtableNovember 16, 2011
- Common Ground: Credit and Consumer Fraud in the Economic Downturn April 4, 2011
- Consumer Protection in Underserved CommunitiesMarch 21, 2011
- Roundtable: Federal Trade Commission and Legal Services ProvidersOctober 13, 2010
- Southeast Region Common Ground Conference June 21, 2010
- Midwest Region Common Ground ConferenceMarch 22, 2010
- Consumer Information & the Mortgage Market May 29, 2008
- Protecting Consumers in the New Mortgage MarketplaceMay 24, 2006
- Predatory Lending ForumApril 3, 2001
- Statement of Acting Chairman Maureen K. Ohlhausen on the Release of the Staff Perspective, A Closer Look at the Military Consumer Financial Workshop ( )
- I’d like to thank… ( )
- National Consumer Protection Week in every community ( )
- Keynote Remarks at NW Common Ground Conference ( )
- Blog Post: Learn to Recognize Mortgage Relief Scams ( )
- Enforcement Policy Statement on Real Estate Professionals and the Mortgage Assistance Relief Services (MARS) Rule ( )
- Prepared Statement of the Federal Trade Commission On Improving Consumer Protections In Subprime Lending ( )
- FTC Policy Statement on Deception ( )
- 2022 Annual Report to CFPB Regarding Enforcement Activities Under TILA, CLA, and EFTA ( )
- A Closer Look At the Military Consumer Financial Workshop: The Federal Trade Commission Staff Perspective ( )
- Improving Consumer Mortgage Disclosures: An Empirical Assessment of Current and Prototype Disclosure Forms: A Bureau of Economics Staff Report ( )
- The Effect of Mortgage Broker Compensation Disclosures on Consumers and Competition: A Controlled Experiment ( )