A viewer called us this afternoon to pass along a scam alert.
The viewer tells us she recently got a phone call from someone claiming to be an officer with the Federal Trade Commission (the FTC overseas trade regulations, commerce issues and consumer protection laws. Click here to learn more). The viewer tells us that the call sounded legit and the caller claimed that she had won a contest. The caller, who claimed to be a federal agent, told her to call another FTC agent to claim the prize.
This is where you have to be careful.
When the woman called the second number, the person on the other end wanted her to send in $4500 dollars before her prize was sent to her. Luckily, the viewer recognized this red flag and didn't go any further!
Remember-- a federal agency, or any legit business for that matter, will never require that you send them money in return for a prize. This is just another version of something dubbed, the "Nigerian Scam." Don't fall for it!
And if you get a call, or letter or email that you think may be legit or may be a scam, just ask! The Lee County Sheriff's Office has a Fraud Hotline at 239-477-1242. But remember, if the deal sounds too good to be true and requires you to put up cash first-- it's a scam.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Short sale denials
Ten short sale offers in two years-- all denied or ignored. The most recent offer was for $200,000 in cash! Now, a Cape Coral man says his home, which was foreclosed on and sold for 66k, is back on the market for 199k!
It's a story that might be familiar to some. Tonight all new on WINK News at 6pm, Chief Investigator Melissa Yeager find out from the bank how this could happen.
It's a story that might be familiar to some. Tonight all new on WINK News at 6pm, Chief Investigator Melissa Yeager find out from the bank how this could happen.
Monday, August 16, 2010
BEWARE OF NEW SCAMS!
Just got a new release from the Lee County Fraud Unit...some great SCAM info you NEED to be aware of! Take a look at their press release!
Fraud Alert!
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Scams, Scams and More Scams
It seems there is always someone willing to take what does not belong to them, but with a little awareness on our part we may be able to keep our money where it belongs. Here are a few of the more common scams called into our Fraud Line.
-Work at Home Scams - These have been around for a long time, but now they are creeping up on legitimate job sites, newspapers and news sites. They entice you to "be your own boss" or "make extra money" from the comfort of your home. These usually require upfront payments with little to no recourse when things don’t work out.
-Vishing Scams - This is similar to phishing, but involves voice mail; a con-artist will call or send a text posing as a representative of your financial institution alerting you that there is a problem with your account, debit or credit card and that you must call back immediately to remedy the situation; their goal is to get your account information.
-Loan Modification Scams - With so many individuals and families struggling scammers are falling over themselves to "help" you. They offer to have their "experts" conduct "forensic audits" of your mortgage or loans to determine if the banks have violated any laws and owe you money or they will "re-structure" your debt; sadly these come with high upfront fees for loans that often never materialize.
-CraigsList Scams - The scammers work both sides of these on-line "stores"; they pretend to have something to sell in order to con you into sending them money and they pretend to purchase your items. The con here is they "accidently" send you a check for an amount far greater than the purchase price asking that you wire the difference back to them minus a small amount to compensate you for your trouble.
-Job Scams - With jobs hard to find and so many people desperately looking for work scammers know the right things to say to reel people in; from the work at home scams, jobs that require upfront money for you to be hired, fake employment applications, to fake job recruiters it really pays all job seekers to slow down and investigate a company or offer before giving out too much information or handing over any money.
To report a fraud or scam contact the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Fraud Line at 239-477-1242.
Fraud Alert!
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Scams, Scams and More Scams
It seems there is always someone willing to take what does not belong to them, but with a little awareness on our part we may be able to keep our money where it belongs. Here are a few of the more common scams called into our Fraud Line.
-Work at Home Scams - These have been around for a long time, but now they are creeping up on legitimate job sites, newspapers and news sites. They entice you to "be your own boss" or "make extra money" from the comfort of your home. These usually require upfront payments with little to no recourse when things don’t work out.
-Vishing Scams - This is similar to phishing, but involves voice mail; a con-artist will call or send a text posing as a representative of your financial institution alerting you that there is a problem with your account, debit or credit card and that you must call back immediately to remedy the situation; their goal is to get your account information.
-Loan Modification Scams - With so many individuals and families struggling scammers are falling over themselves to "help" you. They offer to have their "experts" conduct "forensic audits" of your mortgage or loans to determine if the banks have violated any laws and owe you money or they will "re-structure" your debt; sadly these come with high upfront fees for loans that often never materialize.
-CraigsList Scams - The scammers work both sides of these on-line "stores"; they pretend to have something to sell in order to con you into sending them money and they pretend to purchase your items. The con here is they "accidently" send you a check for an amount far greater than the purchase price asking that you wire the difference back to them minus a small amount to compensate you for your trouble.
-Job Scams - With jobs hard to find and so many people desperately looking for work scammers know the right things to say to reel people in; from the work at home scams, jobs that require upfront money for you to be hired, fake employment applications, to fake job recruiters it really pays all job seekers to slow down and investigate a company or offer before giving out too much information or handing over any money.
To report a fraud or scam contact the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Fraud Line at 239-477-1242.
CALL FOR ACTION: WINK gets man his $217,000 back
A few weeks ago, we were able to get a woman her house back. Now, Call for Action was able to help a man get his $217,000 back!
Chief Investigator, Melissa Yeager is hot on the bank's trail after a man has to wait months for his big refund. It's another bad bank communication that results in a foreclosure sale that shouldn't have happened. But the person who loses out the most in this case is the investor!
It's a Call for Action success story you won't want to miss tonight, August 16th, at 6pm.
Chief Investigator, Melissa Yeager is hot on the bank's trail after a man has to wait months for his big refund. It's another bad bank communication that results in a foreclosure sale that shouldn't have happened. But the person who loses out the most in this case is the investor!
It's a Call for Action success story you won't want to miss tonight, August 16th, at 6pm.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Bad bank communication: Call for Action gets results!
A couple living in Cape Coral tried to avoid a foreclosure for a year. Finally, Bank of America agreed to a short sale. In February, the sale closed, keys and titles changed hands, and the bank got paid.
So why is the bank now trying to foreclose on the family? They no longer own the home!
It's a Call for Action that gets results! Chief Investigator Melissa Yeager has the story all new on WINK News at 6pm.
So why is the bank now trying to foreclose on the family? They no longer own the home!
It's a Call for Action that gets results! Chief Investigator Melissa Yeager has the story all new on WINK News at 6pm.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Looking for a few good men and women...
Our Call for Action coordinator Jean just told me they could use a few more volunteers!
Our CFA Volunteers work like "mediators"--they work with consumers and businesses to try and resolve disputes. We're looking for someone who is a "people person" and enjoys trying to help solve consumer problems.
The volunteers take calls Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
If you're interested, you can call Jean for more information at 1-800-795-9465.
One more thing--if you decide to email us about a problem you need help with--PLEASE INCLUDE A DAYTIME PHONE NUMBER! It's really hard for us to get ahold of you if you don't put one. Even though email is a great communication tool--sometimes we have follow up questions and would like to speak to you over the phone.
Our CFA Volunteers work like "mediators"--they work with consumers and businesses to try and resolve disputes. We're looking for someone who is a "people person" and enjoys trying to help solve consumer problems.
The volunteers take calls Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
If you're interested, you can call Jean for more information at 1-800-795-9465.
One more thing--if you decide to email us about a problem you need help with--PLEASE INCLUDE A DAYTIME PHONE NUMBER! It's really hard for us to get ahold of you if you don't put one. Even though email is a great communication tool--sometimes we have follow up questions and would like to speak to you over the phone.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Mortgage insurance standoff
A single grandmother raising a family is facing foreclosure because of Chinese drywall and the problems associated with selling her house.
Helen Powell, her daughter and two grand-daughters moved out of the house a year ago because of health-related issues. Powell's credit is about to be ruined because mortgage insurance is blocking a potential short sale.
Powell's realtor says the mortgage holder, GMAC, has an $80,000 incentive to hold out for foreclosure rather than sell the house. But the mortgage insurance standing in her way-- should have been cancelled.
WINK News Now This Morning anchor Rob Spicker has put numerous calls in to GMAC and has sent emails, but has not heard back from them yet. He wants to know why GMAC would keep charging for mortgage insurance when it's not required and why the bank is holding up the sale of the home to someone willing to take on the Chinese drywall remediation.
Rob will have the full story Tuesday, August 10th at 6:00pm on WINK News, Now.
Helen Powell, her daughter and two grand-daughters moved out of the house a year ago because of health-related issues. Powell's credit is about to be ruined because mortgage insurance is blocking a potential short sale.
Powell's realtor says the mortgage holder, GMAC, has an $80,000 incentive to hold out for foreclosure rather than sell the house. But the mortgage insurance standing in her way-- should have been cancelled.
WINK News Now This Morning anchor Rob Spicker has put numerous calls in to GMAC and has sent emails, but has not heard back from them yet. He wants to know why GMAC would keep charging for mortgage insurance when it's not required and why the bank is holding up the sale of the home to someone willing to take on the Chinese drywall remediation.
Rob will have the full story Tuesday, August 10th at 6:00pm on WINK News, Now.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Where to Complain--instructions!
We're still hearing from many viewers having troubles navigating the loan modification--so tonight we're doing a story stepping you through the process of filing a complaint.
Tonight on WINK NEWS at 6!
Tonight on WINK NEWS at 6!
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Bogus Health Insurance
The Department of Financial Services issued an important consumer warning today about a bogus health insurance policy.
More than 1800 Floridians bought these policies, thinking they had health insurance. Turns out they didn't have coverage at all!
This puts them in an awful situation. Not only do they now have to pay the bills, they also have been uninsured for months...possibly years! That means when they go to buy new policies, the new company may say because they didn't have continuous coverage, they won't cover some of their "pre-existing" conditions.
We'll have the story of one man who bought this plan tonight at 5. You can also read the investigation from our CBS affiliate in Orlando by clicking here.
Reporters have a slogan, "If your momma says she loves you, check it out." Make sure you check out any and all people you do business with--especially those you trust with your health! You can click here for a link to checking out insurance companies in the state of Florida.
More than 1800 Floridians bought these policies, thinking they had health insurance. Turns out they didn't have coverage at all!
This puts them in an awful situation. Not only do they now have to pay the bills, they also have been uninsured for months...possibly years! That means when they go to buy new policies, the new company may say because they didn't have continuous coverage, they won't cover some of their "pre-existing" conditions.
We'll have the story of one man who bought this plan tonight at 5. You can also read the investigation from our CBS affiliate in Orlando by clicking here.
Reporters have a slogan, "If your momma says she loves you, check it out." Make sure you check out any and all people you do business with--especially those you trust with your health! You can click here for a link to checking out insurance companies in the state of Florida.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Update on BOA story
Katie's been keeping on top of Bank of America and how they are working with Laqurdia Tatum--the woman who received a loan modification only to have her home sold out from under her. The sale happened while Tatum was at Ft. Bragg sending her son off to serve in Afghanistan. Katie received this response on Friday:
Katie,
We are currently investigating exactly what transpired that lead to the foreclosure. At this point, providing information before we have concluded our review would be speculation and not appropriate. We have received permission from the investor of the loan to have the sale rescinded. Through our attorneys, we are reaching out to the company who purchased the house to determine if they will cooperate with us and the homeowner.
Christina B. Toth
Meanwhile--Nicole Depuy--the first woman we featured who received a loan modification and her home was still sold-- moved out of her home on Saturday.
Katie,
We are currently investigating exactly what transpired that lead to the foreclosure. At this point, providing information before we have concluded our review would be speculation and not appropriate. We have received permission from the investor of the loan to have the sale rescinded. Through our attorneys, we are reaching out to the company who purchased the house to determine if they will cooperate with us and the homeowner.
Christina B. Toth
Meanwhile--Nicole Depuy--the first woman we featured who received a loan modification and her home was still sold-- moved out of her home on Saturday.
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