CHARLOTTE, N.C. — People facing foreclosure are desperate to save their homes. Companies know that and try to cash in. They bombard those homeowners with letters offering help. But when a company sent one local family a letter missing key information, Action 9 investigator Jason Stoogenke wanted to find out who was behind it.
We'll call him "John." He asked Action 9 not to use his name. He said he and his wife are having a rough few years.
"My wife had a steady job. Now, she's down with cancer. She can't work," he said.
Now, they are about to lose their house. So some companies have been mailing the couple, offering deals to save their home.
"It's just like the vultures are hovering above us and everybody's getting ready to pick off our bones, you know. That's what I feel like," he said.
Then John got the letter. He got his hopes up and called the number. But, he said, he got a weird vibe and "backed out of it."
When Stoogenke saw the mailing, he noticed there was no business name or address, not even in fine print. There was only an 800 number.
It turns out, the business is called National Servicing Center. It's in Orange County, California. The Better Business Bureau there gives it a "C" rating, saying it's fairly new, and said it has only one employee. VIEW THE BBB LISTING.
Stoogenke called the company to ask why the mailing is so vague. The man who answered just said National Servicing Center didn't send that letter, that the company that owns John's loan did (to give John an option and prove to the government it offered John that help).
Apparently, that company decided not to mention National Servicing Center's name or address.
If you're facing foreclosure and get mailings, beware of:
1. Any offer that's missing key information
2. Any guarantee or promise to save your home
3. Any demand that you keep the offer to yourself
4. Any upfront fee (illegal in North Carolina)
WSOC
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