FREE practical guide · Scams and Professional Help
Advance Fees and Mortgage Relief Services
What the FTC says about fee restrictions and written offers of assistance.
What the FTC says about fee restrictions and written offers of assistance. The safest first move is to confirm the account status and deadline directly with the mortgage servicer, then keep a dated written record.
Understand the issue
What this topic means for a homeowner
Homeowners under deadline pressure are frequent targets for rescue scams. Common warning signs include guaranteed results, demands for large advance fees, instructions to stop communicating with the servicer, new payment destinations, and title-transfer schemes.
Independent help is available. HUD-participating agencies provide foreclosure-prevention counseling at no charge. Attorneys should be licensed in the relevant state, and their role and fee agreement should be clear.
A practical way to think about it
Use precise questions
Specific questions are more useful than asking whether everything is okay. Ask what is missing, what rule applies, who decides, what the deadline is, and how the answer will be confirmed.
Action plan
Work through these steps in order
- 1
Verify the identity and license of anyone offering professional help.
- 2
Read the full service agreement and disclosures.
- 3
Keep paying the servicer unless a qualified source gives lawful written direction.
- 4
Never send money to a new account without independent verification.
- 5
Report suspected fraud to appropriate authorities.
Document checklist
Put these records in one working file
The exact request can differ by loan and servicer. Use the checklist you receive in writing as the final authority.
- Written service agreement
- Fee schedule
- License information
- Mortgage payment instructions
- Advertising or messages containing promises
Questions to ask
Use specific questions and request written answers
Are you affiliated with the government or my lender?
What exactly will you do?
When and how are fees charged?
Who is licensed and in which state?
Can I stop the service at any time?
Pause and verify
Warning signs that require extra care
- No legitimate provider can guarantee a modification or sale cancellation.
- Pressure to sign immediately is a reason to pause.
- A request to transfer title can put ownership at risk.
FTC: Mortgage Relief Scams
Search the named agency directly to verify current public guidance. If a court paper, sale date, title question, or state-law deadline is involved, speak with a licensed attorney in the property's state.
This guide is not legal, tax, bankruptcy, financial, or housing-counseling advice. It does not create an attorney-client or fiduciary relationship, and it does not guarantee a loan modification, foreclosure delay, or any other result. A website request is not notice to your servicer, a court, or a trustee.