{"success":true,"data":{"id":"fake-mortgage-loan-modification-scam","label":"Fake loan modification / foreclosure rescue scam — guaranteed principal reduction + pay upfront fee + stop making mortgage payments + debt settlement for cents on the dollar","description":"Email offering to guarantee a loan modification, principal reduction, or foreclosure rescue for an upfront fee of $500–$2,500 — often falsely invoking HARP, HAMP, or government mortgage assistance programs. Key fraud patterns: demands advance payment before any service is rendered, instructs homeowners to stop making mortgage payments (which accelerates foreclosure), asks the homeowner to transfer the deed to a third-party \"holding company,\" or promises to settle debts for \"50 cents on the dollar\" via a monthly fee program. HUD-approved counselors and legitimate bank hardship programs are always free. FTC/CFPB 2024: mortgage relief and loan modification scams cause $150M+ in annual losses; victims who stop paying their mortgage at the scammer's instruction lose their homes faster, not slower.","tier":"danger","category":"scam","isThin":false}}