Foreclosure Solutions Workshop January 14, 2009 in Bel Air, Maryland
December 30, 2008
The Harford County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. is hosting a Foreclosure Solutions Workshop on Wednesday, January 14, 2009 in Bel Air, Maryland from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
This workshop is open to the public and offers a free legal consultation to homeowners facing foreclosure.
Note: homeowners must pre-register to receive the free consultation. (Registration information is given below.)
Homeowners should bring:
(1) all paperwork related to current and former mortgages (including loan application, settlement paperwork and lender statements);
(2) all foreclosure notices or threats of foreclosure received; and
(3) information about monthly household budget (income/expenses).
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14
5:30 p.m. Â 8:30 p.m.
Bel Air Public Library
100 E. Pennsylvania Avenue
Bel Air, MD 21014
***This location is handicap accessible.
Homeowners may use this link and phone number to pre-register:
http://www.dst-harfordcountyalumnae.org/homeownersforum.html or (443) 402-2878
New Phishing / Smishing Scam: Text message tells targets to call 1-202-729-8214, says “your ATM card has been suspended.”
December 17, 2008
There seems to be a new phishing / smishing scam going around.
How the scam works:
(1) People receive a text message reading as follows:
“This is an automated message from Bank-Fund Staff F.C.U.. Your ATM card has been suspended. To reactivate call urgent at 1-202-729-8214.”
(2) Upon calling this number, targets are prompted by an automated recording to enter their bank card number, expiration date, and PIN number.
Who has been affected?
This scam seems to be affecting primarily Sprint cell phone customers. But, even if you are not a Sprint customer, you should still take the precautions described below.
Most targets report that they do not have (and never have had) a Bank Fund Staff Federal Credit Union account. It is unclear why the scammers referenced BFSFCU in their message.
What to do If you receive the scam text message:
- Do not call the 1-202-729-8214 number.
- If you suspect that your bank or credit union card has been affected, call your financial institution directly. Do not use the 1-202-729-8214 number to try to contact your bank or credit union.
- If you do call the 1-202-729-8214 number, DO NOT ENTER YOUR BANK CARD INFORMATION.
- Report the scam text message and / or file a complaint with:
- the Attorney General of your state of residence,
- your local police department,
- your cell phone provider, and
- the Federal Trade Commission.
Link to a Bank Fund Staff Federal Credit Union news alert discussing the scam.
You can also learn more about phishing scams at this Federal Trade Commission link.
Debt Collectors: who are they, how did they get your account, and will they negotiate?
December 4, 2008
Many people call our office with questions about letters and calls they have received from debt collectors or debt purchasers. (Click the link for an explanation of the terms “debt collector” and “debt purchaser.”)
The consumers’ first questions are usually, “why am I getting calls from XYZ Collection about an old Discover card? Why would I take their word for it that I should send them money I supposedly owe to another company?”
These are great questions to ask. These and other frequently-asked questions are discussed below.
Proper party to pay: get it in writing
Before paying any old accounts, you want to be sure you have verified that the party asking for payment is legally entitled to payment. You will want to get this in writing before making any payments
How did the debt collector get the account in the first place?
If a consumer falls behind in his or her account payments, the account may be sold to a debt purchaser. Or, a creditor might hire a debt collection company or attorney (as an independent contractor) to do its collection work.
But, unfortunately, some collection accounts never belonged to the consumer in the first place. Our office has seen many cases where a debt collector will try to collect on a so-called Âdebt that never existed.
Do I really owe the amount the debt collector says I owe?
Even when the original debt did exist, some debt collectors try to collect amounts that are much greater than the original debt.
They do this by adding on interest, penalties, attorneyÂs fees, and court costs to the original debt amount. But, some or all of these charges might be invalid.
Our experience has been that consumers sincerely want to pay any amounts they owe. But, a consumer might not really owe the amount the debt collector claims.
Keep in mind that collection agencies, debt buyers, and the attorneys who assist them are subject to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act as well as applicable state laws.
Will a debt collector negotiate the amount they say I owe?
It depends. If the debt collector is working as an independent contractor (doing collections for an original creditor), its ability to negotiate will usually be limited.
For example, the debt collector might be authorized to settle for a certain percentage of the amount they are seeking. Depending on the original creditor, this amount might be 35% – 85%.
When the debt collector is also a debt purchaser and has bought the debt, they may have more room to negotiate lower settlements.
For more information
For more information about the above topics, contact our office and / or take a look at the following related posts:
Debt Lawsuits: FAQ and General Information
Ware Law Office LLC Page
