Protect the deed, the money, and the decision
Foreclosure Rescue and Home-Equity Scam Defense
A practical framework for recognizing pressure tactics, false affiliations, title-transfer schemes, upfront fees, and misleading guarantees.
Two-minute explanation
The idea in plain language
Do not pay upfront for a promised foreclosure rescue, stop communicating with your servicer, send mortgage payments to a stranger, or sign over title without independent professional review.
Learning objectives
What you should be able to do
- Recognize the strongest foreclosure-rescue scam signals.
- Verify whether a company is actually affiliated with a government program or lender.
- Protect title and payment information.
- Create a safe pause before signing.
Action sequence
First responsible steps
- 01Keep paying the official mortgage servicer unless qualified advice and verified written terms say otherwise.
- 02Do not sign a deed, power of attorney, leaseback, or sale document you do not understand.
- 03Independently verify every claimed government or lender affiliation.
- 04Use a HUD-approved counselor or qualified attorney for an independent review.
Pressure is information
A demand for secrecy, an immediate signature, an upfront fee, or a promise that foreclosure will definitely stop should increase scrutiny. Legitimate time pressure may exist, but pressure from the person selling a solution is not proof that the solution is sound.
CFPB and FTC materials warn about instructions to stop paying the mortgage, send payments elsewhere, sign over title, or pay in advance for promised relief.
Protect the chain of authority
Verify the mortgage servicer from the statement, the government program from a .gov page, and the professional’s license through the responsible regulator. Do not use contact details supplied only by the person making the claim.
Cash Property Group is a private real-estate investment company. It is not associated with the government, a homeowner’s lender, or HUD, and the Academy does not negotiate mortgage relief.
Independent review must be truly independent
A reviewer paid only if a particular transaction closes may have a financial interest in the outcome. For legal rights, use your own attorney or legal-aid provider. For mortgage-retention options, use the servicer and a HUD-approved counselor.
Applied scenario
The “government-approved” logo
Mina receives a letter with an eagle seal and a deadline. She searches the program name on an official government site, calls the servicer directly, and learns that the sender is a private marketer with no government affiliation.
Takeaway: Visual authority is not legal authority. Verify through an independent channel.
Knowledge check
Make sure the distinction is clear
What should happen when someone requests an upfront foreclosure-relief fee?+
Pause, do not pay, and verify the service through a HUD-approved counselor, attorney, CFPB, or FTC resource.
Is a government-looking logo evidence of affiliation?+
No. The affiliation must be independently verified through the government agency itself.
Primary and authoritative sources
Continue with the source itself
Learning checkpoint
Did the guide make the next decision clearer?
Choose your next step