California Homeowner In Foreclosure Loses $1K To Purported Loan Modification Firm

In San Luis Obispo, California, New Times SLO reports:

• [Homeowner Donna] Scarpa said a self-described foreclosure prevention consultant with a company calling itself U.S. Foreclosure Freedom met with her and her husband in August. Scarpa paid $997 up front by credit card to save the house; that was originally scheduled to be in September. But later, Scarpa said, she had trouble contacting the representative and became concerned she wasn’t getting what she paid for.

***

• She said when she confronted her foreclosure prevention consultant, the representative grew defensive. Scarpa independently managed to get an extension on the foreclosure sale until Jan. 8. She’s still unnerved, however, and worries how much she’ll be able to accomplish in a month.

• The representative could not be reached for comment. The phone number for U.S. Foreclosure Freedom was disconnected, and an e-mail to the company bounced back as undeliverable. Messages left with another phone number Scarpa provided for the representative weren’t returned.

For more, see If it sounds too good to be true... (Experts warn that a rash of foreclosures is bringing consultants out of the woodwork • but not all of them are as much help as they promise).