Virginia Feds Turn Up Heat On Foreclosure Rescue Scams

In Newport News, Virginia, the Daily Press reports:

• [A]lex J. Turner, the FBI's special agent in charge of the Hampton Roads region, said the bureau was shifting resources to fight foreclosure scammers. [FBI special agent Tom] Tierney wouldn't provide details of how many cases the FBI is actively investigating in Hampton Roads, saying only that the number is "substantially" higher than a year or two ago. Few of the FBI investigations have gone to court so far, though that could change, given the increased focus.

• Some private lawyers have also become involved, representing the scammed clients in civil proceedings. Robin Abbott is an attorney with Consumer Litigation Associates, a Newport News law firm. She said she's handled at least 20 foreclosure scam cases so far. "A day does not go by that I do not get calls" from people who've been swindled, Abbott said. The types of scams, she said, are many, varied and "getting more and more complex."

• But there's one common theme, she said: a rush to get you to sign documents that you don't understand and an effort to ensure you don't consult other experts. "It's usually late in the afternoon when they send you the documents, and they tell you to get them back to them right away," Abbott said. "You don't have time to read them, and you don't get a copy. They'll tell you they'll get you a copy later."'

For more, see Scams on the rise with increased foreclosures.