S. California Woman Faces 2-6 Years After Admitting She Clipped Financially Distressed Homeowners Out Of Thousand$ By Making False Promises For Loan Modifications, Other Foreclosure Relief

In Los Angeles, California, City News Service reports:

• A 30-year-old Costa Mesa woman pleaded guilty [] to federal charges stemming from a foreclosure rescue fraud scheme that targeted homeowners with bogus promises of mortgage relief. Najia Jalan entered her plea in Los Angeles federal court to charges of mail fraud and aggravated identity theft.
  
  Jalan faces between two and six years in federal prison when she is sentenced Oct. 5 by U.S. District Judge R. Gary Klausner, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
  
  Jalan — who is not a licensed attorney — used company names such as the National Legal Help Center, United National Mortgage Protection Center, OC NonProfit, American Consumer Law Center to trick victims into paying her substantial fees for fake services, prosecutors said.
  
  Jalan used various aliases to attract struggling homeowners by deceptively promising foreclosure relief or mortgage modifications to make consumers’ payments substantially more affordable, court papers show.
  
  She promised to obtain results within a certain period of time, charging homeowners unlawful advance fees, ranging from $1,000 to $3,000 and in some cases more than $10,000, prosecutors said.
  
  The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau sued Jalan and a co-defendant in 2012 in connection with the National Legal Help Center, which falsely claimed that they would provide legal representation for consumers even though the defendants were not attorneys and consumers received no actual legal representation, according to the agency.

Source: Prison for O.C. woman who offered bogus foreclosure relief.