Did you read this article on Salon.com late last month? Entitled, “Why loan modification scams are booming,” it’s all about how bad things are getting for the unwary borrower who is in danger of foreclosure, needs a loan modification, doesn’t know where to turn, and makes the mistake of falling prey to one of the hundreds of shady “foreclosure rescue” companies who are currently out there looking for victims to rip off.

 According to the article, “…law enforcement agencies at all levels across the country have filed suit against 150 such companies, but they continue to proliferate, and the number of consumer complaints continues to rise.”

As an example, it mentions one particular company–21st Century Legal Services–who has been sued by four states and is under investigation by at least three more.

“Over 150 consumers from more than 30 states have filed complaints against 21st Century with the Better Business Bureau,” the article says. “No active firm has more complaints. Yet the company forges on. Operating under a new name, Fidelity National Legal Services, it continues to solicit consumers nationwide, even in states where authorities have won court injunctions.”

I’ll let you read the rest of the article yourself for more gory details about these scam artists, but the point is that the number of companies charging up-front fees and making guarantees they can’t deliver is increasing, not decreasing, so the problem is getting worse, not better. That means it’s even more important that homeowners who find themselves facing foreclosure know where to turn for real, honest help so that they don’t get duped by these unscrupulous crooks.

An assisted loan modification program, like the one offered by The Homeowner Center, provides borrowers with all the genuine help and one-on-one guidance they need to process their loan modification themselves–and at a fraction of the price. So, let’s all be vigilant and spread the word! Let’s do all we can to keep these con artists from claiming any more innocent victims!

Christina Inman, the CEO of TheAgentCenter.com, has been a real estate industry specialist, author and broker for 17 years.