Is Your Assignment Coming
From A Legitimate Firm?

With so many loan modification companies advertising their services, it can seem a daunting task to tell the legitimate from the unscrupulous. State and federal officials suggest a few guidelines to help you sort it out:

• If you are asked to notarize loan modification documents for a transaction taking place directly between the actual lender and the borrower, it is likely to be legitimate.
• Check the references of any company offering work that claims to be affiliated with the government or uses a government name as part of its title. The Department of Housing and Urban Development provides a list of government-approved foreclosure avoidance counselors and organizations that do not charge for their services here:
• Confirm with the appropriate state agency — often the attorney general’s office — that the business is authorized to offer loan modification services in your state.
• Contact your state bar or attorney general’s office to verify the credentials of any law firm offering you loan-modification-related work, as some companies fraudulently pose as lawyers or claim to be “lawyer-advised.”
• Check a company’s rating with the Better Business Bureau to see if there are any complaints about its services.