FTC Begins Refund Process for Consumers Harmed by Mortgage Foreclosure 'Rescue' Scheme

To help Spanish-speaking consumers recover money lost to a scam that promised to stop foreclosure or obtain mortgage loan modifications, the Federal Trade Commission mailed claim forms this week, that must be submitted no later than January 14, 2013.

Consumers who paid defendants Dinamica Financiera LLC, Soluciones Dinamicas Inc., Valentin Benitez, or Jose Mario Esquer for loan modification or foreclosure rescue services, and have not received a claim form, should get one from the refund administrator, Gilardi & Co., LLC 1-877-281-5622 or www.FTC.gov/refunds.

Under the judgment obtained in November 2010 as part of the FTC’s ongoing efforts to protect consumers in financial distress, those defendants are also banned from selling mortgage loan modification or foreclosure relief services.

To learn how to avoid these kinds of scams, read the FTC’s For Homeowners, Foreclosure Rescue Scams: Another Potential Stress for Homeowners in Distress, and Mortgage Payments Sending You Reeling? Here’s What to Do.

The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC's online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 2,000 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s website provides free information on a variety of consumer topics.  Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources.