Help Us Help Homeowners

The Look Before You Leap campaign has produced a new brochure-sized flyer aimed at helping consumers recognize foreclosure rescue scams, and it is available to our campaign partners free of charge.

FTC Rule Aims to Stop Foreclosure Rescue Scams

Under a new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rule that goes into effect on December 29, 2010, many common tricks of foreclosure rescue scams will now be illegal across the United States. In particular, under this Rule companies offering mortgage modification services must disclose:

Star Tribune Editorial Supports Campaign Principles

Homeowners should not pay for help avoiding foreclosure or securing a loan modification. That’s the message of Look Before You Leap, and it’s the message of a July 2 Star Tribune editorial supporting the campaign. With the number of scams reported to federal authorities booming from 1 in 2008 to nearly 8,000 last year, the campaign is working to curb this groundswell of scams and to protect homeowners in Minnesota. To read the full editorial, click here.

Partnerships Are Expanding to Help Homeowners

Momentum continues to build in support of the Look Before You Leap campaign and efforts to stop foreclosure scams in Minnesota. Today the campaign announced its 70th partner that has committed to educating its members/customers about the dangers of such scams: the Minnesota Credit Union Association.

Look before leaping to protect against mortgage scams

The following editorial appeared in the June 30, 2010 Pioneer Press:

Look before leaping to protect against mortgage scams

Homeowners struggling with the loss of a job, a soaring mortgage payment, declining home value — or all of the above — are at risk for foreclosure. The nation, the state and our community haven't seen this kind of housing stress since the 1930s. Not every mortgage can be 'fixed' short of losing the home. But some can.

Look Before You Leap: Out to quell foreclosure-related scam

The following article appeared in today's Star Tribune.

Look Before You Leap: Out to quell foreclosure-related scam

The Look Before You Leap campaign warns of illegitimate loan modification companies. There will be an event at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday on the East Side of St. Paul, one of the areas hardest hit by foreclosure, featuring homeowners who have agreed to share their horror stories.

Stopping Foreclosure Rescue Scams: Look Before You Leap Launches Today

At a community event today in St. Paul’s Payne-Phalen neighborhood, the Minnesota Home Ownership Center launched a new public education and outreach campaign. “Look Before You Leap” is designed to help homeowners identify and avoid loan modification scams in an effort to curb the state’s unprecedented foreclosure rate. The campaign is supported by more than 50 business, nonprofit and local government partners across Minnesota.

Read the entire press release below.

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Look Before You Leap launches on June 29

We're stopping foreclosure prevention scams in Minnesota.