While "Bert" is in a foreign country, the main scammer is right here in the USA. William F. Patterson, he claims to work for New Horizon Financial whose office (on their website www.newhorizonfinancial.net) shows to be at 1010 Wilshire Blvd. in LA, CA - funny thing....the buildings management company says they haven't been tenants in over 7 months. Left with no forwarding address. When I looked up his other info, I found that he had 2 other addresses that weren't right either. His other "office" turned out to be an empty house that had been foreclosed on 2 years back. The third "office" is a vacant house in a seedy neighborhood that has been on the market for 3 years running. Smell a dead rat yet???
One of these last two addys turned up on another website for a merchant services account. (Sells credit/debit card processing for businesses) - same business phone and fax as this New Horizon Fin.
Beware of this scam. They want your debit, credit card or checking info in order to "process" your application - they will charge you from $495 to $1,500+ if you furnish this info to them. With the system they have, once they draft your account there is no way to do a clawback or to reclaim your money. It's just GONE.
They paperwork I was sent was old and outdated, but it contains enough information that they could pretty easily assume your identity or hi-jack your accounts. Worse still - when I checked with the NMLS (national mortgage licensing) and the California State office, neither of them had anything for this company - which means they are NOT licensed to do any type of mortgage processing. There was nothing in the CA Bar Association about their being admitted to the California Bar Association as they had claimed to be in my phone conversation with them.
All this adds up to a stinking, steaming pile of POO. Red Flags all over this one!
The "application fee" they are charging has been illegal since the first of 2011. They are not allowed to charge a fee before providing any services. I gave this moron a valid card number, but I had not funded the card. He tried to run it over the weekend, without my authorization to do so, which validates my point about this being an UPFRONT FEE SCAM. I had NOT signed anything with this bozo for them to do ANYTHING, but there he was trying to draft my card!!!!
Isn't it funny how they claim to be SO honest and that they are doing everything by the book, yet turn around and run the scam any how?
If you get a call from the Robo-Call Bandit (India) and they want to reduce your mortgage - just RUN. ...and while you're running, call your attorney general and the FTC and make them aware of these scammers too!
A man called to inform me that I was eligible for a government grant in the amount of $9000 which would supposedly be coming through the bank of New York. They claimed that they were from the federal government, operating out of Washington D.C. They asked me for my personal information, but I refused to offer anything specific. They said they'd wire me a grant through Western Union if I was hesitant about their legitimacy. I said that would make me more comfortable, but then they wanted my driver's license info. I told them the government would know this and that I would not provide it for them on an unsolicited call. The man became agitated but proceeded to give me a phone number to call (206-317-1494), for further instruction. They also provided me with a "grant verification number." I called the Federal Trade Commission instead. I then registered for the do not call list.
I just had the same man call me about the $9,000 grant money from the Government. He had his script down pretty good and had no real answers to my questions.