Financial spam

[mrmaxx]

Anyone got a good email for some government agency that wants to know about mortgage spam? I'm getting sick and tired of all this mortgage spam and would really like to see someone in the government crack down on these guys... Surely some office in the US Treasury department would be responsible for mortgages... that's gotta come under the "fair lending" or something like that???

I looked at Marjolein's page, but it doesn't have anything for mortgage spam.

[turetzsr]

...The only one I see that's relevant is spam[at]uce.gov.

[mrmaxx]

...The only one I see that's relevant is spam[at]uce.gov.

29277[/snapback]

Yeah... I think there's GOT to be someone who can go to these mortgage spammers and say "shut up. You're not licensed to sell mortgages!" Unfortunately, I can't seem to find who that would be.... Still looking.

[turetzsr]

Yeah... I think there's GOT to be someone who can go to these mortgage spammers and say "shut up. You're not licensed to sell mortgages!" Unfortunately, I can't seem to find who that would be.... Still looking.

29282[/snapback]

...It's more than just that (presumably) they're not licensed to sell mortgages (might that be an issue for individual states rather than a central authority?), it's that these offers are likely fraudulent, which suggests alerting the FTC (via spam[at]uce.gov).

[Jeff G.]

Assuming you are in the USA, I suppose you could try asking your State's Banking Dept. (or equivalent) that regulates mortgage companies in your State, as the spammer is soliciting your business in your State. You might also be able to interest your State Attorney General's office or your State Police.

[Wazoo]

There may be a bit of bad assumptions involved here. Historically, the vast majority of the "Get your low mortgage" spams aren't sent out by the actual money-lending outfits. In general, these spam turn out to be a grab for the personal data, which the spammer then sends on to the money-lending folks in return for a "lead finding fee" ... historically suggested at anywhere from $5 to $20 USD ... it's actually a bit hard to prosecute the spammer for this "info gathering" (based on the willingness of the idiot that fills in that data) ... and of course, the money-lender always has the fall-back that yhry have no idea where/how the "lead gatherer" comes up with all those "leads" .....

[mrmaxx]

There may be a bit of bad assumptions involved here.  Historically, the vast majority of the "Get your low mortgage" spams aren't sent out by the actual money-lending outfits.  In general, these spam turn out to be a grab for the personal data, which the spammer then sends on to the money-lending folks in return for a "lead finding fee" ... historically suggested at anywhere from $5 to $20 USD ... it's actually a bit hard to prosecute the spammer for this "info gathering" (based on the willingness of the idiot that fills in that data) ... and of course, the money-lender always has the fall-back that yhry have no idea where/how the "lead gatherer" comes up with all those "leads" .....

29291[/snapback]

Hmm.. so what you're saying here, is that this really isn't a "mortgage offer" so much as it is a way for the scummy, bottom-of-the barrel mortgage lenders to get more leads... with plausable deniability. Sheesh. Maybe the FTC or the Treasury will outlaw this sort of "lead generation." I sure as heck wish they would! I'm tired of all these mortgage spams! :angry:

[turetzsr]

Hmm.. so what you're saying here, is that this really isn't a "mortgage offer" so much as it is a way for the scummy, bottom-of-the barrel mortgage lenders to get more leads... with plausable deniability. Sheesh. Maybe the FTC or the Treasury will outlaw this sort of "lead generation." I sure as heck wish they would! I'm tired of all these mortgage spams! :angry:

29306[/snapback]

...IANAL but this would seem to be a class of fraud, attempted fraud or similar violation of commerical or financial law. Thus my suggestion to report it to the FTC.