Consumer Alert: Beware of Homeowner Assistance Fund Scam

New York state has received $540 million for the Homeowner Assistance Funds (HAF) which is available for some New York homeowners who have experienced financial hardship due to the pandemic. Homeowners who are interested in learning more about the program or applying for these funds can visit nyhomeownerfund.org or call (844) 776-9423.

New Yorkers should beware of individuals or entities seeking to take advantage of potential applicants through scams and other deceptive practices related to the HAF.

Here are tips to avoid mortgage rescue and HAF-related scams:

Be cautious of any online ads, telephone solicitations, or people coming to your door that promise you HAF funds or a mortgage modification, especially if they are not from a trusted government agency: Only HCR can approve you for HAF and only your bank or mortgage servicer can approve a loan modification.
Be careful of solicitations from people or companies with out-of-state phone numbers or addresses, especially for attorneys: Only lawyers admitted to practice in New York can represent you in court.
Do not give your personal financial information to an unrecognized caller, someone knocking on your door, or in response to an unexpected piece of mail: This includes your bank account number, Social Security number, or the name of your loan servicer. Your bank already has all of this information and will not ask you for it.
Never pay an upfront fee for mortgage-related services: It is a violation of New York law to charge upfront fees for such services and violations should be reported to the Office of the Attorney General (OAG).

For additional tips and resources, please refer to our consumer alerts. The alerts are available for download in: