Florida - Mortgage Fraud Resources

Few states were as negatively impacted by foreclosures as Florida following the collapse of the housing bubble. The inflated housing prices that many homeowners experienced led to more cases of fraudulent lending throughout the state beginning in 2006-07.

Since then Florida has taken aggressive actions to help combat this trend, such as increasing the penalties for those convicted of mortgage fraud. The state has also taken steps to share information and insights in collaborate ways in the ongoing fight against mortgage fraud.

The Florida Attorney General's Office is one of the first places consumers should turn to when they think they have been affected by mortgage fraud or are encountering a suspicious situation. The office offers a variety of mortgage- and fraud-related information on its website and provides a toll-free Consumer Hotline (see below) as well. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will also investigate mortgage fraud when violations of federal law may have been involved, such as when the fraud involves federal or interstate financial institutions.

Florida's Department of Business and Professional Regulation, through its Division of Real Estate, sets rules and guidelines for real estate professionals and exercises disciplinary authority. It has a dedicated Consumer Complaints Section (see below) that consumers may contact to report what they believe is unethical or illegal conduct by real estate professionals.

The Florida Department of Financial Services plays a similar role for the state financial industry and also offers a consumer helpline (see below). It also has a variety of resources to assist consumers in making informed financial decisions. Its Office of Financial Regulation sets the rules for and oversees state financial institutions such as banks and credit unions.

Offices of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development offices can help borrowers and homeowners find the resources they need to make smart mortgage decisions.

The Better Business Bureau sets forth guidelines in which all businesses should operate and will take steps to ensure that consumers are being treated fairly by businesses across the country.

Below is a list of various state and regional agencies and organizations that Florida consumers may contact if they believe they are the victims of mortgage fraud or have other concerns on the subject.


Attorney General of Florida
Consumer Protection
http://myfloridalegal.com/consumer
The Capitol PL-01
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1050
Phone: (850) 414-3300
Consumer Hotline: (866) 966-7226

Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation
Division of Real Estate
http://www.myflorida.com/dbpr/re/frec.html
Consumer Complaints Section
400 West Robinson Street, Suite N801
Orlando, FL 32801-1757
Phone: (850) 487-1395
Email: Call.Center@dbpr.state.fl.us

Florida Department of Financial Services
http://www.fldfs.com
200 East Gaines St.
Tallahassee, FL 32399
Consumer Helpline: (877) 693-5236
Out- of-state callers: (850) 413-3030

Florida Office of Financial Regulation
www.flofr.com/banking/
200 East Gaines Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0376
Phone: (850) 410-9805
Email: ofr@fldfs.com
http://www.flofr.com/banking/index.htm

FBI Field Offices
Jacksonville Division
http://jacksonville.fbi.gov/
White Collar Crime Program
7820 Arlington Expressway, Suite 200
Jacksonville, FL 32211-7499
Phone: (904) 721-1211
Email: jacksonville@ic.fbi.gov.

Miami Division
http://miami.fbi.gov/
White Collar Crime Program
16320 NW 2nd Avenue
North Miami Beach, FL 33169-6508
Phone: (305) 944-9101
Email: miami@ic.fbi.gov

Tampa Division
http://tampa.fbi.gov/
White Collar Crime Supervisor
5525 W. Gray Street
Tampa, FL 33609
Phone: (813) 253-1000
tampa.division@ic.fbi.gov

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Florida Offices
http://www.hud.gov/local/index.cfm?state=fl&topic=offices
Email: FL_Webmanager@hud.gov

Jacksonville Field Office
Charles E. Bennett Federal Building
400 W. Bay Street, Suite 1015
Jacksonville, FL 32202
Phone: (904) 232-2627

Miami Field Office
Brickell Plaza Federal Bldg.
909 SE First Avenue
Miami, FL 33131
Phone: (305) 536-5678

Orlando Field Office
3751 Maguire Boulevard, Suite 270
Orlando, FL 32803-3032
Phone: (407) 648-6441

Tampa Field Office
500 E. Zack Street, Suite 402
Tampa, FL 33602-2945
Phone: (813) 228-2026

National Credit Union Administration
Region III - Atlanta
http://www.ncua.gov/AboutNcua/org/Region3.htm
7000 Central Parkway, Suite 1600
Atlanta, GA 30328
Phone: (678) 443-3000
Email: Region3@ncua.gov

U.S. Treasury Office of Thrift Supervision
1700 G Street, NW
Washington, DC 20552
Consumer Complaints
http://www.ots.treas.gov/?p=ConsumerComplaintsInquiries
Phone: (800) 842-6929
E-mail: consumer.complaint@ots.treas.gov

Southeast Region Office
1475 Peachtree Street, N.E.
Atlanta, Georgia 30309
Phone: (404) 888-0771

National Fair Housing Alliance
http://www.nationalfairhousing.org
1212 New York Avenue, NW Ste 525
Washington, DC 2005
Phone: (202) 898-1661
E-mail: nfha@nationalfairhousing.org

To locate your local affiliate:
http://www.nationalfairhousing.org/MemberOrganizations/tabid/2574/Default.aspx

Better Business Bureaus
Better Business Bureau of Northeast Florida
http://northeastflorida.bbb.org
4417 Beach Blvd., Suite 202
Jacksonville, FL 32207
Phone numbers:
Jacksonville area (904) 721-2288
Gainesville area (352) 378-0406
Balance of NE Florida (800) 940-1315
E-mail: info@bbbnefla.org

Better Business Bureau of Southeast Florida and the Caribbean
http://www.bbbsoutheastflorida.org
4411 Beacon Circle, Suite. 4
West Palm Beach, FL 33407
Phone: (561) 842-1918
E-mail: info@seflorida.bbb.org

Better Business Bureau of West Florida
http://www.clearwater.bbb.org
2655 McCormick Dr.
PO Box 7950
Clearwater, FL 33758 -7950
Phone: (727) 535-5522
Toll Free: (800) 525-1447
E-mail: info@bbbwestflorida.org

Better Business Bureau of Northwest Florida
http://www.nwfl.bbb.org
912 E. Gadsden St.
Pensacola, FL 32501
Phone: (850) 429-0002
Toll Free: (800) 429 -9226
E-mail: info@nwfl.bbb.org

Better Business Bureau of Central Florida, Inc.
http://www.orlando.bbb.org
1600 S. Grant St.
Longwood, FL 32750
Phone: (407) 621-3300
E-mail: info@orlando.bbb.org