Texas - Mortgage Fraud Resources

Starting in 2007, the Texas Attorney General's office began issuing regular updates and alerts about mortgage fraud. Many of these updates have centered around foreclosure rescue scams, and that there is no charge to participate in any federally-supported foreclosure assistance.

Legitimate and illegitimate foreclosure rescue companies offer to help homeowners avoid foreclosure. But some fail to provide the services promised. Even worse, the bad operators may take homeowners' money, ruin victims' credit, and wipe out the hard-earned equity that owners have built up in their homes.

More Texans have defaulted on their loans with the collapse of the housing bubble, and thus foreclosure rescue fraud scams have also become more common. These fraudulent businesses market themselves as "foreclosure consultants" or "mortgage consultants" or "foreclosure service" or "foreclosure rescue agency."

The Texas Attorney General's office warns that homeowners who enter into complicated written agreements with a foreclosure rescue agency may result in unknowingly being forced to sell their home for a fraction of its value. The AG's office advises homeowners not to sign any paperwork they don't thoroughly understand.

The FBI has taken a lead in investigating mortgage fraud. FBI offices around the country work in conjunction with the offices of the state and the U.S. attorneys general to investigate frauds and prosecute criminals.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) can help mortgage applicants find the resources they need to make smart mortgage decisions and can provide guidance to borrowers on shopping for reputable lenders.

The state's Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner and Texas Credit Union Department help to set guidelines that their lenders should follow. The Texas Real Estate Commission and Appraiser Licensing and Certification Board each have numerous sources of mortgage fraud information for consumers and can direct them to appropriate contacts for specific questions on mortgage fraud. These agencies also investigate consumer complaints and have disciplinary authority over the businesses and professions they regulate.

Finally, the Better Business Bureau sets guidelines by which businesses should operate and takes steps to ensure that consumers are treated fairly.

The following federal, state and private resources may be useful to consumers who believe they may have been affected by mortgage fraud or who wish to learn more about the subject.


Office of the Texas Attorney General
http://www.oag.state.tx.us/
PO Box 12548
Austin, TX 78711-2548
Toll-Free: (800) 621-0508
Phone: (512) 463-2100
Mortgage Fraud Hotline: (210) 650-6777
Email: public.information@oag.state.tx.us

Texas Consumer Credit Commissioner
http://www.occc.state.tx.us/
2601 N. Lamar Boulevard
Austin, TX 78705
Phone: (512) 936-7600
Toll-Free: (800) 538-1579
Email: info@occc.state.tx.us

Consumer Complaint Form
http://www.occc.state.tx.us/pages/consumer/assistance/cmlt.pdf

Texas Credit Union Department
http://www.tcud.state.tx.us/
914 East Anderson Lane
Austin, TX 78751-1699
Phone: (512) 837-9236
Email: info@tcud.state.tx.us

Texas Real Estate Commission
www.trec.state.tx.us/
P.O. Box 12188
Austin, TX 78711-2188
Phone: (512) 459-6544
Toll-free: 800-250-8732
Email: general.delivery@trec.state.tx.us

Texas Appraiser Licensing and Certification Board
http://www.talcb.state.tx.us/AgencyInfo/default.asp
P.O. Box 12188
Austin, TX 78711-2188
Phone: (512) 469-2232
Toll-free: (877) 825-2289
Email: info@talcb.state.tx.us

FBI Field Offices
Dallas Division
http://dallas.fbi.gov/
One Justice Way
Dallas, TX 75220
Phone: (972) 559-5000
E-mail: fbi.dallas@ic.fbi.gov

El Paso Division
http://elpaso.fbi.gov/
660 South Mesa Hills Drive
El Paso, TX 79912-5533
Phone: (915) 832-5000

Houston Division
http://houston.fbi.gov/
2500 E. T. C. Jester Blvd.
Houston, TX 77008-1300
Phone: (713) 693-5000
Email: houston.texas@ic.fbi.gov

San Antonio Division
http://sanantonio.fbi.gov/
5740 University Heights
San Antonio, Texas 78249
Phone: (210) 225-6741

Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Forth Worth Regional Office
www.hud.gov/local/index.cfm?state=tx&topic=offices
801 Cherry Street, Unit #45
Suite 2500
Fort Worth, TX 76102
Phone: (817) 978-5965
Email: TX_Webmanager@hud.gov

Dallas Field Office
www.hud.gov/local/index.cfm?state=tx&topic=offices
525 Griffin Street, Room 860
Dallas, TX 75202-5007
Phone: (214) 767-8300
Email: TX_Webmanager@hud.gov

Houston Field Office
www.hud.gov/local/index.cfm?state=tx&topic=offices
1301 Fannin, Suite 2200
Houston, TX 77002
Phone: (713) 718-3199
Email: TX_Webmanager@hud.gov

Lubbock Field Office
www.hud.gov/local/index.cfm?state=tx&topic=offices
1205 Texas Avenue, Room 511
Lubbock, TX 79401-4093
Phone: (806) 472-7265
Email: TX_Webmanager@hud.gov

San Antonio Field Office
www.hud.gov/local/index.cfm?state=tx&topic=offices
One Alamo Center
106 South St. Mary's Street, Suite 500
San Antonio, Texas 78205-3625
Phone: (210) 475-6806
Email: TX_Webmanager@hud.gov

National Credit Union Administration
Region IV - Austin
www.ncua.gov/AboutNcua/org/Region4.htm
4807 Spicewood Springs Rd., Suite 5200
Austin, TX 78759-8490
Phone: (512) 342-5600
Email: Region4@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

West Region Office
225 E. John Carpenter Freeway, Suite 500
Irving, Texas 75062-2326
Phone: (972) 277-9500

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
Abilene Better Business Bureau
www.abilene.bbb.org
3300 S. 14th St., Ste. 307
Abilene, TX 79605-5052
Phone: (325) 691-1533
E-mail: info@abilene.bbb.org

Better Business Bureau of Amarillo Inc.
www.amarillobbb.org
PO Box 1905
Amarillo, TX 79105-1905
Phone: (806) 379-6222
E-mail: info@txpanhandle.bbb.org

Better Business Bureau of Central, Coastal and Southwest Texas
http://austin.bbb.org
1005 La Posada Drive
Austin TX 78752
Phone: (512) 445-2911
E-mail: info@austin.bbb.org

Better Business Bureau in Southeast Texas
http://southeasttexas.bbb.org
550 Fannin Street, Suite 100
PO Box 2988
Beaumont, TX 77701-2011
Phone: (409) 835-5348
E-mail: bureau@bbbsetexas.org

Better Business Bureau of Brazos Valley
http://easttexas.bbb.org
418 Tarrow
College Station TX 77840-1822
Phone: (979) 260-2222
E-mail: info@bbbbryan.org

Better Business Bureau of the Coastal Bend
http://corpuschristi.bbb.org
719 S. Shoreline, Ste. 301B
Corpus Christi TX 78401
Phone: (361) 852-4949
info@corpuschristi.bbb.org

Better Business Bureau of Metropolitan Dallas
www.dallas.bbb.org
1601 Elm Street, Suit
Dallas TX 75201-3093
Phone: (214) 220-2000
Email: info@dallas.bbb.org

Better Business Bureau of El Paso
http://elpaso.bbb.org
221 N. Kansas, Ste. 1101
El Paso, TX 79901
Phone: (915) 577-0191
Email: operations@bbbelpaso.org

Better Business Bureau/Ft. Worth
www.fortworth.bbb.org
101 Summit Ave., Ste. 707
Fort Worth, TX 76102 -5978
Phone: (817) 332-7585
Email: info@fwbbb.org

Better Business Bureau of Metropolitan Houston
http://Houston.bbb.org
1333 West Loop South, Suite 1200
Houston, TX 77027
Phone: (713) 868-9500
Email: bbbinfo@bbbhou.org

Better Business Bureau of the South Plains
www.bbbsouthplains.org
3333 66th St.
Lubbock, TX 79413-5711
Phone: (806) 763-0459
Email: info@bbbsouthplains.org

Better Business Bureau of the Permian Basin
www.permianbasinbbb.org
10100 W. County Road
PO Box 60206
Midland, TX 79706
Phone: (432) 563-1880
Email: info@permianbasinbbb.org

Better Business Bureau of San Angelo
www.sanangelo.bbb.org
3134 Executive Drive, Ste A
San Angelo, TX 76904
Email: gfriedrich@wcc.net

Better Business Bureau of Central and South Texas
http://victoriatx.bbb.org
1800 Northeast Loop 410, Ste. 400
San Antonio, TX 78217-5296
Phone: (210) 828-9441
Email: info@sanantonio.bbb.org

Better Business Bureau of Central East Texas
http://easttexas.bbb.org
3600 Old Bullard Rd., Building 1 Ste 101
Tyler TX 75701
Phone: (903) 581-5704
Email: info@easttexas.bbb.org

Better Business Bureau Waco/Centroplex
www.waco.bbb.org
445 Central TX Expwy #1
Harker Heights, TX 76548
Phone: (254) 699-0694
Email: nfo@centraltx.bbb.org

The Better Business Bureau of South Texas, Inc.
www.weslaco.bbb.org
2017 W. Expressway 83, Unit 4
Weslaco, TX 78596
Phone: (956) 968-3678
Email: bbbinfo@bbbhou.org

Better Business Bureau of North Central Texas
http://wichitafalls.bbb.org
4245 Kemp Blvd., Ste. 900
Wichita Falls, TX 76308-2830
Phone: (940) 691-1172
Email: info@bbbnorcentx.org