9/1/2011 11:49 AM (PST)

Yes, you are being scammed. I am Dorothy Dean and I work for a non-profit in Milwaukee Wisconsin that works to help people who have been scammed.

It is illegal to get money up front for a loan modification under California law. Only a licensed HUD agency is the exception.

I suggest that you get names of the people in the agency. Check to see if they are members of the State Bar of California and if they are, then tell them you are going to report them to the Bar. You can also file a complaint against any attorney in that firm, unless they give your money back. Try it. It might work.

You can get the information online about the Bar. The police in California are swamped with complaints so that will result in frustration.

You can also report this to the Loan Modification Scam Prevention Network which is a national database of scams. It is sponsored by HUD, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae as well as a national lawyers group. They follow trends and their work has led to some prosecutions in several states. They do not handle individual cases. They can be found online as "Loan Modification Scam Prevention Network". http://complaint.preventloanscams.org/intake-basic-qualify.aspx?lang=eng
Or you can call them and file a complaint at 1-888-995-4673

9/2/2011 6:35 AM (PST)

You might want to read my revious warnings about AVID Law Center here http://getoutofdebt.org/tag/avid-law-center/