For a homeowner, almost any mention of foreclosure is enough to turn a regular day into a stressful day. Imagine what it would be like if you opened your email only to find a notice that deals with you having to move out of your home because it is being foreclosed upon. That is exactly what happened to one 72-year-old woman.
The woman checked her email one day. A message in her inbox said that her house would be in foreclosure and that she was being evicted. She opened the message. In it was a download that she was instructed to open for more information. She opened the download and her computer ended up with a virus. She had to spend over $250 to have the virus removed.
This victim doesn’t think that her personal information has been accessed. According to the Polk County Clerk, this type of scam is hitting Florida. The scam claims that you have pending legal problems or court cases in Florida. You will usually be asked to provide personal information or pay money.
Scams like this are sometimes very believable. If you have gotten any sort of communication, whether electronic or written, about your home going into foreclosure, you should find out of the correspondence is legitimate before paying money or giving out personal information. The same is true for debts of any type.
If you are unsure about the validity of correspondence or need help to regain control of your finances, seeking the assistance of a Florida bankruptcy attorney might help you determine a suitable course of action. You might have the right to pursue legal action to stop foreclosure or get out of debt.
Source: Bay News 9, “Polk clerk warns of statewide computer scams” Randi Nissenbaum, Feb. 22, 2014