If you’re in lots of debt, you’ll likely to consider doing just about anything to get out of it. Scammers know this, and will try to take advantage of your desperation.
Here are a few strategies for avoiding debt relief program scams.
They Want Money Before Providing a Service
No legitimate debt relief agency will ask you to pay them before they’ve provided you a debt relief service. Depending upon the service you’re seeking, it’s possible you might have to pay an account set-up fee when attempting debt settlement.
But you shouldn’t have to pay for the settlement itself until it’s done.
Asking you for money upfront is one of the most reliable signs of an illegitimate debt relief scam. Think about it. You don’t typically pay for services before they’ve been completed. Distance yourself from anyone trying to get you to do this.
They Make Guarantees
Run away from any debt relief organization that promises or guarantees they can get you out of debt. There is absolutely no way to guarantee this. First of all, you need to follow through with all the requirements of the debt relief program. No one else can make that guarantee for you. But there’s a deeper reasoning here, as well. When it comes to debt settlement, you can’t be sure lenders will agree to accept offers. They hold your debt and it’s up to them if they want to negotiate. It’s smart to be skeptical of anyone who makes you a guarantee. This is a thousand times the truth when it comes to debt relief.
They Have Bad Consumer Reports
You can learn a lot by what other people say about a company. Most credible debt relief organizations are going to have a long list of receipts, which includes online reviews.
These things should immediately set off red flags for you:
- When you search for a debt relief program online, you only get minimal results, and maybe nothing at all beyond the company’s own website.
- You discover a seemingly legitimate debt relief program has overwhelmingly negative consumer feedback.
With this first example, either the company is brand new (unlikely, and should set off red flags anyway since it indicates a lack of experience), or they’re a total fraud. It’s almost certainly the second option.
All debt relief programs are going to have some unhappy customers, even a reputable one like the debt relief program by freedomdebtrelief.com. People tend to be dissatisfied if they try a debt relief program and it doesn’t work out for them. Void any organization that only has negative reviews. If a lot of people have that experience, it’s likely you’re going to have the same. Do yourself a favor and look elsewhere.
They Won’t Give You Information
Real debt relief programs won’t withhold important information from you, especially if you explicitly request it. It can be difficult to figure out how the fees and costs are calculated for debt relief. If you’re having trouble, you should ask for clarification. It’s your right to know what you’re signing up for.
Don’t agree to work with a debt relief agency that tries to give you the runaround when it comes to their fee structure. You want to get out of debt, not pile on more of it. Honest companies will tell you how they calculate fees right up front.
It would be great if you could make debt go away by simply not thinking about it. This, unfortunately, isn’t the case. But you can actually make things worse for yourself by enrolling in a fraudulent debt relief scam. Take the time to understand the warning signs before you get sucked into an illegitimate debt relief scheme.