The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has issued a critical warning about a sophisticated scam called "Green Mirage" targeting homeowners across all 50 states. This fraudulent operation involves callers posing as mortgage lenders to deceive vulnerable homeowners.
Key Characteristics of the “Green Mirage” Scam:
- Scammers impersonate over 400 mortgage institutions
- Callers spoof the caller ID of the victim's actual lending institution
- Targets homeowners who have previously sought financial relief
- Operates from both the United States and India
Scam Tactics:
- Callers know detailed personal information about homeowners
- Threaten foreclosure and then offer false relief
- Demand payments through unusual methods like:
- Mailing money orders to third-party "attorneys"
- Uploading funds to Walmart Green Dot Money Card accounts
Financial Impact:
- Estimated losses exceed $400,000
- Many victims only discover the fraud when their actual lender initiates foreclosure proceedings
- Some individual victims have lost significant amounts, such as one who reported losing $13,500
FCC Response:
The FCC has classified Green Mirage as a Consumer Communications Information Services Threat (C-CIST) to heighten awareness and encourage telecom networks to block these fraudulent calls.
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