Watch out for Private Lender Scam

Watch out for Private Lender Scam

Michael JonesPro Member
Real Estate Agent · Oklahoma City, OK · Member since 2018 · 50 posts · 17 votes

Scam email back and forth 
From Carla Morrison (Scam):

Good day. I'm a private lender I offer general financial services including real estate loans, various purchase funding, personal loans and business startups loans. Please get back to me for more information if interested. Okay, I disburse loans at a 5% interest rate with 3 months repayment grace and no prepayment penalty. Loan amount ranges from $10,000 to $50,000,000Loan Duration ranges from 1 months to 30 years. There's a security deposit required before finding.
How much is the loan amount in request?
Why not fund everything so you can achieve it all ? What is the duration of the loan ?
The loan duration ranges from 1 months to 30 years. I don't know your financial status, so can't really decide when you can repay the loan. What do you think is best for you?

Here's a well calculated term for your loan repayment;

Note: The monthly loan payment was calculated at 359 payments of $375.78 plus a final payment of $371.73

Looks good?

The security deposit is $3,850.

Okay, I can't give you a call now but I sure will. How do you intend on receiving the loan funds ?
The security deposit is a fundamental commitment from the borrower to the lender before the loan amount is disbursed. No payments will be made until both lender and borrower have signed a binding contract. This amount is usually refunded at the end of the loan duration if the borrower repays the loan successfully. It is used as substitute for the loan incase borrower doesn't repay the loan.
Please let me know if you have any other questions. Meanwhile, fill out the loan application and send back a signed copy asap to proceed with the loan application.
Carefully fill out all required information on the loan application form and send back a signed copy.
Thanks



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Most Popular Reply

Rental Property Investor · Northern, CA · Member since 2012 · 5k+ posts · 5k+ votes
6y

@Eric Schrader  You'd be wise to be careful.  What @Michael Jones posted certainly appears to be a scam.  (Loans don't have "security deposits".)  

And just because a brand new user (David Ertel above) comes along (who by the way just joined today and only has 3 posts as of right now, all of which are in this thread) and says it's legit, doesn't make it so.

So do your own due diligence.  I don't want to see anyone get scammed.  There's a lot of that going around online.

See this reply in the discussion

31 Replies

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  • Lender · Philadelphia, PA · Member since 2019 · 19 posts · 6 votes
    6y

    @Michael Jones Thank You for your service. I have experienced all kinds of possible scams. The last was pay the lender a higher than normal appraisal fee. Then the appraisal comes back low with no recourse.

  • Rental Property Investor · Grants Pass, OR · Member since 2019 · 7 posts · 1 vote
    6y

    I like how they are wording and spelling everything in that email. Just the grammar and spelling errors alone spell out a scam. Never heard of a security deposit term with loan lending.

  • Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
    Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
    6y
    Originally posted by @Jeff S.:

    Everyone take a breath.

    To be fair, Carla Morrison could be a legitimate lender running an honorable business. There are a lot of scammers out there using fake websites and soliciting borrowers using the identity of real lenders. Since the information for most loans, licenses, and LLC's is in the public records, this is an incredibly easy scam to pull off. It's difficult to detect and very hard to stop. I know, because we are going through that now.

    I could create a beautiful website spoofing Carla Morrison and point to her license and LLC. You could go online and confirm that these are in good standing. By looking up her loans, the website would also show fancy photos of recent deals from the MLS that she really and truly closed. Then, I could go on BP and solicit business from anyone willing to respond to an anonymous solicitation. I would point to the website for legitimacy. With a Google voice number, you wouldn't know that the woman who answered was not Carla Morrison.

    My letter above, was obviously written in jest. And thankfully, the email in Michael's post did not point to a website. However, there are many on this board, some I know have more experience than you’d imagine, who will cheerfully wire money to these scoundrels. If you want to see an unfortunately long, and growing list of scam sites, read my recent post in this thread. 

    I have had borrowers contact me and say that so and so company ( I have never heard of) funded deals for me .. and they use me as a reference.  your spot on your above description of how these guys are pulling this stuff off. 

  • Lender · Colorado Springs, CO · Member since 2018 · 241 posts · 98 votes
    6y

    @Jay Hinrichs  LOL.  Jay, I have never seen so many closed accounts on a single thread on BP, ever!

  • David MartinPro Member
    Cypress, TX · Member since 2016 · 137 posts · 119 votes
    6y

    @Mike Burkett For real. The sockpuppets really rolled hard on this one.

  • Lender · Honolulu, HI · Member since 2008 · 166 posts · 46 votes
    6y

    This thread should be read by new borrowers as the signs of a scam are well discussed. From my experience, here are some red flags to look out for when looking at a private lending resource.

    A legit private lender will never ask for upfront fees. There is no such thing! If they do, hang up and lose there contact info.

      Here are some other things to watch out for, but not necessarily mean they are a scam. Just not very legit

      • Gmail email
      • No website
      • Claim they are a direct lender but you find out there a broker
      • Claim lower rates and better terms than everyone else
      • Cant provide credible references  
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