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Customers should beware of phone calls and emails from individuals claiming to be PHH Mortgage Services (PHH) employees demanding payments in the form of a pre-paid debit/gift card to cover trial loan modification payments, escrow shortages and/or to avoid foreclosure. These imposters may be calling from what appears to be a legitimate PHH/Ocwen phone number, this is called "spoofing".
 
Tips to help secure your money and personal information :

1. Spot Imposters. Fraudsters will usually misrepresent themselves as a trusted source, such as the government, or one of the lenders you have a relationship with. Do not give out personal information or send any money in response to an unexpected request. In particular, be aware of a recent imposter mail scheme involving postcards from PHH Mortgage that urge you to call for time-sensitive matters related to your mortgage account. (June 2023).
2. When in doubt, verify an unexpected request. If you receive an unexpected request by an individual claiming to be a trusted source, contact the source to verify if the contact was made by them.
3. Don’t trust caller ID. Fraudsters have ability to “spoof” their phone number, so it appears that this person is calling from a trusted phone number. If the request is unexpected and you suspect you are experiencing a fraudulent attempt, refer to tip #1 and do not give out personal information or send any money.
4. Consider the payment method. Many fraud scams will ask that consumers pay in methods that cannot be traced or reversed. Suspicious requests of payment such as wiring and gift cards should be a red flag and you should not fulfill these requests.  We will not email you or informally communicate changes to payment methods. Always refer to your billing statements or call us to confirm any suspicious re-direction of payment changes.
5. Don’t pay upfront. Someone might ask you to pay in advance for things like debt relief, loan modifications, credit and loan offers, a job, or even a prize. If you pay things upfront, you likely will not see the promise fulfilled or your money back.
6. Open your mail. If you did provide personal information to a fraudster, believing the individual represented a trusted source, they may try to use that information to gain access to or make changes to one of your accounts. In these events, if suspicious activity is suspected, your lenders may attempt to contact you to verify the activity. Be sure to read all of your mail and be on the lookout for such communications.
7. Do your research. Before trusting a source or making any payments, look up the company or product to determine credibility or reviews. Take the time to educate yourself first, to prevent yourself from losses.
8. Monitor your credit frequently. You may obtain a free copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit reporting agencies once every 12 months by visiting http://www.annualcreditreport.com, calling toll-free 877-322-8228, or by completing an Annual Credit Report Request Form and mailing it to Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348.
9. Monitor the contact information on your account: Did you make any changes to your phone number, email address, or mailing address? Make sure we have your current information.
10. Finally, if you believe you have been a recent victim of fraud, you can file a complaint with the FTC at www.ftc.gov/idtheft or call 1-877-ID-THEFT (877-438-4338). Complaints filed with the FTC will be added to the FTC’s Identity Theft Data Clearinghouse, which is a database made available to law enforcement agencies.