949-330-6224

The Lucas Law Center is a complete scam. It is run by Chris Betts formerly of Telecore Direct. Look them up in Ripoffreport.com  

I hop the feds and the ag's from the state of californis shut these guys down soon. they are doing nothing other than stealing peoples money.

Yes I know these scumbags as well. Whatever they do they collect up front fees $1,000-$2,000-$3,000 IT DOESNT MATTER! Then comes all the fast talking about how everything will be just fine. That is until Christopher Betts dissapears again and finds some idiot like Paul Lucas to fron his scams.
First it was securities fraud, then debt settlement and loan modifications.
He even advertises on the radio in California and has been reported to the Attorney General's office.  Someone needs to stop this guy and his gang of thieves.

I am an investigator hired to find you. You are a one man liable band who has made it a mission of yours to list your [***] and lies about Lucas Law all over the web with any site that will let you type. You have no evidence and you also have no claim. You liable and lies are catching up with you as you now are being investigated for liable, terrorist threats, stalking and other criminal and civil activities to harm Lucas Law. No one believes you and you are a danger to the public. So we will make sure that you are removed from the public and are no longer a danger to society.

Just how many fake reports are you going to make about Lucas Law. Well we are closing in on you now John and its just a matter of time before we have you and then you will not be able to harm the public and Lucas Law again.

On here for a different reason, debated whether or not to write my thoughts about your comments, but actually, after reading this, I would be more inclined to believe the previous messages from the others. Why would an investigator blab they're about to close in?  Also, even though asked not to use it, the language is distasteful.  Don't know if this site is legitimate or not.  Perhaps not, if they allow comments like that to be entered.  Time will tell.

5.5.09 If you are real investigator, why dont you do your own modification with lucas law group,ck and see if you like their service.

5/5/09Are you getting paid......? do you have any idea what is like ....losing your home ?

The so called private investigator "A Real Investigator' posting on this thread is full of B.S. If the so called investigator had one iota of truth behind his claims, there would have been some action and we would have hearf of it on the news.  The "Real Investigator" is another FRAUD just like the Lucas Law Group. To the "Real Investigator:"  oh, I am shaking in my boots!  Bring it on baby and it will be the worst day of your life you punk! You will be the one picking up the soap in the prison showers for fraud, making terrorist threats, and harrasment. Stay away from the Lucas Law Group, they are nothing but fraudsters. Just do a search on the web to find out about them.

I know these scumbags personally and it's time Paul Lucas and Christopher Betts get's taken down. Paul Lucas was a loan officer pushing sub prime loans for years. Yes, the same loans he's pretending to help people with! Chris Betts is another story. This FELON was found guilty of securities fraud in New York and moved to California to rip off people in the debt settlement industry. He's a pro at "here today, gone tomorrow" with his ban of theives.

These dirtbags telemarket as one company and steer buisness to the shady so called law center and take advantage of anyone they can for as much as they can. The whole gang is in on it and Paul Lucas does NOT supervise anything. All we were told to do was "get that credit card number" after that just "leave it to me" says Christopher Betts! Paul Lucas and the whole Lucas Law Center Call center are greedy [***]. I was told to get the money no mater what. Even if we can't do sh____T for them,"get the cc#"
I'm aware the State Bar, Attorney General and Orange County District Attorneys office is working on shutting them down. I'm sure it won't be long. In the mean time DO NOT TRUST Lucas Law Center!

Sounds like you are the thief and crook. If I were to guess, you were probably fired for doing exactly what you are writing about. I have personally worked there for the past several months. FYI.......I have a compliance background as I used to work for Citigroup Geneva Capital Strategies. Paul Lucas is honest and actually gives a hoot about the clients and how the office responds to clients.

If you have the guts, why not identify yourself and file a legitimate claim with the California Bar Assn. Don't hide behind the internet and be a coward. Be a man and come forward. As far as Chris Betts past, its just that his past. As a present employee, you only get fired if you lie, cheat or steal. Pick one, or two or perhaps all three.

One more thing, Lucas Law has actually successfully completed over 500 loan modifications. The real culprits are the banks/lenders who do nothing to help their customers. The banks actually tell people to miss payments (on the bad loans they put them into), and even lie to people. One of my clients actually qualified for one of the first Obama plans  (press release March 3 on the Treasury Dept. web site). Even after I directed this lady to the web site and assisted her in getting the 17 pages of guidelines, which she faxed to the morons at Bank of America, they still told her that she has to be late. This is in direct conflict with that particular Obama guideline. These are the same banks which were given T.A.R.P. money.

Good morning... wow.. for those of us who have had the pleasure of working for Lucas Law, the obvious witch hunt put forth towards the Loan Mod industry as a whole is quite remarkable. It is obvious that certain groups;banking and bbb (whom are extortionists) etc are so scared that someone may actually be helping the public we must be stopped. Unbelievable. Those who actually know the tactics of the banking industry are of course perceived as evil and a threat as we know how to get around the endless hours of hold time, documentation, fax numbers, and paperwork that bog down the homeowners who actually want to keep their home. If we were to actually bill for our hours it would be much higher then the cost of any actual mod. Just ask the homeowner who has spent fruitless hours to accomplish these things. Shame on you for blocking our efforts BBB, Feds, Banking. Karma is a you know what and when you are out of a job who will help mod your loan?

For Release: 07/15/2009

Federal and State Agencies Target Mortgage Foreclosure Rescue and Loan Modification Scams

FTC Leads “Operation Loan Lies” to Stop Fraud and Help Distressed Homeowners
Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz, joined by California Attorney General Jerry Brown, today announced Operation Loan Lies, a coordinated national law enforcement effort to crack down on mortgage modification scams. The operation involves 189 actions by 25 federal and state agencies against defendants who deceptively marketed foreclosure rescue and mortgage modification services. The FTC actions, which affect consumers throughout the nation, are being announced in southern California, where the scams originated.

“These con artists see the high foreclosure rates as an opportunity to prey on people in distress,” FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz said. “They promise to rescue homeowners in troubled financial waters, but after they take their money they throw them an anchor instead of a lifeline. People facing foreclosure should avoid any company or individual that requires a fee in advance, guarantees to stop a foreclosure or modify a loan, or advises the homeowner to stop paying the mortgage company.”

The FTC announced four lawsuits, bringing to 14 the number of mortgage foreclosure rescue and loan modification scam cases the Commission has brought since April. Twenty-three state attorneys general and other agencies are participating in the operation, taking action against 178 companies engaged in these types of deception. The FTC also announced a settlement in a lawsuit filed last November.

The FTC charged that the defendants falsely claimed that they would either obtain a mortgage loan modification or stop foreclosure, or both, and that some of the defendants falsely represented that they would give consumers refunds if they failed to do so. After charging consumers the equivalent of one month’s mortgage payment or more in advance, these companies often did little or nothing to help homeowners renegotiate their mortgages or stop foreclosure. After failing to provide the promised services, the defendants that promised refunds did not honor those promises. In each case the FTC is asking the court for consumer redress and a permanent bar on the deceptive practices. The FTC would like to thank the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) of the Department of the Treasury and the Special Inspector General of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIG-TARP) for their invaluable assistance in these cases.

The FTC also released “Real People. Real Stories,” a three-and-a-half minute video about keeping your home. It features people targeted by foreclosure rescue scammers sharing lessons learned from their experiences. The FTC is distributing the video, and a version in Spanish, to more than 5,000 housing counseling and consumer protection organizations around the country, and posting them at FTC.gov/yourhome and YouTube.com/FTCVideos.

The FTC and the states of California and Missouri charged that US Foreclosure Relief falsely claimed years of experience and a high success rate and promised quick results. Instead, homeowners paid the defendants thousands of dollars for services they never received. The FTC also charged the defendants with violating the FTC’s Do Not Call Rule by calling consumers on the National Do Not Call Registry, and California and Missouri charged them with violating state laws that prohibit charging advance fees for foreclosure consulting services. The court immediately barred the practices and froze the defendants’ assets, pending a hearing.

Lucas Law Center allegedly used an attorney to circumvent state prohibitions against receiving a fee before providing any services; the defendants charged up to $3,995 in advance. In addition to falsely representing that they would obtain mortgage loan modifications, the defendants told some homeowners to stop paying their mortgage in order to pay the defendants’ fee. Consumers obtained promised refunds only after repeated complaints to the Better Business Bureau, the California Attorney General, the State Bar of California, or local criminal authorities. The court immediately barred the practices and froze the corporate defendants’ assets, pending a hearing.

Loss Mitigation Services marketed primarily through direct mail solicitation. The defendants allegedly targeted consumers whose mortgage payments have increased, who have made late payments, and whose homes were in foreclosure. They charged up to $5,500 in advance and promised that a loan modification was assured or virtually assured if consumers hired them. The defendants also misrepresented that they were a department of, or affiliated with, the consumer’s lender or mortgage servicer. In many cases, they failed to obtain loan modifications for consumers, some of whom lost their homes while waiting for the promised results.

The FTC alleged that Internet company Apply2Save charged consumers up-front fees of up to $995, claiming they could obtain a loan modification in 30 to 90 days. In fact, they did not obtain loan modifications for most consumers and were unable to stop foreclosures. In most cases, the defendants failed to contact or follow-up with consumers’ lenders. Consumers waited months with no action on their loans, while the defendants lied and told them that the lenders had lost their papers. The defendants have agreed to a court order barring further unlawful practices, pending trial.

In addition to these cases, the FTC reached a settlement with Foreclosure Solutions, LLC and Timothy Buckley, who claimed that, for a fee often exceeding $1,000, they would stop foreclosure (see press release dated April 29, 2008). Many consumers who paid the fee ultimately lost their homes, and others avoided foreclosure only through their own efforts. The settlement order prohibits the defendants from misrepresenting that any foreclosure can or will be stopped, postponed, or prevented, or the likelihood that these results will be obtained; the degree of past success of any efforts to achieve these results; the likelihood that a consumer will receive a full or partial refund if these results are not obtained; an ability to help all consumers, regardless of their individual circumstances; the number of satisfied customers or customer complaints; the terms of any refund or guarantee; and any other fact material to a consumer’s decision to purchase a foreclosure rescue service.

The order also bars the defendants from misrepresenting material facts in the sale of any good or service. In addition, the defendants are prohibited from selling or otherwise disclosing personal information about anyone who provided them with personal information. The order imposes an $8.5 million judgment that will be suspended upon turnover of approximately $5,000 in cash and other property, including the surrender of any net proceeds from the sale of five houses. The full judgment will be imposed if the defendants are found to have misrepresented their financial condition. The order also contains record-keeping and reporting provisions to allow the FTC to monitor compliance.

Operation Loan Lies follows an April 6, 2009, announcement by FTC Chairman Leibowitz, Attorney General Eric Holder, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan, and Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan that they would step up enforcement efforts against those who prey on homeowners in distress. Since then, when the FTC announced five similar foreclosure rescue law enforcement actions, the Commission has brought five more cases:

FTC v. Sean Cantkier, Scot Lady, Jeffrey Altmire, Michael Haller, Lisa Roye, Alan LeStourgeon, Kean Lee Lim, Greg Rivera, and Neil Sperry, http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/05/mortgageads.shtm 
FTC v. Dinamica Financiera LLC, Soluciones Dinamicas, Inc., Valentin Benitez, Jose Mario Esquer, and Rosa Esquer, http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/05/mortgagerescue.shtm 
FTC v. Brian D’Antonio; The Rodis Law Group, Inc.; American’s Law Group; and The Financial Group, Inc., http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/06/medicalcapital.shtm 
FTC v. Freedom Foreclosure Prevention Specialists, LLC; Loss Mitigation Training Centers of America, LLC; Jeffrey C. Segal; and Michael R. Workman, http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/06/freedom.shtm 
FTC v. Federal Loan Modification Law Center, LLP; Anz & Associates, PLC, Venture Legal Support, PLC; LegalTurn, Inc. (a/k/a Legal Turn, Inc.); Federal Loan Modification, LLC; Federal Loan Modifications; SBSC Corporation; Nabile “Bill” Anz; Boaz Minitzer; Jeffrey Broughton; and Steven Oscherowitz, http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/06/fedloanmod.shtm 
In the four FTC cases announced today, the Commission vote to issue each complaint was 4-0. US Foreclosure Relief, Lucas Law Center, and Loss Mitigation Services were filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Apply2Save was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho; the FTC acknowledges the assistance of the State of Idaho Attorney General’s Office.

These cases named the following defendants:

US Foreclosure Relief used eight aliases – U.S. Foreclosure Relief, Lighthouse Services, Pacific Shore Financial, California Foreclosure Specialists, H.E. Service Company, Safe Harbor, Pomery & Associates, and Homeowners Legal Assistance. Other defendants are George Escalante, Cesar Lopez, and Adrian Pomery, Esq.

Apply2Save – Apply2Save, Inc., Sleeping Giant Media Works, Inc., and Derek Oberholtzer.

Lucas Law Center – LUCASLAWCENTER “INCORPORATED,” Future Financial Services, LLC, Paul Jeffrey Lucas, Christopher Francis Betts, and Frank Sullivan.

Loss Mitigation Services – Loss Mitigation Services, Inc., Synergy Financial Management Corporation (d/b/a Direct Lender), Dean Shafer, Bernadette Perry, and Tony Perry.

In Foreclosure Solutions, the Commission vote to issue the stipulated final order was 4-0. The order was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Eastern Division.

The FTC asks people to report foreclosure rescue and mortgage modification scams to FTC.gov or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP. The FTC makes those complaints available to federal, state, and local law enforcement through the Consumer Sentinel Network. The video also reminds homeowners in distress that free help is available from the Homeowner’s HOPE Hotline 888-995-HOPE (4673), which connects homeowners to HUD-certified housing counselors.

NOTE: The Commission files a complaint when it has “reason to believe” that the law has been or is being violated, and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest. A complaints is not a finding or ruling that the defendants have actually violated the law. Stipulated court orders are for settlement purposes only and do not necessarily constitute an admission by the defendant of a law violation. Stipulated orders have the force of law when signed by the judge.

The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 1,500 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s Web site provides free information on a variety of consumer topics.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Frank Dorman
Office of Public Affairs
202-326-2674
STAFF CONTACT:
J. Reilly Dolan
Bureau of Consumer Protection
202-326-3292
 
(Operation Loan Lies)
(FTC File Nos. 0923120, 0923127, 0923073, 0923117)

http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/07/loanlies.shtm

So what now? Those of us who gave them money. What do we do now? Can we recover our money and how?

That is what I want to find out.  Are we recovering our money? What do I do now?  With all the stuff I've read, I don't know who to believe now.

It's nice to see the AG and FTC finally caught up with these guys. Unfortunately alot of their clients are out in the cold now because they're out of buisness. There are a few decent law firms in town that are helping these people. My sister has been working with Feldman Law Center and got a great deal from them. Feldman is now offering big discounts to victims of loan modification company shutdowns. They gave me a $1,000 discount and got my loan modification done in 2 weeks!

Lucas law is being investigated by the FTC. Office in So Cal shut down, all of our financial records ceased by the government. There are legitimate claims against this company.

Cool -- Nothing works like taking leveraging one scam off another one. Ooops, or is it the SAME SCAM?

"Loan modifying" scammers' worst nightmare: INFORMED CONSUMERS!

This site www.oiagent.com talks about the lucaslawcenter.com site and who they this were the real masterminds behind this firm. This site is WILD! The woman who owns the site states Jay Bartell and Judd Mcilvain the consumer advocate are behind this site and firm. Plus many more things???? But what I saw looked legit! CRAZY! This woman also states she fears for her life because they conned her and they do not want her to report them.  From the looks of it the reason is because they are behind mortgage, bankong and passport fraud. Or atleast it appears that way?? The lucaslawcenter info is for the most part in the middle of the page. The rest is just for a good read!!! I am glad that I am not this lady!!