• On September 6, 2016, ITT Tech campuses shut down nationwide in response to a lawsuit brought against it by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”).  The Department of Education previously refused to allow ITT Tech to enroll students receiving financial aid.  To date, 137 campuses in 39 states have closed and it is estimated to impact 43,000 students.  If you were enrolled in ITT Tech when it closed, you have rights.  You may apply for a closed school loan discharge by contacting your loan servicer or you may transfer earned credits to another institution and continue your education in another similar program.  Please see the links below for more information including webinars by the Department of Education to explain your options.  If you were a student at the time of the closure or have further questions, please contact the Legal Aid Society of San Diego, Inc. at 877-534-2524.

• https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/about/announcements/itt

  http://www.cnbc.com/2016/09/08/itt-tech-students-should-take-their-money-and-run-experts-say.html

• Our Attorney Alysson Snow helps family threatened with loss of home to pay for medical helicopter service for their son.  See channel 10 news.    
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• Watch out for anything demanding you to send immediate payment through Western Union, MoneyGram, or with prepaid debit cards!  If you get a phone call or email asking you to send money by wire transfer or by prepaid debit cards, take some time to research before you send anything.  Sometimes scammers may pretend to be calling from a government agency such as the IRS or even pretend to be a family member in distress.  Try calling the person, company, or government agency directly to be sure the call was real.  Read more at Fraud.org, a project of the National Consumers League.

• Students, watch out for the “federal student tax” scam!  Scammers call students and tell them they owe a federal student tax.  There is no such tax.  Students are sometimes asked to send money through Western Union or a similar service.  Sometimes, they may be asked for personal information such as their Social Security numbers.  See the following link for more details: http://www.consumerreports.org/money/beware-of-the-college-student-tax-scam/ 

• Remember, if you get any unsolicited call, don’t  send money or give out your personal information.  Investigate first!

• If you are facing foreclosure or seeking assistance with a loan modification, take steps to avoid falling victim to mortgage fraud.  Check this list of 5 tips on how to avoid mortgage fraud from the California Attorney General’s office.  You can also use this page to learn where to file a complaint if you think you may have been scammed or to check if your foreclosure consultant is registered with the State of California. 
• If you need help, contact a housing counselor approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), who may be able to help you for free. For a referral to a housing counselor near you, contact HUD at (800) 569-4287 (TTY: (800) 877-8339).

• For more information on common scams, you can visit:  http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/scam-alerts, and http://www.usa.gov/topics/consumer/scams-fraud.shtml.

• Credit Reports and Identity Theft
• Common Consumer Scams
• Fair Debt Collection Practices Act Questionnaire
• Foreclosure Consultant Questionnaire
• Dealing with Debt Collectors

• Watch the Federal Trade Commission’s video on how to get a free credit report here:  You can also see it in Spanish.

• Watch the Federal Trade Commission’s video on basic steps to take for identity theft here.  You can also see it in Spanish.

• The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission held a roundtable in October 2014.  It was about “Debt Collection and the Latino Community.”  Consumer advocates, debt collectors, government regulators and professors all came.  They discussed how debt collection and credit reporting affects Latino consumers.  They focused on those who speak or read limited English. The playlist for this event is here.  There is also a Spanish Language Transcript of the event.

• YOu can watch the panel featuring our Senior Consumer Attorney Alysson Snow, here. 

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