The Fairway Lending Group Advance Fee Scam
Last month, hundreds of internet users from places right across US were done in by a scam perpetrated by a company calling itself The Fairway Lending Group. The company gave a false address and claimed to be operating out of 1699, Wall St., Mt. Prospect.
It was careful to leave out local residents. The scam would have blown apart if any of the locals had found out that it was not occupying the said premises.
The company was especially targeting those with a poor credit rating. It offered a loan that was actually a scam molded on the advance fee type of scams. The scam started when people responded to mails from the company that promised them easy loans. They were then asked for their bank account details presumably for processing of the loan request.
The victims were next asked to make a payment as collateral for the loan. They were asked to make the payments through Western Union money transfer. The amount people paid ranged from $900 to $5000.
Users should have been warned when asked to pay any amount upfront before receiving a loan. Such loan schemes are actually banned in the US and in Canada. Any such loan offer would be illegal if offered in the first place.
Apart from money lost, the victims in this case, might also be exposed to identity theft, having revealed their bank account details to the fraudsters. The thing for them to do would be to either close the account or to give instruction to the bank if possible to temporarily suspend it.
You should not entertain such an offer now if you happen to receive one. Throw them outright as junk mail or better still, pass it onto local law enforcement agencies.
As of now, there is no trace of the company. Local authorities claim to have no clue about their whereabouts. Being an internet based scam, the fraudsters found it easy to hoodwink the police by covering their tracks.
Related posts:
- Greenpark Lending: US authorities raise the alarm of scam!
- Advance Fee Scam: How to spot one promptly!
- Fraud Internet Sites Swindling Consumers
- Advance Fee Loan Scams-Telltale signs and prevention
- Advance fee loan Scam artists can season again ,warns state officials .
March 17th, 2008 at 10:00 am
I was also victim of this scam and am now in serious debt more than was before.
I lost 1350.00 for a personal loan of 10k for home improvements.
I have a low credit score and am trying to consolidate and also do 2 bathroom remodels that are seriously needed.
Shawn Snyder
March 20th, 2008 at 12:21 am
Feel extremely sorry for you. My sympathies are with you. Apart from reporting the matter to local authorities, there is precious little that can be done in such cases.
I only hope others learn from this.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
There is help out there!
If you have been a victim or contacted by a firm regarding a bad credit loan, contact us first!
http://www.badcreditloanwarning.com/
Jill: 248-673-0531
I was contacted by Certified Lending Group Monday May 12th. I was contacted by a Robert Miller ext 129. He informed me that I was approved for a loan amount of 35,000 and needed to verify a few details. Robert then proceeded to tell me that the private lender that was backing the loan required collateral to secure the loan. Robert emailed me a promisorry note containing the terms and conditions of the loan and repayment. After reviewing, I faxed it back. I was then instructed to send a money gram in the amount of $2,100 to secure the loan to a Arnold McKiney in Oakville, Ontario Canada. Money Gram Order Confirm: 87782263 I proceeded to then call back Certified Lendings Group customer service and relayed the confirmation number on to them so they could release the funds into my bank account via direct deposit.
The next morning, the funds were not deposited. I called Robert Thursday May 15th, 2008, and he advised to contact customer service. I did so, learning that an additional colatteral payment was required to secure the loan proceeds within 4 hours. Again, I transacted a Money Order Payment to an Arnold McKinley in Oakville, ON Canada. Confirmation 61156023.
Friday May 16th, 2008, I called Certified Lendings Groups cusotmer service, informing them that my direct deposit had not occurred. I was informed that I was entitled to a refund due to the additional closing costs required by the lender and would have it by no later than May 30th, 2008
I found no funds had been deposited into my account. I then found the Better Business Bureau of Maryland, and learned this was a known fraudulent company.
August 28th, 2008 at 5:58 am
Thank you for sharing the information!
It really happens nowadays.
They really have a target market to which they see they can penetrate. So let us all be aware of that online business transaction.
December 7th, 2008 at 10:12 pm
I was like you guys too once upon a time before settling in nigeria twelve years ago- I’m Brazillian. It’s rather unfortunate that Nigeria has been singled out as being the number one country in advance fee fraud, and no one trusts us anymore.
The truth is that power in this country is in the wrong hands and people with access to the technology are also corrupt and this has ruined our reputation. Don’t be quick to judge- there are very good nigerians out there (most of us as-testified by bias-free visitors here) and you might wonder why we don’t fight for our rights… there is no such thing here and you people who are so quick to judge us are citizens of the world superpowers that have the ability to come to our aid (as you always claim that you do, but do you?).
Instead you come here and encourage corruption by patting these asses on the backs so that the Nigerian government which is in charge of our oil and is also pretty influential in OPEC will sell the oil (the best quality oil worldwide-’light sweet crude’) to you guys to sit back and enjoy THE BEST. Y’all have used the by-products bought wrongly on the suffering of nigerians..
I ain’t supporting fraudsters- they should be punished for life… but what I’m saying is that is it right to say we’re all bad when directly or indirectly you’ve all conteributed to our shit. Besides, you guys have bad stuff too.. you ain’t saints… watch crime and investigation channel more often. Besides fraud (which I say MUST be eradicated so help me God), how often do you here of stuff like that here?
Remove your own logs before our specks.
February 4th, 2009 at 9:44 pm
I was looking at websites for a loan. And I had applied for some loans. My credit is not very good. Some guy from vintage lending group called me and said I had been approved. Not thinking anything of it, I called him back. He said he got a loan for $10,000 at 7% 6yrs. Then he said he needed collateral either house, car, or getting insurance on the loan for $750.00, and sending the money western union, but after all the ebay western union crap, it drew a red flag. So I told him it sounded fishy, then I ask for the website, he said it was under construction. My caller ID said Ontario 416-711-1005!! Thanks to the people telling about their scams, I know it truly is a scam!!! BEWARE< I LIVE IN PA!!
February 7th, 2009 at 12:24 am
i also was a victim of robert miller!!!! i cussed him out so good that he was speechless and what makes even worse the employee at walmart moneygram warned me but i didnt listen i really cant believe that people do this for a living
August 28th, 2010 at 3:15 pm
i didn’t get taken by this scam mine was spectrum lending advisory. and like the other lady walmart person tried to warn me to.i needed the money so bad that i didn’t listen.now i’m facing eviction from the house i rent.listen to people and check things out.
August 28th, 2010 at 3:16 pm
taken in ohio