Hope LoanPort Expands Consumer Data Sharing to Combat Fraud

Hope LoanPort has started new collaborative partnerships with several national organizations, including the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and the Loan Modification Scam Prevention Network, to collectively provide foreclosure-related fraud prevention assistance to homeowners.

The Lawyers' Committee, a national coalition of governmental and private organizations and manager of the Loan Modification Scam Database, will facilitate communication and data exchanges.

Information sharing already has generated positive results, said Samantha Friedman, senior vice president of product development and client services for HLP, in a press release.

"HLP recently engaged in a recertification process" for HLP applicants and is using the Lawyers' Committee database to screen out fraudsters "before they can harm the consumer."

Through the network, HLP will be able to provide additional resources to consumers who are trying to avoid foreclosure rescue fraud schemes based on complaints and other data analytics.

The nonprofit Hope LoanPort was created to connect mortgage servicers, housing counselors and distressed borrowers and assist them with submitting and receiving loss mitigation documents. HLP is working with the Lawyers' Committee, as well as with Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Homeownership Preservation Foundation, NeighborWorks America and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The initiative aims to maximize the efficiency of existing government and private resources and datasets and their collective efforts to assist distressed homeowners and combat loan modification fraud.