Ever wonder what it looks like on the other end of the line?

New York Times today published an article, “Voices of Foreclosure Speak Daily About Desperation and Misery,” which details the massive customer call center that lending giant Bank of America has assembled in Simi Valley, Calif., to handle the deluge of inquiries from distressed homeowners nationwide.

More than 4,000 employees, many of whom have to be at their desks as early as 5 a.m., field about 50,000 calls per day, according to the report.

To date, the bank, which handles 20 percent of all home loans in the United States, claims that it has made more than 700,000 loan modifications in the last two years, “including 85,000 under the [Home Affordable Modification Program].”

That’s a lot of calls. And it appears that largest mortgage service in the nation is increasing its troop levels significantly to “ease a wave of more than two million foreclosures.”

To contact Bank of America about an existing mortgage or any other issue you can find important numbers right here.

LoanSafe.org, which refers to itself as “America’s #1 consumer mortgage forum,” has compiled a helpful list of potentially suspicious requests from con artists who pose as foreclosure rescue experts.

Here it is:

• guarantees to stop the foreclosure process – no matter what your circumstances
• instructs you not to contact your lender, lawyer, or credit or housing counselor
• collects a fee before providing you with any services
• accepts payment only by cashier’s check or wire transfer
• encourages you to lease your home so you can buy it back over time
• tells you to make your mortgage payments directly to it, rather than your lender
• tells you to transfer your property deed or title to it
• offers to buy your house for cash at a fixed price that is not set by the housing market at the time of sale
• offers to fill out paperwork for you
• pressures you to sign paperwork you haven’t had a chance to read thoroughly or that you don’t understand.

The most important thing that distressed homeowners who are facing foreclosure can do is seek help. There are numerous non-profit organizations and government programs available to help these folks out if and when possible.

Unfortunately, there is a criminal element that is aware of this reality and is out to exploit it for their own personal gain. So if an offer sounds too good to be true, it more than likely is when it comes to foreclosure prevention.

Do your homework. Stay on your toes. And be weary of unsolicited mail not from your bank/lender and anyone who shows up on your front doorstep.

Good help is out there, but chances are you’ll have to go and get it … don’t expect it to just magically appear.

Attention Florida homeowners who are currently in or are facing foreclosure:

QuickSale^SM has launched a massive nationwide campaign to help distressed homeowners seeking REAL solutions during these troubled times.

Linda Martignetti, with C-21 Tenace Realty Inc., is an affiliate of the QuickSale^SM program and is hosting a FREE consumer outreach seminar on Oct. 13 at the Forum Lodging and Conference Center located at 600 SW 3rd Street in Pompano Beach, Fla. (33060), from from 7 to 9 p.m.

In attendance will be experts who specialize in dealing with stressed and distressed homeowners.

The main purpose of this event will be to provide homeowners with the truth about topics such as loan modifications and the government’s role in this financial tsunami, as well as access points to service providers who can assist.

For more information about this and future events call us at QuickSale^SM (866) 202-8200 ext. 7110 or you can contact Linda at C-21 (www.floridahomesbylinda.com) or (954) 464-5434.

Don’t miss this opportunity to get free foreclosure assistance! Register today before it’s too late.

With mortgage fraud cases up 400 percent from five years ago, the new administration in Washington, D.C., plans to do something about it to protect the increasing amount of vulnerable homeowners who are falling victim to con artists.

ABCNews.com reports today that a renewed effort, which will be spearheaded by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, will “ratchet up its efforts to identify fraud suspects for civil and criminal investigation and issue an advisory to help financial firms flag questionable modification schemes for law enforcement.”

This latest initiative opens up a new front on the battle to stem the foreclosure tide.

Already, the administration has implemented the “Making Home Affordable” program to help “underwater” homeowners refinance their mortgages, as well introduced a limited-time $8,000 tax incentive for first-time homebuyers to spark interest in home purchases.

Here is a snip from Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner on this important development:

“Just as this administration has intensified our efforts to help American homeowners, those who would seek to prey on the most vulnerable are intensifying their tactics as well, often through purported mortgage modification and foreclosure relief companies. These are predatory schemes designed to rob Americans of their savings and potentially their homes…. We will shut down fraudulent companies more quickly than before. We will target companies that otherwise would have gone unnoticed under the radar. And we will aggressively pursue individuals involved in mortgage rescue scams.”

For more information on how to avoid foreclosure scams and other red flags of which to be aware click here (click on “Five Tips for Avoiding Foreclosure Scams”). In the meantime, if you’re having trouble meeting your monthly mortgage obligations click here. We’ll connect you someone who can help.