Woman Gets 12 Days In Jail For Running Mortgage Fraud Scheme

ROSEVILLE (WWJ) - A 35-year-old woman who authorities ran a  mortgage fraud scam across Oakland and Macomb counties has been sentenced to less than two weeks in jail.

The Michigan Attorney General's office on Friday said Asima Khan, of Roseville, was sentenced on a charge of felony larceny $1,000 - $20,000 to 12 days in jail, followed by five years probation. Khan was also ordered to pay $60,387.24 in restitution to her victims.

The Department of Attorney General's Corporate Oversight Division began an investigation into Khan and her company, Financial Independent Services, after receiving multiple complaints from victims in this case in 2015.

The state says Khan and her company promised mortgage modifications and debt consolidation to her clients. However, she collected money for the services in advance in violation of Michigan law and did not provide the promised modifications or debt reduction.

Khan's company ceased operation in early 2014.

Foreclosure and Credit Assistance

Since the home mortgage foreclosure crisis, many unscrupulous businesses have taken advantage of consumers with false promises to help consumers keep their homes. Scam artists prey on the vulnerability of desperate homeowners in order to collect handsome fees -- but don't deliver any of the promised services. Many of these shady operations engage in high-pressure sales tactics and demand substantial fees in advance.

If you are behind on your mortgage payments and facing foreclosure, watch out for fraudulent foreclosure consultants who target distressed homeowners. The following tips can help you avoid being scammed.

RED FLAGS - Avoid working with anyone who does any of the following:
• Guarantees to stop the foreclosure process - no matter what the circumstances.
• Instructs you not to contact your lender, your lawyer, or a credit or housing counselor.
• Collects a fee up front before completing all services. This practice may be illegal in many circumstances in Michigan under the Credit Services Protection Act.
• Encourages you to lease or rent your home so you can buy it back over time.
• Tells you to make your mortgage payments directly to them, rather than to your lender.
• Tells you to transfer your property deed or title to them.
• Offers to fill out paperwork for you.
• Pressures you to sign paperwork that you haven't had a chance to read thoroughly or that you don't understand.

What You Can Do To Avoid Being a Victim:
1. DON'T sign any documents without reading and understanding them first.
2. DON'T transfer title or sell your home to the foreclosure rescuer.
3. DON'T pay money to a foreclosure rescuer before any work has been done.
4. DON'T ignore letters from your lender/loan servicer. Your loan servicer is the company that processes your mortgage payments. (Sometimes the company you borrowed money from will continue to service the loan, but often the company that you borrowed the money from and the company you make your loan payments to are different). You should contact your lender/loan servicer if you are having trouble making your payments on time. Many will work with homeowners who are behind on their payments to help them avoid foreclosure.
5. DON'T pay your mortgage payments to someone other than your lender/loan servicer, even if that person promise to pass the payment on to the lender/loan servicer.
6. DO contact HUD at 800-569-4287 or the Michigan State Housing Development Authority at for a referral to a housing counselor near you.