Bob:
My grandfather and grandmother were cruelly deceived. They are not rich people, they live only on retirement, so they only have enough for the basic. Grandma got sick and needed to buy imported heart medicine. A course admission for a year cost $ 4000. I don’t know why they didn’t tell us, my grandfather decided to get the money himself.
He decided to borrow this amount - he didn't even tell his grandmother, so as not to bother. I found several loan announcements in the newspaper. One had a low rate, like in a bank, and they promised to give money faster - he called. They said that pensioners can only be given money on the security of an apartment. Grandpa went to see a man from a credit firm.
We met the man on the street, talked in the car. Grandfather was not immediately alerted that they had not discussed the terms of the loan in the office. But the representative of the organization, Dmitry, had an expensive car, and he himself gave the impression of a reliable specialist, in general, he trusted. Grandfather asked for $ 4000, but Dmitry insisted that the loan amount be $ 5000. The rate is 7%, the term is six months.
Dmitry all the time hastened to draw up the documents. As a result, they made a loan deal. Grandfather didn't even read the documents properly, he was in such a hurry.
Two months later, a man called my grandparents. He spoke strictly, demandingly. He says: vacate the apartment, we give you a week. Grandfather and grandmother were amazed: why, they say, have we lived in it for 30 years? Answers: you signed an apartment lease agreement and did not transfer money on time. We checked the papers - it turns out that at the slightest violation of the contract, the apartment is completely transferred to someone else's property! Grandmother then felt bad again.
The police told my grandfather that they could not do anything. He himself signed the document, the deal is fair. And only lawyers I knew advised me to go to court. They say that it is theoretically possible to prove deception. But other lawyers say the chances are slim. The police said that there are hundreds of such cases as with my grandfather, and so far only three have managed to return their homes.
Financial Culture Expert:
Forgery is an old type of fraud, at different times and under different laws, only the types of papers that are fraudsters change. For example, instead of a pledge agreement, people sign a document on the sale of property - this is the "fashion" of recent years.
At risk are those who carelessly read the details and fine print, who need money urgently.
In order not to become a victim of an unscrupulous company, carefully read the contract that you are going to sign. A legal lender must have a lot of documents that clearly prescribe the procedure for concluding an agreement, issuing a loan, and conditions for its return.
Pay attention to the very form of the document: do not trust short contracts of 1-2 pages, papers with many conditions written in small print, texts with streamlined and incomprehensible wording.
If you are not sure whether it is worth signing an agreement, then by law you can take documents and other papers home - to think for 5 days whether to conclude a deal or not. The terms of the contract will not change during this time. A legal lender has no right to deny you such a service.
How to avoid becoming a victim of scammers?
My grandfather and grandmother were cruelly deceived. They are not rich people, they live only on retirement, so they only have enough for the basic. Grandma got sick and needed to buy imported heart medicine. A course admission for a year cost $ 4000. I don’t know why they didn’t tell us, my grandfather decided to get the money himself.
He decided to borrow this amount - he didn't even tell his grandmother, so as not to bother. I found several loan announcements in the newspaper. One had a low rate, like in a bank, and they promised to give money faster - he called. They said that pensioners can only be given money on the security of an apartment. Grandpa went to see a man from a credit firm.
We met the man on the street, talked in the car. Grandfather was not immediately alerted that they had not discussed the terms of the loan in the office. But the representative of the organization, Dmitry, had an expensive car, and he himself gave the impression of a reliable specialist, in general, he trusted. Grandfather asked for $ 4000, but Dmitry insisted that the loan amount be $ 5000. The rate is 7%, the term is six months.
Dmitry all the time hastened to draw up the documents. As a result, they made a loan deal. Grandfather didn't even read the documents properly, he was in such a hurry.
Two months later, a man called my grandparents. He spoke strictly, demandingly. He says: vacate the apartment, we give you a week. Grandfather and grandmother were amazed: why, they say, have we lived in it for 30 years? Answers: you signed an apartment lease agreement and did not transfer money on time. We checked the papers - it turns out that at the slightest violation of the contract, the apartment is completely transferred to someone else's property! Grandmother then felt bad again.
The police told my grandfather that they could not do anything. He himself signed the document, the deal is fair. And only lawyers I knew advised me to go to court. They say that it is theoretically possible to prove deception. But other lawyers say the chances are slim. The police said that there are hundreds of such cases as with my grandfather, and so far only three have managed to return their homes.
Financial Culture Expert:
Forgery is an old type of fraud, at different times and under different laws, only the types of papers that are fraudsters change. For example, instead of a pledge agreement, people sign a document on the sale of property - this is the "fashion" of recent years.
At risk are those who carelessly read the details and fine print, who need money urgently.
In order not to become a victim of an unscrupulous company, carefully read the contract that you are going to sign. A legal lender must have a lot of documents that clearly prescribe the procedure for concluding an agreement, issuing a loan, and conditions for its return.
Pay attention to the very form of the document: do not trust short contracts of 1-2 pages, papers with many conditions written in small print, texts with streamlined and incomprehensible wording.
If you are not sure whether it is worth signing an agreement, then by law you can take documents and other papers home - to think for 5 days whether to conclude a deal or not. The terms of the contract will not change during this time. A legal lender has no right to deny you such a service.
How to avoid becoming a victim of scammers?
- Explore the company's website. The name and address of the site, reminiscent of well-known financial brands, poor design, lack of contact information should be alarming.
- Check if the company has a license to carry out lending activities.
- Read the document you are about to sign carefully and take your time.
- Save the details of the company and the announcement from which you learned about it, and when you meet, if possible, make an audio or video recording.
- If you or your relatives still find themselves in the situation described by Eugene, urgently contact a lawyer and law enforcement agencies.
