I originally found Velocity Fiscal Management via a Google Alert about Obama's plan to help struggling homeowners keep their homes.
It was listed as news about Obama's affordability and stability plan. I had been getting alerts about updates, news articles and the like. One such article claimed it was with HUD and I trusted the article. There was a suggested web address which I went to, it asked for me to submit my name and contact information so an agent can help me out. I submitted my name, phone number and email and eagerly awaited a call.
I was emailed by Tony Roberts who gave me his contact number and a link to his company's page. It looked legit. I was led to believe that this was somehow connected with HUD. When I asked about that I seem to recall he said they are bombarded with people seeking their help with new mortgages and his company was designed for existing mortgages. Again another seemingly reasonable explanation why they were given my request for help that I had submitted at the HUD site.
He and I emailed and talked on the phone about my reason for needing a modification, which is health. You see, I have MS and this is a condition that did not make itself apparent until about two years ago. I have extremely high medical bills, prescriptions, MRI's, a team of specialists, a neurologist and of course my insurance. He told me that he can relate because his best friend also has MS. I even shared with him a story about my need for a wheelchair. I also have been having a hard time due to the fact that my mother who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in September and given only 6 months to live.
Disparity for some good news falsely led me to trust that he was a compassionate human being. After several conversations and also letting him know that my mother was going to be at her end in April and I am going to be in his area (Austin) to meet in person and put a face to the name.
I was then sent an agreement which I printed off initialed, filled out and returned to him via fax. He then said his lawyers need a retainer and it would be like earnest money when you buy a home. If my mortgage companies didn't come through then I would get all but $300 as a processing fee.
I agreed to this. I sent him a cashier's check for $1,995.00. I got a call a few days later and he was asking where the payment was. I guess it's taking longer than anticipated so he said he'd call when he received it. The next Monday I got a call saying that he got it, he thanked me and even added the legal team had already started to process it. I was satiated, for a time.
Two weeks had passed and I was planning to head down to Austin for the heartbreaking visit and last time I would be embraced by my mother. I called him to see what his office hours were but all I got was the voicemail, so I left message after message. It was time for me to break away from this and focus on my mother and father, who is now her survivor. I called his office from my parents home on a ranch named 'Angels Landing' in Dripping Springs. No answer still.
My mother passed on May 7th and I didn't try to contact VFM again until I got back to Idaho. Well, they are off the grid. The phones still direct you through a maze of mailbox options and the website still offers grand promises debt relief. That's all that the website provides though.
One day I decided to check out what my bank could do to find out if the check was cashed and if so could we trace who cashed the check.
That was when I first got a glimpse of the man behind the curtain. The stamper used to cash it was illegible to a point that I don't even know why this bank allowed it. It was, in fact cashed not held as earnest funds. This was on March 27th just two days after he got it. The bank couldn't do anything to stop the payment. I then decided to call the Austin police department to report a case of a fraudulent business and also let them know that this is also a case of grand theft. I have the police department on the case and I hope to hear from an investigator with the Austin financial crimes unit.
I then decided to make sure that Mr. Anthony Roberts and his accomplice Emily Provost can't steal mine and my husband's identity. After all they now have our social security numbers, names, addresses and know the last two years of our taxes. I suggest to anyone going through this to contact Trans Union ASAP. Trans union will also contact Equifax and Experian on your behalf. They have placed a freeze on both of our SSN's. I also did contact the Better Business Bureau of Austin.
After Google-ing VFM I did find a LinkedIn page for Emily Provost. I am on LinkedIn and have been for a while now. I tried to connect with her there and she has ignored my requests.
I have also come to learn there are at least two other people that were victims of VFM and these are just the people who came forward, like me.
I would like to get my money back, perhaps also with pain and suffering. I would like to see them incarcerated. And I would like to make it a national law that modifications can be handled via your existing mortgage company. I would love to have all of these modification companies abolished. And most of all I would like to have fair and equal mortgage opportunities to prevent this headache in the first place.
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