My husband and I were in need of a loan. He applied to several company's who "handle" people with bad credit or recently went through a banckrupcy. We were trying to decide to take a loan for $15,000.00 with one company at a 14% interest when we received the call from Jim Crawford at Pinnacle Financial Trust. (One of the companies my husband applied too) We were told that we were pre-approved for the $15,000 loan at 8% interest. My husband asked for the contract to be sent to him. He reviewed it along with his grandfather. We agreed to the terms of the loan as the interest was better than the 14% and were asked to send the first 20 payments as collateral because of the bad credit situation. We told Jim that we could only send $800.00 to which Jim replied with we can front the rest of them to get the loan processed and get you the money. You will just be expected to pay that money back in one lump payment on July 1.
We Western Unioned the money to a Barbara Kobe in Valencia, Spain. A few days later we received a call from Fred Rosenberg, the regional manager, stating they could not front the money, that the lender was not happy with that and we would need to send the additional payments as collateral for a total 1939.00 (amount of payments plus the Western Union fees). He assured us that we would have the money within 24 hours of completing the transfer of funds. We have been waiting for a month now. We have contacted him several times. We are repeatedly pushed to voice mail with no return calls. We have had other family members call to request information. We have talked to Jim Crawford again and was told that Fred told him to not answer our calls or return them. We have been told by Fred that the Spanish government has a hold on the money to make sure the money was not being used to illegal purposes. Then we were told that the Spanish government is requiring a $2000.00 tax to be paid on the money before it is sent to us. Fred told us we could pay this amount now and have the money within 24 hours or we could wait until Pinnacle could pay it on Friday 09/16 as that is when their corporate office gives them money to pay their monthly bills and this $2000.00 was figured into Septembers monthly bills. We were told the money then would be there the following Monday or Tuesday morning. It is now Wednesday and we still have no money. We have been pushed to voice mail several more times. This morning at 9:30 Fred contacted our home. We asked for a full refund of our monies and was told that the lender had backed out of the contract and we would have to wait until October 10 for a refund and it would be direct deposited into our bank account. I have also emailed both Jim Crawford and Fred Rosenberg. I first sent a very generic email under a different name. Jim responded with we do not have this name on any account can you be more specific. I replied with my husbands name and the amount we wish to be refunded. I am waiting on a return email. I am not hopeful at this point that we will see the money. But I am reporting this to every agency I can find and posting on every scam site I can find.
Their contact information Fred Rosenberg [email protected] 877-813-9957 Ext. 519 Jim Crawford [email protected] 1801 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103 Ph: 1-877-813-9957 Fax: 1-215-531-8059
We feel very ignorant for falling for this scam. We should have just been grateful for the 14% and taken that. (It was through a trusted American bank that was not requesting any payment upfront.) We would have been well on our way and my husband a new job and making money instead of wondering how we will now make it on my husbands current shrinking income.
Do not fall for this scam!!!
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