HOUSTON — Pandemic stimulus checks have ended and are unlikely to come back. So what are all these ads for a new homeowner's stimulus that could provide up to $3,800 in mortgage support?
The ads are all over social media.
They often look this:
They have a headline that reads "A new 2021 mortgage relief program is giving back $3,708 in savings to homeowners" or "New stimulus program is giving relief" and include a picture of a tv anchor reading this as breaking news.
But wait a minute. What tv station does she work for? Looks like CNN, but there's no logo.
The Better Business Bureau and AARP are warning about all these ads, saying there is no federal mortgage stimulus program.
Zilch. Nothing. Nada.
States have some individual programs to help homeowners in distress, but that is not this.
What happens if you apply?
When you try to apply online, you get a series of screens asking for your address, your home's value and how much you owe on it. And in the end, you are pitched a relief program.
It's not a scam, but it's not a $3,000 stimulus and that stinks.
The Better Business Bureau says "there is no congress-approved relief program for mortgage payments for Americans" despite what all those Facebook ads say.
Be careful of any offer for government help that takes you to a website that does not end in "dot gov."
That way you don't waste your money.