Consumer complaint received 2021-08-06
Company: American Financial Network Inc.
State: LA
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: FHA mortgage
Issue: Struggling to pay mortgage

Complaint:
On XX/XX/2021 - I was in the room with my father as he received a call on his cell phone from an unknown number. My dad answered, and the caller ( human voice ) identified himself as " XXXX XXXX '' in a very casual way and immediately asked to speak with me, the biological daughter of the cell phone number called. 

I took the phone and told the caller he was speaking with her. The caller said that he is calling about my FHA mortgage for a specific address. I told him I did not have this loan. He said he received information from the state courthouse that my name is on the mortgage deed for this address- which is my parent 's property. He made representations about the specific rate I was paying. He said several times that this information was obtained from " public records '' from the " civil courthouse in XXXX, Louisiana. '' He tried to make it seem like I was unaware of my name being on a legal document and that he could help me by using his company. He refused to say that he was actually a telemarketer for AFN. Here is the website for AFN : https : //www.afncorp.com/ I have never signed a mortgage in my life. The telemarketer referred to me by my nickname-XXXX- which is not even my legal name, meaning it wouldn't appear on the supposed legal document that XXXX  referred to repeatedly. 

I asked to speak with a manager to sort this out and understand where this data is coming from. XXXX said to go to this website - " XXXX '' This website is not a working site. It also seems to be some sort of data trap. 

I asked for his manager 's phone number, and after back and forth he gave it to me. ( -- -- ) ( XXXX ). I spoke with XXXX/ XXXX XXXX . XXXX- told me that he searched his data list and did not see my name or my father 's phone number on his list. He called me back and said that the company buys data from companies. XXXX XXXX found my family 's information this way. He essentially blamed the incident on XXXX. It's clear AFN is training telemarketers to use this deceptive tactic. The problem is at the top. I'm asking the FTC to reprimand this company immediately to prevent any future incidents. 

AFN has this disclosure on its website- " As prohibited by federal law, we do not engage in business practices that discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age ( provided you have the capacity to enter into a binding contract ), because all or part of your income may be derived from any public assistance program, or because you have, in good faith, exercised any right under the Consumer Credit Protection Act. The federal agency that administers our compliance with these federal laws is the Federal Trade Commission, XXXX XXXX XXXX, Washington, DC, XXXX. American Financial Network , Inc. is an Equal Housing Lender. '' I'm very concerned about this incident as it seems like it is contrary to FTC prohibitions cited above, especially : 1. the targeting of my father- an elderly man who is in debt and has a mortgage 2. the representation that the daughter of the phone number called has a legal mortgage deed with a specific interest rate that she needs help paying/ could be lowered through AFN services 3. the ways in which my family 's data has been located, used, distorted for a federal program My father is an elderly man suffering from a XXXX XXXX. AFN is using the government and citing to fake legal documents to scare unassuming people in debt that they need to use AFN financial services. 

I would appreciate a call to discuss further if possible. Thank you.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation