Direct Lending Solutions James Toka Foreign guy calls and ask me if I want $1000, verified my personal info, advised me to check out their site and ratings on BBB, then advises I am approved, a manager calls back to verify my acceptance of the loan, but ,here comes stupidity, I have to prove I can re-pay the loan and as a show of good faith i need to transfer $130 to their company! Really?! At this point I am smelling a scammer, so I advise "james Toka" to keep his loan and refuse to send the funds. I hang up on him and dial the number back. The number rings several times then goes to busy. I am fearful because I have given these fraudulent my personal banking info and my social. How do I prevent potential identity theft? Southake Texas

Dear Sir,

I really appreciated your detailed explanation of the circumstances surrounding the scam artist imperonating your company name. I also appreciate the pointers on how to avoid future attack.The Hacker/Scammer gave me a physical address and a local phone numer but I did not verify either which is a life lesson I will use henceforth. I do feel better that you took the time to apologize although clearly the call was through no fault of yours. It is the consumers duty to always protect themselves. In this age of advanced technology security is a challenge. I researched your company and found so many companies with your name, some with poor reputaions. It was all very confusing, but thanks to your rebuttal/explanation, I am much clearer and wary of anyone calling my phone and asking for personal information. Take care and thanks again.

Marilyn Taylor

Marilyn,

I am the owner of the *real* Direct Lending Solutions, which was founded 12 years ago.   I founded Direct Lending Solutions in 2004 and I have made consumer advocacy a very high priority.  I have several pages on the website devoted to warning consumers about advance-fee loan scams, mortgage fraud, identity theft, email phishing schemes, and more.



For the second time since I started the website, scammers have hijacked my company’s good name to make their shady operation appear credible.  I do not make loans, I do not take loan applications or collect consumer data, I do not have operators who call to “offer” loans, and I do not post classifieds.  In fact, the phone number that you listed in your complaint does not belong to my company at all.  I use an toll-free 800 number which is listed on the BBB website.

The advance-fee loan scam is a GLOBAL problem, and the scammers have been usurping the credibility and established reputations of legitimate companies for decades (even before the internet).  My company was an easy target this time around, because Direct Lending Solutions HAD an A+ rating for over 7 years with the Better Business Bureau.  So, for the low-life who wants to run a scam from a basement in some foreign country, what better company to hide behind than one that is 12 years old and has an A+ rating?  In fact, I spoke to someone recently who told me that the scammers actually used Direct Lending Solution’s A+ rating as leverage in their confidence scheme. 

Unfortunately, you and I are both victims since you have had your money stolen and my company’s reputation has taken a serious hit.  Unbeknownst to me, these people were using “Direct Lending Solutions” on their phony letterhead for a few months, stealing money from a lot of people.   One of the victims believed that the scammers were being truthful when they told her that they worked for “Direct Lending Solutions in Southlake, Texas” and she filed a complaint with the BBB.  As a result, my rating has been reduced from an A+ to a C.  Anyway, this type of scam has been going on for decades or longer.  It’s a new take on the old confidence scheme. Nowadays, it’s just easier with the internet and wire transfers.  

The Federal Trade Commission has information on their website that discusses how the advance-fee loan scam works.  Please note item #4:

“A lender who uses a copy-cat or wanna-be name.  Crooks give their companies names that sound like well-known or respected organizations and create websites that look professional. Some scam artists have pretended to be the Better Business Bureau, a major bank, or another reputable organization; some even produce forged paperwork or pay people to pretend to be references. Always get a company’s phone number from the phone book or directory assistance, and call to check they are who they say they are. Get a physical address, too: a company that advertises a PO Box as its address is one to check out with the appropriate authorities.”

FTC:  https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0078-advance-fee-loans



I have featured the following pages on directlendingsolutions.com for many, many years.  On the homepage of the website, in the upper left corner - I warn consumers about proliferating loan scams.  â€¨â€¨Listed below are some of the main consumer pieces on my website that I wrote myself and have maintained for over a decade:

1)  https://www.directlendingsolutions.com/loan_scam.htm
2)  https://www.directlendingsolutions.com/phishing.htm
3)  https://www.directlendingsolutions.com/loan-modification-scams.htm
4)  https://www.directlendingsolutions.com/foreclosure-scams.htm
5)  https://www.directlendingsolutions.com/contact_us.htm   (very aggressive and heavily worded warnings above the contact form)

Marilyn, I understand how you feel because I was scammed when I was in college 20 years ago.  I just want you to know that the REAL Direct Lending Solutions (dot com) had absolutely nothing to do with what you’ve gone through.  I’m sorry this happened to you and if there is anything that I can do to help, please feel free to contact me.