St. Petersburg, Florida - So many people facing foreclosure are looking for help in all the wrong places and they're losing thousands of dollars to fly by night companies that make big promises but never deliver.

It's a lesson Sharon Boykin learned the hard way. She moved from London to St. Petersburg eight years ago. Four years ago she bought her first home and says she knew it would be the perfect place to raise her 15 month old son, Taylor. "I thought about him before he was even conceived. This house has always been for him. The neighborhood is beautiful. The neighbors are lovely, quiet, no problems. You could leave your house unlocked."

But when the economy slowed she found herself in the same situation as so many others. She lost her job and fell behind on the mortgage. She hired an out of town foreclosure rescue company that promised to negotiate a loan modification with her mortgage company but there was a catch. She had to pay them 1,250 dollars first. Boykin says "They were quick to take my money and then lo and behold I never heard anything back from my mortgage company which arose suspicion in me."

Two months went by and Boykin called her lender directly only to learn they'd never received a call from the foreclosure rescue company.

It's a story Jason Ohman who is an investigator with Pinellas County Justice and Consumer Service hears all too often. Their office is located at 15251 Roosevelt Boulevard in Clearwater.

Ohman says there has been an increase in the number of homeowners filing complaints about foreclosure scams. He says the public needs to know about a relatively new law that seeks to protect them. "Florida law requires that anyone offering these foreclosure rescue consulting services - they have to first put their agreement in writing and the second part of that law that's important is that these companies can no longer accept fees up front until all the services that are listed in that written agreement have been provided to the consumer."

Ohman says a lot of consumers don't realize there are three HUD approved housing agencies across the Bay area that can help them if they're facing foreclosure. They provide help for free.

1) St. Petersburg Neighborhood Housing Services

2) Clearwater Neighborhood Housing Services

3) Tampa Bay Community Development Corporation

Boykin has a job and is now working with a counselor at the St. Petersburg Neighborhood Housing Services. "As soon as I spoke to members of the organization I felt peace and I felt like it was going to be taken care of."

Tampa Bay 10 Connects

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Francina Brown

After her tragic loss, SPNHS helps Francina Brown provide a home for the 11 children she's left to raise. Her story touches a community who rally to come to her aid.

Read her story here:

"She has no time for grief" - 8/20/2006 St. Petersburg Times

"Whole lot of kindness" - 8/23/2006 St. Petersburg Times

"With help of strangers" - 1/5/2007 St. Petersburg Times