Business ProfileforNorthtown Lending Services

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As of October 2008, the BBB has received an increased number of inquiries about this company that claims to be located at 2309 Springhill Road, Benton, Arkansas. After investigation, the BBB has learned there is no such company at that address. The US Postal Service confirmed that this is not a valid address; there is no building with the street number of 2309 Springhill Road in Benton, AR. Consumers should be aware that the lender's names may also be false, and no such individuals may exist. It is highly probable that the individuals operating this scam are not located in the United States.

The BBB urges caution when solicited by a company who promises a loan in exchange for a fee in advance. According to the Federal Trade Commission, it is illegal for companies doing business by phone in the U.S. to promise a loan and ask for a payment before they deliver. Consumers are typically given instructions to send the fee by wire transfer to a location outside of the United States, and they have little recourse if there is a problem with the transaction.

The Arkansas Attorney General's Office recommends you report your experience with advanced fee loan companies to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and PhoneBusters. PhoneBusters is the Canadian Anti-Fraud Call Center. The call center plays a vital role in the collection and dissemination of victim evidence, statistics, and documentation which are made available to outside law enforcement agencies.

Federal Trade Commission
http://www.ftc.gov
877-FTC-HELP (877-382-4357)
TTY: 866-653-4261

PhoneBusters
http://www.phonebusters.com
888-495-8501

If you have provided your personal information to Northtown Lending Services, the BBB recommends that you file a Fraud Alert with the three major credit reporting agencies. You only need to contact one of the three companies to place an alert; the company you call is required to contact the other two.

TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289; www.transunion.com; Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790

Equifax: 1-800-525-6285; www.equifax.com; P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241

Experian: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742); www.experian.com; P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013
Customers state Northtown Lending Services approved them for a loan with a collateral payment to be made upfront before receiving the funds. Information in customer complaints indicate that Northtown Lending Services promised the loan within 24 hours after receiving the collateral payment. These payments were to be sent to Canada via Western Union. Customers have also sent personal information by fax (copy of driver's license, Social Security card, and recent pay stub). After wiring the funds to Canada, customers did not receive the loan within the designated timeframe. When calling Northtown Lending Services to check on the status of the loan, a customer was told to send another payment by Western Union for insurance-after which the funds would be deposited into the customer's checking account within 24 hours. The customer again did not receive the loan and called to check the status. At this time the customer was told to send a third payment by Western Union to Canada in a specified amount for taxes. No one who has contacted the BBB has received a loan or a refund from Northtown Lending Services