I may have almost been scammed by a lender

[Ray A Delfi]

I think I may have dodged a bullet here. So I decided to continue the application with a lender I was referred to on the meet up app for an REI group. We exchanged a few emails, but nothing personally identifiable information. They sent over terms and the loan amount and paydown Information, but then it got weird.

They wrote to me:

“Send the processing fee payment ($850) to this PayPal email *Email here*

Note: send as family and friends. once done send me screenshot of the transaction.

thanks”

My response:

I’m curious to why you asked for money upfront with no contract or documentation and to send money via PayPal to another email address. Hope you understand my concern, but this doesn’t seem like an honest exchange of services.

Their response: “I understand perfectly well The Paypal is receive my the account officer, once the account officer receive the fee we go into the signing of documents because the fee is to complete the process of the loan.”

They didn’t send any documents to sign, no contract, just “send the processing fee to this email” which was’t even the email that we have been exchanging communication.

If anyone is familiar with this company please let me know. By all means do your due diligence before paying any money upfront especially with a out any documents and confirming the legitimacy of the company.

ETH Lender