Foreclosure Scams Are Rising Alongside Indiana Foreclosures
Published by Cash Flow Deals · Last updated 2026-08-05
WRTV Investigates found scammers are mining public foreclosure filings to target Indiana homeowners like you with fake 'home-saver' rescue offers. One Indianapolis woman, Allison Dorris, lost $9,000 believing her payments were reaching her mortgage. Indiana logged 10,585 foreclosure filings in 2025, up 16.1%, and briefly ranked first in the country for foreclosure rate in February 2026.
| Factor | Traditional Listing | Cash Flow Deals |
|---|---|---|
| Who contacts a struggling homeowner first | Anyone can pull a public foreclosure filing, including scammers | A vetted, direct request the seller initiates |
| Where the money goes | Some 'rescue' programs collect fees with no mortgage relief | Cash Flow Deals is paid as a disclosed line item on the closing statement, never a hidden fee |
| Who actually funds the purchase | Varies, and unverified buyers can stall a sale for weeks | A real FHA or conventional buyer, funded by their own lender |
What WRTV Investigates uncovered
Reporter Kara Kenney documented how foreclosure filings, public record by law, become a target list for scammers. Allison Dorris lost her job during the pandemic, fell behind on her mortgage, and paid into what she believed was a home-saver program. "I thought the money was going toward my mortgage, but it wasn't," she told WRTV. She lost $9,000. Chase Haller of the Indiana Attorney General's Office explained the mechanics: "When there's a foreclosure filing that's actually public record, a scammer can get that information very easily." University of Minnesota researcher Prentiss Cox added that the pitch itself is the weapon: "I can help you save your home is very powerful for people in distress."
The foreclosure numbers behind the scam surge
Indiana logged 10,585 mortgage foreclosure cases in 2025, a 16.1% jump from 2024, and by February 2026 the state briefly ranked first nationally for foreclosure rate. Indianapolis ranked third among large metros. In Marion County's Northwest-Riverside and Crown Hill areas, foreclosure starts topped 24 per 1,000 owner-occupied households in 2025. Completed foreclosure sales in the county rose 20% to 437, and tax-delinquent owner-occupied properties climbed 36% to 883. More filings mean more names on the public record, and more targets for the scam WRTV documented.
How a Marion County homeowner protects themselves and their equity
Any unsolicited call or letter promising to "save your home" after a foreclosure filing hits the record deserves suspicion, especially one asking you for upfront fees by wire, cashier's check, or a mobile payment app, or asking you to sign over the title. Your safer path starts with reaching out first. With Cash Flow Deals, you choose between the Fast Cash Offer, where we buy your house as-is and close, and the Premium Cash Offer, where a pre-approved FHA or conventional buyer we already have, ready to go, pays more and buys directly from you. We cover repair costs, and we figure out a way, so nothing comes out of your pocket. With Premium, only what the buyer's lender requires gets fixed, with costs settled from the sale proceeds from our share; with Fast Cash, you make no repairs. For either offer, the number is agreed before any work starts, and it changes only if you agree. The one exception: if something structural surfaces that was not visible or disclosed before we signed — foundation issues, hidden moisture, old wiring, cast-iron drain failure — we re-cost it and bring the number back to you. You decide. You can walk away. We disclose what we know at offer time so this almost never happens. The payment structure is disclosed on the closing statement, with no upfront payment collected over the phone. If the Premium buyer's loan falls through, that is our problem, not yours, and you can still choose the Fast Cash Offer instead of the Premium Cash Offer, at its own number.
Common questions
How do scammers find Indiana homeowners facing foreclosure?
Foreclosure filings are public record. WRTV Investigates reports scammers pull those filings directly and contact homeowners with fake 'home-saver' rescue offers before a real buyer or lender ever reaches them.
What should a homeowner never do if someone offers to 'save' their home from foreclosure?
Never wire money, send a cashier's check, or sign over a property title to someone who contacted you first. The Indiana Attorney General's Office and WRTV both flag upfront-fee requests as a core scam pattern.
How much did foreclosure filings rise in Indiana in 2025?
Indiana recorded 10,585 mortgage foreclosure cases in 2025, a 16.1% increase over 2024, according to ATTOM data cited by WRTV.
How can you compare a written house-sale offer with a home-saver program?
You can review a written sale contract and payment structure before deciding, rather than send money to someone promising to save your home. With Cash Flow Deals, you choose the Fast Cash Offer, where we buy your house as-is and close, or the Premium Cash Offer, where a pre-approved FHA or conventional buyer we already have, ready to go, pays more and buys directly from you. Our payment is disclosed on the closing statement, and you make no upfront payment, unlike the fee-collecting scams WRTV documented. We cover repair costs, and we figure out a way, so nothing comes out of your pocket. Premium repairs are limited to what the buyer's lender requires and settled from the sale proceeds from our share; Fast Cash requires no repairs from you. The number is agreed before any work starts, and it changes only if you agree. The one exception: if something structural surfaces that was not visible or disclosed before we signed — foundation issues, hidden moisture, old wiring, cast-iron drain failure — we re-cost it and bring the number back to you. You decide. You can walk away. We disclose what we know at offer time so this almost never happens. If the Premium buyer's loan falls through, that is our problem, not yours; you can still choose the Fast Cash Offer instead of the Premium Cash Offer, at its own number.
Keep reading
Related reading
- Marion County Foreclosures Are Climbing, New Report Finds ›
- Indiana's Foreclosure Rate Just Ranked Worst in the Country ›
- New Bill Would Stop Slumlords Buying Foreclosed Homes ›
- Housing Instability Is Spiking Across Central Indiana ›
- Mortgage Rates Drop Below 6% for the First Time Since 2022 ›
- Out-of-State Investors Own Roughly 1 in 4 Marion County Rentals ›
This affects sellers in
What this means for your options
Rising foreclosure filings mean more distressed inventory competing for the same buyers. The homes that sell fastest are the ones priced and positioned before that competition grows.
Wait and see
Keep the property as-is and hope conditions improve. The mortgage, insurance, and upkeep keep costing money while you wait, with no set date for things to turn around.
List with a traditional agent
Standard MLS listing, typically 5-6% in commission, and a financed buyer whose deal depends on appraisal, inspection, and lender approval — any of which can fall through after weeks on market.
Sell to Cash Flow Deals
Two offers for your house, Fast Cash or Premium Cash, and you choose. Cash: Cash Flow Deals buys the house as-is and closes. Premium: More money. A pre-approved FHA or conventional buyer we already have buys directly from you.
See both offers before you decide anything.