Consumer Alert

Scams, Frauds and Warnings
Consumer Alert: Banking Department Warns Against a Fraudulent Lender,
Urges New York Media and Consumers to Use Caution

New York, N.Y.: The New York State Banking Department today issued a consumer alert to the New York State press corps and consumers, warning them about a company calling itself “Hewitt Associates, Inc.” which is believed to be a front for an identity theft scam operating out of Canada.
The subject of this Alert should not be confused with, and has no affiliation with, Hewitt Associates, Inc. (‘HAI"), an international provider of human resource services based in Illinois. HAI and its affiliates are not in the loan business and are not involved in the activities that are the subject of this Alert.
The Banking Department has received information that deceitful advertisements have been placed in newspapers by a person/entity representing itself as Hewitt Associates, Inc. The loan advertisements give a New York City address. There is no such entity at this address that is licensed to do business in New York. The advertisements lure customers visit the “Hewitt Associates, Inc.” Website and requests a Social Security number, as well as financial information to apply online for a personal loan. The phone number being used by the fraudulent lender is 1-888-607-4252.
Thus far, the Department is not aware of any New Yorkers who may have been defrauded. Anyone who has responded to a solicitation or spotted one of the advertisements should call the New York State Banking Department at 1-877-NYS-BANK to file a report.
The Banking Department urges all media in New York State to not place any ads from Hewitt Associates, Inc. and to contact the Department’s Criminal Investigations Bureau at 212-709-3540 if they are solicited to place an ad in any form: print, broadcast, radio or Internet.
The New York State Banking Department is the regulator for all state-chartered banking institutions, virtually all of the United States offices of international banking institutions, all of the State’s mortgage brokers, mortgage bankers, check cashers and budget planners. The aggregate assets of the companies and institutions supervised by the Banking Department are over $1.3 trillion.
In addition to regulating banking institutions, the Banking Department is active in informing and educating all New Yorkers on banking matters.