Business ProfileforCitadel Financial Services

BBB Serving the Atlantic Provinces has concluded an Investigation into the status of Citadel Financial Services and is satisfied by the results of our Investigations that this is not a legitimate Business. 

The Investigation was prompted by several phone inquiries and one formal complaint against Citadel Financial Services. 

After multiple attempts to contact this Business via postal mails, emails, and phone calls, we were unable to contact the Business. The Business is not listed on the NS Joint Stock Registry. The Business is using an address of a commercial tower, no where they have mentioned the Suite Number. BBB reached out to the Property Management Company for the location of their address mentioned on the Business’s Website. The Property Management Company stated that they have no knowledge of the said Business. Therefore, it is a firm belief that this is a Fraudulent Business.

Citadel Financial Services guarantees loans without seeing your credit history. They ask you for an upfront fee to lock in a loan. But once you hand over the payment, the "lender” vanishes along with your promised money. There are many versions of this con: home mortgage refinancing, low-cost government loans, student loan consolidation, special grants, or just an emergency loan to pay the bills.

The catch is some kind of fee up front, such as a “processing fee” or insurance to get the loan or to lock in the low interest rate. Once you hand over the payment, the "lender” vanishes along with the money. Advanced fee loans are illegal in Canada. In Canada, it is illegal for companies doing business by phone to promise a loan and require payment before they deliver. The catch is some kind of fee up front, such as a “processing fee” or insurance to get the loan or to lock in the low interest rate.

Tips to spot this scam:

• Vague or unclear fees charged before you get the money. There are often fees charged for loans: application fees, appraisals, credit report fees. A real lender will post those fees prominently and collect them from the money they are lending you, but a scam lender may try to collect them as a condition for you getting money. Any up-front fee you need to pay before getting the loan is a cue to walk away.

• Avoid guarantees and unusual payment methods. Real lenders never guarantee a loan in advance. They will check your credit score and other documents before providing an interest rate and/or loan amount and will not ask you to pay an upfront fee. Unusual payment methods and payments to an individual are a big tip off.

• Do your research. Scammers try to trick you by pretending to be from official or trustworthy institutions (including Better Business Bureau or your current lender) or sounding like a known organization. Contact the agency directly to check the program is real. Lenders and loan brokers must register where they do business. In Canada, contact the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions. https://www.canada.ca/en/financial-consumer-agency.html