Beware Shady Mortgage 'Helpers' Claiming Affiliation With Your Bank

State officials are warning homeowners to take a second look before leaping into "mortgage-assistance" deals offered by what appear to be companies tied to their own banks.

The latest warning comes from Connecticut, where state Attorney General George Jepsen called out two California companies -- Novation Marketing Center and Novation Law Center -- for attempting to draw customers of Webster Bank into debt negotiations for which neither business is licensed in the state.

In the companies' distributed literature, according to Jepsen's office, were misleading suggestions about the businesses' affiliation with Waterbury, Conn.-based Webster Bank.