Authorities are warning consumers to beware of “tracers” — people or companies who send letters or Internet e-mails to consumers offering to help recover money from the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) for a hefty fee.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is looking for 100,000 homeowners owed $70 million in FHA insurance refunds. However, HUD and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are cracking down on tracers who falsely claim an affiliation with the government and offer to collect refunds for a fee. “You don’t need to hire someone to collect your money,” says HUD spokesman Victor Lambert. “You can obtain your refund directly from HUD for free.”

To find out if you’re eligible for an FHA refund, call toll-free at 800-697-6967, write to HUD at P.O. Box 23699, Washington, DC 20026-3699, or search HUD’s Internet database (www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/comp/refunds/index.cfm). Also contact HUD or the FTC if you think you’ve been victimized by a tracer. The agencies say it’s permissible for tracers to be paid a fee for their service, but it’s illegal to tell a homeowner he or she must pay the tracer a fee to get a refund.