Mortgage loan fraud can be divided into a couple of broad categories: Fraud for property and fraud for profit. Fraud for property is generally undertaken by borrowers against lenders, while fraud for profit is typically undertaken by lenders or their agents against borrowers. The collapse of America’s housing market and the subsequent “pulling back of the veil” behind dubious lending practices clearly showed that the lender-style of fraud, fraud for profit, is well-ahead of the borrower-style in frequency and complexity.

 

 

Fraud for property generally involves the deliberate misrepresentation or omission of information with the intent to deceive or mislead a lender into extending credit that would likely not be offered if the true facts were known. Although this has generally been used as a label for home buyers attempting to purchase homes for their personal use, the rise of sub-prime mortgage brokers and other financial intermediaries has greatly expanded this type of fraud; to the detriment of both buyers and lenders.

 

loan modification for profit is often committed with the complicity of industry insiders such as mortgage brokers, real estate agents, property appraisers, and settlement agents (attorneys and title examiners). A complete detailed list of all fraudulent activities undertaken by these actors can be found in our glossary of terms.

 

home loan modification you suspect fraudulent activity on the part of a lender, or any other financial intermediary, blow the whistle now! Go to the Making Home Affordable government website, maintained by the White House, the U.S. Treasury Department and the U.S. H.U.D.. And always, always always, be on the look-out for the following scams:

 

 

  1. Beware of anyone who asks you to pay a fee in exchange for a counseling service or modification of a delinquent loan.
  2. Scam artists often target homeowners who are struggling to meet their mortgage commitment or anxious to sell their homes. Be prepared to recognize and avoid common scams.
  3. Always be careful of people who demand you to sign papers immediately, or who try to convince you that they can “save” your home if only you sign or transfer the deed to your house.
  4. Never sign over the deed to your property to any organization or individual regardless of their licenses or legal qualifications unless you are working directly with your mortgage company to forgive your debt.
  5. Remember to never make a mortgage payment to anyone, without complete consent from your mortgage company.

 

 

 

 

Links:

 

mortgage modification paragraph: glossary of terms –> /resources_glossary.php

4th paragraph: Making Home Affordable government website –> http://www.makinghomeaffordable.gov/beware.html

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