Follow Me on Twitter

President of Metropolitan Money Store Sentenced to Over 12 Years in Prison for $37 Million Mortgage Fraud Scheme

Joy Jackson Personally Responsible for Over $16 Million in Losses to Mortgage Lenders; Used Over $800,000 of Fraudulently Obtained Proceeds to Pay for Her Wedding

U.S. District Judge Roger W. Titus sentenced the president of the Metropolitan Money Store, Joy Jackson, age 41, of Fort Washington, Maryland, today to 151 months in [...]

Mortgage Fraud Surge Investigation Nets More Than 100 Individuals Throughout Middle District of Florida

Department of Justice Press Release

TAMPA—United States Attorney A. Brian Albritton today announced the results of a nine-month-long Mortgage Fraud Surge investigation that has resulted in charges against more than 100 defendants and involves allegations concerning more than $400 million in loans procured by fraud and more than 700 properties. U.S. Attorney Albritton is [...]

FBI ‘Operation Bad Deeds’ results in 41 defendants charged in Mortgage Fraud Takedown

Department of Justice Press Release

PREET BHARARA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, JOSEPH M. DEMAREST, JR., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), RICHARD H. NEIMAN, the Superintendent of Banks for New York State, RENE FEBLES, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the [...]

Former Highgate Manor Operator Pleads Guilty in $11 Million Multi-State Mortgage Fraud Scheme

The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Benjamin Osmanson, 30, of California and Sarita, Texas, pleaded guilty yesterday to three counts of conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering related to his scheme to defraud mortgage lenders by submitting false loan applications in the names of “investors.” Osmanson was [...]

Pasadena Title Company Owner Sentenced to Over Seven Years in Prison for Defrauding Lenders of Over $3.4 Million

BALTIMORE, MD—U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Deborah Williams, age 57, of Pasadena, Maryland, the owner of a Severna Park title company, today to 84 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for mail fraud related to a scheme to divert settlement funds to her own benefit, announced United [...]

FBI Arrests Two People in Foreclosure Scheme

Dennis Norman

Over the past few months I have written a couple of articles with information and tips on how to avoid falling victim to foreclosure rescue or loan modification scams.  As we see record numbers of foreclosures and people from all walks of life struggling to keep their homes, there have been in some cases unscrupulous [...]

FBI Issues Consumer Alert warning of phony online rental ads

By: Dennis Norman

The FBI has issued a consumer alert warning of phony online rental ads.  According to the alert, the scam goes like this:

You can’t believe your good fortune-you find a rental home in a nice area through a Craigslist classified ad at an unbelievably low rate.  The landlord-who had to leave the country and travel [...]