Long article, but I thought it a good read.
These scammers were creative and bold.
Be careful out there!
http://biz.yahoo.com/special/housing110706_article1.html
Small snippit:
The Bonnie and Clyde of Mortgage Fraud
A master con artist and his partner went on a six-state crime spree, ripping off homeowners, stealing identities and defrauding lenders.
By Marcia Vickers
Fortune senior writer
In December 2004, Dr. Bruce Brown and his wife, Bridget, got a call around seven in the evening from a man who had seen the sales listing for their Columbia, S.C., house. He asked if he could come over right away. The Browns agreed.
They desperately wanted to sell the property, which had been on the market for six months. Dr. Brown was starting a new job in Augusta, Ga., in weeks. Just days before, they had amended their listing to offer $201,000 in owner financing, "hoping to broaden the pool of candidates," says Bridget. They did.
Within an hour, a man showed up in a fancy sports car and introduced himself as Gary Sullivan. With him was a petite blond woman he said was his realtor. Sullivan told the Browns he owned a temp staffing agency called Labor on Demand but had run up too much credit card debt and needed owner financing to buy a home. The two cased the traditional two-story house quickly and left. Within days, the Browns had a deal...
These scammers were creative and bold.
Be careful out there!
http://biz.yahoo.com/special/housing110706_article1.html
Small snippit:
The Bonnie and Clyde of Mortgage Fraud
A master con artist and his partner went on a six-state crime spree, ripping off homeowners, stealing identities and defrauding lenders.
By Marcia Vickers
Fortune senior writer
In December 2004, Dr. Bruce Brown and his wife, Bridget, got a call around seven in the evening from a man who had seen the sales listing for their Columbia, S.C., house. He asked if he could come over right away. The Browns agreed.
They desperately wanted to sell the property, which had been on the market for six months. Dr. Brown was starting a new job in Augusta, Ga., in weeks. Just days before, they had amended their listing to offer $201,000 in owner financing, "hoping to broaden the pool of candidates," says Bridget. They did.
Within an hour, a man showed up in a fancy sports car and introduced himself as Gary Sullivan. With him was a petite blond woman he said was his realtor. Sullivan told the Browns he owned a temp staffing agency called Labor on Demand but had run up too much credit card debt and needed owner financing to buy a home. The two cased the traditional two-story house quickly and left. Within days, the Browns had a deal...