Special Mortgage Fraud Task Force Protects Homeowners
Authorities cracking down on South Florida scam artists
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MIAMI - OCTOBER 01: A pre-foreclosure sign is displayed outside a home on October 1, 2009 in Miami, Florida. Declining home prices, low mortgages rates and government stimulus programs have helped push up the number of pending home sales according to the National Association of Realtors, as they rose by 6.4 per cent in August and were up by 12.4 per cent from a year ago. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Mike Aliberti's life hasn't been the same since he was the victim of a mortgage fraud which destroyed his finances.
"I was unable for such a long period of time to refinance my home," Aliberti said yesterday. "I was unable to buy a car other than using cash because I couldn't finance anything."
Aliberti said the fraud took place over the condos he used to own in Coral Gables. His identity was stolen and he was swindled out of most of the money he was supposed to earn from their sale.
Wednesday, Aliberti told his story to the Federal Government's top prosecutors, FBI agents, the Florida Attorney General's office and local police.
All are members of a South Florida Mortgage task force. Its job: stop mortgage fraud that affects your neighborhood, the value of your home, even if you're not directly involved.
Those nabbed run scams leading to foreclosed homes and that drives down your properties' value.
"We see the pain. We feel the desperation that so many families are going through," said Tony West, Assistant U.S. Attorney General.
South Florida is a hot-spot for mortgage fraud. The task force has already arrested almost 300 alleged scam artists who fabricated or falsified more than $300 million in loans.
Just one home in Hialeah was used over and over again to dupe banks in giving $1 million in fraudulent loans.
"You have complicit title companies, you have complicit mortgage brokers, you have people who are on the inside of banks," said U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Sloman.
The law enforcement officials gathered Wednesday are pooling their efforts to stop fraud.
"Working with our local partners and our federal partners there is no other way we are going to get around this problem," said Cindy Guerra, from the Florida Attorney General's Office.
Authorities hope that this task force will be a deterrent and stop mortgage fraud before its starts.
If you've been a victim or have info for authorities go to this Website.
