california attorney general: Realtors OPPOSE CA 'Homeowners Bill of Rights'. - 06/27/12 08:55 AM
California Homeowners Bill of Rights:
A Lesson in Political Expediency & Unintended Consequences.
California Attorney General Kamala Harris announced in a much heralded press release today that her 'California Homeowners Bill of Rights' has 'taken a key step toward passage'. Here's the key step - she bypassed every preliminary opportunity for the bill to be discussed, debated or voted on in either the Assembly or the Senate. What she did, or had her minions in the Legislature do for her, was have the bill introduced to a 'two-house conference committee' that voted this morning to pass the bill. That means tomorrow … (12 comments)

california attorney general: CA Attorney General Files charges in massive 17 state mortgage fraud scheme. - 08/19/11 06:50 AM
CA State Attorney General Kamala Harris sued Philip Kramer, the Law Offices of Kramer & Kaslow, two other law firms, three other lawyers, and 14 other defendants who are accused of working together to defraud homeowners across the country through the deceptive marketing of "mass joinder" lawsuits. Prominent foreclosure attorneys Phillip Kramer and Mitchell Stein and at least 17 others have been accused of luring desperate homeowners into the scheme using deceptive advertising and telemarketing schemes aimed at millions of people in California and 16 other states. 
The scheme claimed that courts have found that most mortgage lenders engaged in predatory lending … (22 comments)

california attorney general: CA Attorney General Launches Real Estate Fraud Strike Force - 05/24/11 03:49 PM
There is much that I disagee with our new Atorney General Kama Harris, but she's got a winner here. I sincerely hope that the strike force will be heavily utilized and that it isn't just window dressing.
Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today announced the creation of the California Attorney General's Mortgage Fraud Strike Force, staffed by Department of Justice attorneys and investigators charged with protecting innocent homeowners and bringing to justice those who defraud them.
Composed of both civil and criminal enforcement teams, the Mortgage Fraud Strike Force will monitor and prosecute violations at every step of the mortgage process, … (3 comments)

california attorney general: Casino Style Loan Mod Scam Rolls Snake-eyes - 05/20/10 11:39 AM
   News Release  May 20, 2010 For Immediate Release Contact: (510) 622-4500 Four Arrested, Five Wanted for Fleecing Hundreds of Homeowners Seeking Foreclosure Relief **NOTE: Contact information for victims willing to speak with the press is available upon request** LOS ANGELES - Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced that nine men engaged in a Southern California boiler room, tricked out in high-roller style with a roulette wheel and other casino equipment, have been charged with 97 criminal counts for stealing at least $2.3 million from more than 1,500 desperate homeowners who were promised loan modifications but received no relief. … (3 comments)

california attorney general: CA DRE & AG Issue Loan Mod Fraud Warning (Again) - 02/22/10 09:49 AM
Time and again people don't listen to that little inner voice that tells us - if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. We know that has always been the case and continues to be the case but sometimes... sometimes we think - well, reality may have suspended itself just this one time, just on this occasion, just for me.
NOT!
We continue to warn people about loan mod fraud - yet people continue to be victimized. I know people are desperate but sometimes you also have to be just a little bit naive and/or stupid … (24 comments)

california attorney general: CA AG Brown Sues Credit Repair Co. - 09/30/09 12:51 PM
It's only been a month or so since California Attorney General Jerry Brown issued a joint statement with the California Department of Real Estate and the State Bar Association promising to crack down on the rampant credit repair and loan modification scams endemic to our region. 
In the statement, Brown referred to the 1984 Credit Services Act that companies offering those services in the state would need to register with his office and post a $100,000 bond. He also published a list of companies who had not registered and posted a list on his website for consumers to refer to. 
Today … (2 comments)

california attorney general: Cal AG Brown - Kicking Ass & Taking Names in Loan Mod Fraud. - 08/12/09 08:28 AM
Gotta love this. AG Jerry Brown to 386 'mortgage foreclosure consultants' pay up or face the consequences. Including names of all the companies currently not in compliance. SWEET!
Here's the link to see non-compliant companies in your area.
Taking names and kicking ass - love ya Jerry.

News Release August 12, 2009 For Immediate Release Contact: (916) 324-5500  Brown Orders Mortgage Foreclosure Consultants to Post $100,000 Bond or Face Prosecution Los Angeles - Threatening possible criminal and civil prosecution, Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. today ordered 386 mortgage foreclosure consultants to post $100,000 bonds and register … (0 comments)

california attorney general: California AG Jerry Brown joins Dept of Real Estate & State Bar to Combat Loan Mod Fraud. - 08/11/09 07:57 AM
A few months back our Attorney General Jerry Brown announced a plan to combat the rampant loan mod fraud we're experiencing in the Golden State. He has been pursuing this with a vengeance and tomorrow will announce the results of a more extensive crackdown. I'm really gonna miss this guy and his efforts as AG if he gets re-elected as our Governor next year.


Brown to Join Forces with Department of Real Estate and State Bar in New Round of Legal Action Against Loan Fixers Los Angeles - At a news conference Wednesday at 10:00 a.m., Attorney General … (1 comments)

california attorney general: CA AG Brown Foils Massive Home Repair Scam - 03/23/09 11:16 AM
This is the kind of article you see written about the organized 'Gypsys' that still roam the countryside from time to time. Again, our intrepid AG has ferretted out another wrong-doer. No doubt he has shut down a large operation here but there are others. Always warn clients - especially elderly clients who are frequently victimized by these scamsters.
Typical scams include the roof and/or driveway repair that involves a light spray of used motor oil to darken the pavement or roof tiles. That it all washes off in the next rain doesn't matter - the repair guys are long … (4 comments)

california attorney general: CA AG Brown Cracks Another Scam - 03/17/09 08:47 AM
You've heard the ads, you've gotten the emails - tap into the magic of eBay or Craigslist or Yahoo and money just comes rolling in. It's a lot like those companies that'll get you the top spot on Google - for a small fee. Anyway, I know these guys have been big on the airwaves in Cali and I have no reason to believe they'd stop at our borders - so some of the rest of you are probably seeing these ads right now. If your state hasn't cracked down yet, send your AG a copy of this release.

If … (0 comments)

california attorney general: California AG Issues New Fraud Warning. - 03/12/09 10:07 AM
Once again California Attorney General Jerry Brown rides to the rescue of homeowners by issuing a timely warning. This is what we need MORE of - but we'll be lucky if this info makes the papers at all.
This is a pretty sophisticated scam involving forged letterhead and people who apparently know the lingo, even got a business license from the City of LA. I swear if these people put the same degree of diligence toward a legitimate career, they would probably prosper as well. This is no fast street scuffle but was set-up to extract repeated payments from the victims.
… (14 comments)

california attorney general: California AG Jails RE Fraud Group - 03/09/09 11:32 AM
Our Attorney General Jerry Brown has been raising some hell with scam artists this year. Prosecuting these cases is proving difficult for local DA's, especially with the current budget crunch impacting their offices. But Jerry is stepping up, he's cracking down on some of these perps very quickly, acting to reduce the impact on communities and giving them real jail time. Probably not enough jail time - but it's a start.
Locally we're still working on indictments for scams that occurred back in 2004 and 2006. While the DA diddles with figuring out why they paid $150,000 over asking price, that … (1 comments)

california attorney general: CA AG Busts Another Ponzi Scheme. Yeah! - 01/23/09 03:40 AM

And the beat goes on - or maybe I should say the beatings continue. Always good to see miscreants get their come-uppance. Unfortunately for more than a thousand people the come-uppance comes up too late to save their 'investment' and, in some cases, their retirement.
It's precisely this variability that makes this type of fraud so difficult to prevent. Although the two articles I posted earlier also involved Ponzi schemes and affinity fraud, the crimes are as different as night & day. In one, people with Hispanic surnames convinced other people with Hispanic surnames they could get them into … (26 comments)

california attorney general: Help for Countrywide Borrowers in Landmark Settlement - 10/06/08 07:17 AM
10-6 Countrywide settlement I am posting this announcement from our State Attorney General's office. Launched this past June 30, the AG has pursued this case aggressively and reached a speedy settlement that may in fact benefit many of our clients who will be able to remain in their homes. If you need more information, click on the AG Logo for a full text of the settlement and a Q & A. (Article emphasis is mine) Attorney General Brown Announces Landmark $8.68 Billion Settlement with Countrywide Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced a landmark, multi-state settlement with Countrywide Home Loans, … (12 comments)

california attorney general: Attorney General Brown Shuts Down Mortgage Scam Artists - 03/19/08 12:40 PM
For a copy of the indictment and to read the lengthy release detailing the mechanics of this scam and interviews with victims, please follow the source link. This scam has been going on for some time now and involves THOUSANDS of victims in LA and San Bernardino county. The scam involved high pressure sales tactics, bait-and-switch loan documents and multiple other predatory practices.
Another one bites the dust - but too late to save thousands of people from being victimized and many lost homes.
Source: http://ag.ca.gov/newsalerts/release.php?id=1533&
08-019FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE(916) 324-5500
LOS ANGELES-California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. today shut down Lifetime Financial, Nations Mortgage, … (3 comments)