I found an interesting website today about real estate and mortgage fraud. It is the Real estate and mortgage fraud information and assistance center.  It notes:

“If you need to learn about:

• foreclosure “rescue” scams
• mortgage “elimination”
• straw buyers
• investors receiving cash back after closing
• predatory lending
• equity skimming or stripping
• bad appraisals
• false downpayments
• down payment assistance programs
• is it legal to include a car with the house loan (no)
• property flipping
• fraud indictments

This is the place to start your research.” 

They’re right.  The website is a wealth of information.  It is sponsored by the National Association of Consumer Advocates, mortgagefraudwatchlist.org, and the International Association of Financial Crimes Investigators.