How Do I Find a Mortgage Fraud Attorney?

The recent financial crisis has opened doors for more people to find more ingenious ways of making money. One of these is by defrauding other people. Although more and more states have been enacting laws that give stricter penalties when it comes to mortgage fraud, some people are still finding ways to work their way around.
There are different ways by which mortgage fraud can be done, foremost of which is with inflated appraisals. In this type of scam, the lender is made to believe that a property is worth more than it really is with the borrower and the appraiser, oftentimes, working together in order to create misleading reports.
A few other ways by which mortgage fraud can be done is with the use of false or stolen identity as well as having a silent second mortgage. The latter involves using a second mortgage in order to deceive the first lender. It could also come in the form of providing subsidized or preferential terms to qualified home buyers. There are also some mortgage fraud criminals who hide their identity by having a nominee allow him or her to use the former's name and credit history. Others take this a bit further by using a nominee's credit history, account and false documents to have a loan under the nominee's name. The latter is what is known as equity skimming. There are also brokers who set up non-existent borrowers and properties in order to secure a loan.
Although generally legal as long as full disclosure is made, property flipping can also lead to mortgage fraud. This happens when a property's value is inflated with the loans documentations doctored.
If you find yourself being on the victim's end in cases like these, your first action should be to look for a lawyer to help you defend your case and get back what is truly yours. As with other types of attorney, finding a mortgage fraud attorney can be a daunting task. You have to make sure that you only hire the services of someone who already has enough experience and successes in handling cases such as yours.
One of the best ways to find a reliable mortgage attorney is to ask for referrals from relatives and friends. You can also check out online directories of mortgage attorneys and lawyers.
Once you have found a list of attorneys who can handle your case, it is recommended that you coordinate with the American Bar Association and ask them about the number of cases and the success rate of the attorney you have in mind. You can also get in touch with the lawyer you have in mind and ask them for a list of their previous clients. These clients can help you decide whether the lawyer you have in mind is really worth it.