Oregon Cop Targeting Foreclosure Rescue Operators; Calls Scams "Aggravated Theft"

In Portland, Oregon, Willamette Week reports:

• Detective Liz Cruthers, who investigates white-collar crimes for the Portland Police Bureau, says she’s spending much of her time learning the intricacies of what law enforcement officials term “mortgage rescue fraud” and chasing down the perpetrators.

• Cruthers says many “foreclosure consultants” are, in fact, scammers trying to dupe panicked homeowners out of the equity in their homes. “My contention is that ‘mortgage rescue’ is really aggravated theft,” says Cruthers. “What these people are doing is a crime.” She has helped lawmakers prepare a bill for the upcoming legislative session that would shut down one of the most common scams—vultures who assume a delinquent home loan and rent the property back to the original homeowner.

Reportedly, the Oregon Legislature will be taking up a bill addressing foreclosure rescue when its monthlong session begins Feb. 4.

• Shane Jackson, a lobbyist for the Oregon Coalition of Mortgage Originators, says his group and others in the lending industry favor the bill because it cracks down on rescue scams.

For more, see Rescue Me (A Portland Cop is targeting foreclosure vultures. Next week, the Legislature will, too).

Go here for Portland Police Bureau's Fraud detail.

Go here and go here for other posts on deed theft by forgery, swindle, etc. deed theft yahtzee