Sacramento Man Used Unwitting Attorney's Name On Website To Run Foreclosure Rescue Racket, Say Cops

In Marin County, California, the Contra Costa Times reports:

• A Sacramento man was arrested [] on suspicion of using a Mill Valley lawyer's name to scam homeowners facing foreclosure, authorities said. Nicolas Moscouplos was taken into custody after a search warrant was served at his Sacramento office, said Supervising Inspector Carl Chapman of the Marin County District Attorney's Office.

• The case began May 13 after the Mill Valley lawyer, Mohamed Salem, contacted the sheriff's department to report that someone had opened an Internet site using his name. The website, www.canwinforeclosure.com, appeared to offer Salem's legal services in helping residents fend off foreclosure actions. Salem reported that he became aware of the site after receiving complaints from lawyers regarding paid services that were not being provided.(1)

For the story, see Mill Valley lawyer's name used in alleged foreclosure scheme.(2)

(1) Reportedly, Salem said in an interview that he is mainly a civil engineer but studied law for his work in the construction field. Salem, 70, has been a member of the state bar since 1990. "I couldn't believe it at first," he reportedly said. "I was really stunned, if you want to know the truth. ... Why me?" The Mill Valley, Calif., attorney's practice in environmental and construction law usually focuses on building places for people, not kicking them out of their homes, according to this report.

(2) See also, The Recorder: Calif. Lawyer's Name Stolen for Scam:

• When confronted by detectives earlier this month in his Sacramento office, Moscouplos first claimed to be Salem, according to an affidavit. Later Moscouplos said he was actually a private mortgage "auditor" who referred cases to Salem. But when asked, Moscouplos could not provide authorities with any contact information for the Marin County attorney.
• Why Moscouplos chose Salem's name and Bar number is unclear -- Salem said he's never met the man -- but authorities suspect he accessed it on the State Bar's website, Salem said. "What are there, like a quarter of a million attorneys registered with the State Bar?" Salem said Thursday. "I don't know why he chose my name. I'm baffled by that."
• Salem told authorities that he received calls from three different attorneys, all of whom had questions about pending foreclosure cases that he knew nothing about. One of those attorneys told Salem he had tried calling the Sacramento number listed on the pleadings but no one ever answered. So the attorney looked for alternative contact information for Salem on the State Bar website.