Role of the FBI in Criminal Investigations

The FBI or the Federal Bureau of Investigation has grown from a small cadre of 34 investigators to an organization that today employs more than 30,000 persons. With ’Fidelity, Bravery and Integrity’ being its motto, the Federal Bureau of Investigation seeks to protect and defend the Unites States from both external and internal enemies.
The FBI criminal investigation includes investigative programs to tackle cyber crime, terrorism, crimes against children, gang crimes, white-collar crimes and other forms of violent crime that endanger the lives of citizens and communities.

The FBI Crime Scene investigation is an area in which the organization has had a history of involvement and sufficient expertise. The violent crime category includes murder, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, bank robbery, theft, destruction of government property and so on.

To the list of FBI criminal investigation may be added the mortgage fraud investigation, a fraud that has proved to be a potential threat to businesses, individual home owners and the national economy.

Mortgage Fraud Investigation

So what are mortgage fraud schemes and how is the investigation done?
Mortgage fraud is deliberate misrepresentation or omission of facts related to property at the time of applying for mortgage loan for unrightfully obtaining mortgage loan.
Mortgage fraud schemes are usually of following types;

• Lending frauds
  
• Foreclosure Rescue Scams
  
• Bankruptcy schemes related to mortgage
  
• Equity Skimming
  
• Property flipping
  
• Identity theft related to mortgage

One of the major roles of the FBI with respect to the mortgage industry is to identify the fraud trends and educate people so that they so not succumb to such fraudulent activities.

The FBI starts its investigation of mortgage fraud cases with the reports received from;

• Federally insured financial institutions (SAR’s)
  
• Department of Housing and Urban Development-Office of the Inspector General
  
• Public and Mortgage Industry at large

During the investigations, the federal officers pay particular attention to some indicators that hint at a possible fraudulent activity. These include signs like inflated appraisals, increased commissions, fake documents, falsifications on loan applications, loans disguised as refinance and short-term investments with guaranteed re-purchase.

Once the crime is proven, the guilty may be imposed with fines and sometimes imprisonment for up to thirty years.
It is the FBI’s job to conduct criminal investigations and mortgage fraud investigations. But equally important is spreading a word of caution to the citizens as a preventive measure. In view of that, the FBI has enlisted in its website tips to prevent becoming a victim of mortgage fraud. Spending sometime checking these guidelines is worthwhile if you are a current or prospective lender of mortgage loan.