Mortgage fraud is when mortgages are obtained fraudulently.

Mortgage fraud usually involves individual(s) or organised criminal gangs and at least one corrupt associate, such as an accountant, solicitor or surveyor.

Mortgage fraud can include:

• over-valuing properties
• overstating a salary or income
• hijacking genuine conveyancing processes
• taking out mortgages in the name of unsuspecting individuals or those who are deceased after identity theft
• taking out a number of mortgages with different lenders on one address by manipulating Land Registry data
• changing title deeds without an owner’s knowledge to allow the sale of a property.