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Source : http://newscenter.springhillgrouphome.com/ http://springhillgrouphome.multiply.com/journal/item/59/Springhill_Group_Home_Top_10_Fraud_Schemes Springhill Group Home: Top 10 Fraud Schemes http://newscenter.springhillgrouphome.com/2012/03/springhill-group-home-top-10-fraud-schemes/ For the twelfth successive year, identity theft topped the consumer complaint database of the Federal Trade Commission with the largest number of complaints, perhaps owing to the rampant use (and misuse) of online services such as social networking and e-commerce websites. From the 1.8 million complaints the FTC got in 2011, almost 300,000 are about identity theft. The information of FTC has included complaints filed to them or from other states and federal consumer protection groups. Most of the complaints of identity theft are coming from consumers saying that their personal details are used in government documents without their knowledge, with scammers aiming to collect benefits. Last year, government-related identity theft was 27% of the total complaints in that category, increasing by 11% since 2009. Accounting for the 14% of identity theft complaints is credit card fraud, with the rest consisting of complaints of bank, utilities and phone fraud. More than half of all the complaints last year were related to fraud and taxpayers reportedly paid a total of over USD 1.5 billion in fraudulent schemes, with the average amount paid being USD 537. Moreover, 43% of the victims acknowledged that scammers reached them through email messages. The top three states that have the most per capita rate of fraud reported are Colorado, Delaware and Maryland as first, second and third, respectively. Generally, FTC discovered that people are either more willing to file complaints or they simply have more complaints now. The total amount of complaints they have received has increased by over 20% -- from 1.5 million to 1.8 million in 2011 -- that includes both identity theft and fraud compl

Mumbai: The BSE Sensex plunged to 2-week low of 17,196.47 Thursday, down 405 points as investors sold stocks amid weakening rupee, allegations of massive losses to the government in coal blocks allocation and shaky overseas markets. Of the 30 Sensex scrips, 28 tumbled. All the 13 sectoral indices closed in losses, with realty, power, banking, capital goods, metal and refinery stocks being hit hard. Market heavyweight Reliance Industries dropped 4.15 percent, and Infosys by 1.39 percent. The two carry 20 percent weight on the Sensex. The rupee's sharp decline against the US dollar to Rs 51 level worried investors that it will inflate government's import bill, especially on account of oil, worsening fiscal deficit situation. Besides, reminiscent of the 2G spectrum allocation scam, the Comptroller an Auditor General (CAG) said in a draft report that the government lost Rs 10.67 lakh crore on account of allotment of coal blocks to 100 private and public sector companies without auction during 2004-2009. However, CAG later informed the Prime Minister that media reports on alleged coal scam were "exceedingly misleading". Sensex moved in a narrow range till late afternoon, but last hour selling pulled it down sharply to 17,196.47, erasing 405.24 points or 2.30 percent. In last two days, it had risen 328.34 points or 1.90 percent. Similarly, NSE 50-scrip index Nifty tumbled 136.50 points or 2.54 percent to two-week low of 5,228.45. "A mix of domestic and global factors hurt investor sentiment. The leakage of a draft CAG draft report weighed markets down. The Indian rupee weakened against the US dollar further spooked sentiments," said Paras Bothra, Research Head, Ashika Stock Brokers. Globally, European markets were trading weak, adding to investor woes, he said. As per Sebi data, FIIs bought shares worth Rs 651.70 crore yesterday. Asian stocks were down in early trade after a survey showed China's manufacturing has shrunk. Key indices in China, Singapore and Sou

South Korea Group of Springhill | edublogs.org May 22, '12 12:35 AM by SpringHill for everyone http://tonybricks96.edublogs.org/ http://tonybricks96.edublogs.org/2012/05/21/scrap-n-test-china-tells-n-korea/ China has been quietly and gently pressuring North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test, said two sources with knowledge of closed-door discussions between the countries, but there is no indication how Pyongyang will react. If North Korea goes ahead with the test, China would consider taking some retaliatory steps, but they would not be substantive, a source with ties to Pyongyang and Beijing said. North Korea has almost completed preparations for the test, Reuters had reported in late April, a step that would further isolate the impoverished state after last month's failed rocket launch that the United States says was a ballistic missile test. "China is unhappy … and urged North Korea not to conduct a nuclear test near Changbai Mountain," said the source, who declined to be identified. China feared a radiation leak and damage to the environment from a blast, the source added. "China also complained about the environmental damage to the area after the first two tests." When North Korea conducted nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009, it caused environmental damage to the mountain straddling the border with China. North Korea ceded part of the mountain to China in 1963. It was unclear if the secretive North Korean government, typically unwilling to bow to outside pressure, would defer or drop the plans. China is the closest thing to an ally that North Korea has. "The impact on China's northeast would be huge," the source said of a third test. Chinese officials have discussed whether threats of diplomatic action would be effective, but any action might be restricted to some economic measures to signal China's displeasure and would not affect vital food aid for North Korea, the source said. A Western diplomat, who also asked n

SOUTH KOREA Despite success and promise, the wide-scale deployment of integrated gasification combined-cycle IGCC in South Korea is a few years away. The country has negligible domestic coal production, only possessing 149 million tons of recoverable coal reserves, and must import coal to satisfy demand. Over the years, South Korea has become the world's second-largest coal importer, after Japan. The electric power sector accounts for more than half of coal consumption, though IGCC promises a much cleaner future for coal-fired power plants. While IGCC is in line with South Korea's new and renewable energy program, the country cannot afford to wait for new technology to be employed, nor drastically decrease imports in favor of emissions reduction. Currently, most of the world, including South Korea, employs pulverized-bed boilers PBB in coal-fired power plants and these, along with past types of boilers, have given coal-powered plants very poor reputations. PBB plants require that coal be ground into a fine dust before being fired at high temperatures escaping emissions, such as sulfuric oxides and nitric oxides, are ineffectively collected by scrubbers. Coal plants have the reputation of being among the most pollution-inducing types of power plant. A new boiler technology is rapidly taking hold in the world of coal-derived energy, and this new technology may serve as a more-than-suitable bridge between PBB and IGCC. Circular fluidized-bed combustion, known better as FBC, utilizes fluidized-bed boilers FBB that do not require coal dust or extremely high temperatures. Granulated coal is loaded onto a suspended boiling before held aloft by upward-blowing air currents, tumbling the coal. This tumbling motion allows for more effective combustion and requires lower combustion temperatures. Combustion in FBBs occurs below the threshold temperature at which nitric oxides are produced, thus eliminating the need for that type of emissions capture. Internal limesto

SOUTH KOREA Despite success and promise, the wide-scale deployment of integrated gasification combined-cycle IGCC in South Korea is a few years away. The country has negligible domestic coal production, only possessing 149 million tons of recoverable coal reserves, and must import coal to satisfy demand. Over the years, South Korea has become the world's second-largest coal importer, after Japan. The electric power sector accounts for more than half of coal consumption, though IGCC promises a much cleaner future for coal-fired power plants. While IGCC is in line with South Korea's new and renewable energy program, the country cannot afford to wait for new technology to be employed, nor drastically decrease imports in favor of emissions reduction. Currently, most of the world, including South Korea, employs pulverized-bed boilers PBB in coal-fired power plants and these, along with past types of boilers, have given coal-powered plants very poor reputations. PBB plants require that coal be ground into a fine dust before being fired at high temperatures escaping emissions, such as sulfuric oxides and nitric oxides, are ineffectively collected by scrubbers. Coal plants have the reputation of being among the most pollution-inducing types of power plant. A new boiler technology is rapidly taking hold in the world of coal-derived energy, and this new technology may serve as a more-than-suitable bridge between PBB and IGCC. Circular fluidized-bed combustion, known better as FBC, utilizes fluidized-bed boilers FBB that do not require coal dust or extremely high temperatures. Granulated coal is loaded onto a suspended boiling before held aloft by upward-blowing air currents, tumbling the coal. This tumbling motion allows for more effective combustion and requires lower combustion temperatures. Combustion in FBBs occurs below the threshold temperature at which nitric oxides are produced, thus eliminating the need for that type of emissions capture. Internal limes

http://ambersanpedro.livejournal.com/1011.html This project consisted of removing and replacing (2) existing 1100 ton chillers, removing (4) existing tower water pumps which were replaced with (2), and removing (3) existing chilled water pumps which were replaced with (2). A single new 400HP boiler was installed where one of the existing original boiler's was demolished by an owner paid subcontractor separate from this contract. There was also a generator that was removed in order to make room in the chiller room for the new equipment and piping. A large condensing unit servicing some operating rooms had to be relocated in order to allow access to the mechanical room for demolition and delivery of the new equipment and piping. Much of the existing chilled water and tower water piping was removed and replaced with throughout the chiller room and on the mezzanine above the chiller room. Steam, condensate and fuel oil piping servicing the old boiler was removed and re-configured to meet the needs of the new boiler. Access to the south mechanical room was very limited. All of the equipment and piping had to be hoisted into and out of an access shaft just large enough for the new equipment. Besides the limited space, the set-up area for the hoisting rig was right next to the Emergency Room/Helepad entrance. The coordination with our hoisting and rigging subcontractor, the hospital personnel and Stanger Industries years of experience with similar projects proved invaluable on this challenging aspect of the project. One of the stipulations of this project was to insure that all systems would remain on line during the installation of all of the new equipment. In order to accomplish this task, isolation valves were installed in key locations to allow us to isolate this south mechanical room from the rest of the system and utilize the north mechanical room's equipment to keep things on line. The shut-down/drain down of the towers was scheduled and coordinated with hosp

Hospital Corporation of America Chillers, Pumps, and Boiler Replacement Project Wednesday, January 18 · Edit "http://ambersanpedro.livejournal.com/1011.html This project consisted of removing and replacing (2) existing 1100 ton chillers, removing (4) existing tower water pumps which were replaced with (2), and removing (3) existing chilled water pumps which were replaced with (2). A single new 400HP boiler was installed where one of the existing original boiler's was demolished by an owner paid subcontractor separate from this contract. There was also a generator that was removed in order to make room in the chiller room for the new equipment and piping. A large condensing unit servicing some operating rooms had to be relocated in order to allow access to the mechanical room for demolition and delivery of the new equipment and piping. Much of the existing chilled water and tower water piping was removed and replaced with throughout the chiller room and on the mezzanine above the chiller room. Steam, condensate and fuel oil piping servicing the old boiler was removed and re-configured to meet the needs of the new boiler. Access to the south mechanical room was very limited. All of the equipment and piping had to be hoisted into and out of an access shaft just large enough for the new equipment. Besides the limited space, the set-up area for the hoisting rig was right next to the Emergency Room/Helepad entrance. The coordination with our hoisting and rigging subcontractor, the hospital personnel and Stanger Industries years of experience with similar projects proved invaluable on this challenging aspect of the project. One of the stipulations of this project was to insure that all systems would remain on line during the installation of all of the new equipment. In order to accomplish this task, isolation valves were installed in key locations to allow us to isolate this south mechanical room from the rest of the system and utilize the north mechanical room's

News Center - Springhill Group Home Loans newscentershgh Heating Systems Explained Gas Heating Systems Modern gas central heating systems are safe, controllable and efficient to run but can cause confusion as they have a number of controls that you may not fully understand. Using heating controls properly can:- Improve the comfort of your home Reduce the energy used and your fuel bills Avoid the risk of condensation dampness To get the best out of your system, you should follow the manufacturers instructions. If you have mislaid the instruction booklet for your systems, most manufacturers can provide a replacement. Why have controls on a gas central heating system? For a gas central heating and hot water system to operate efficiently it must be able to be controlled so that heating and hot water are provided at a suitable temperature, when and where you want it. Most systems include:- Boiler (which can be a condensing, condensing combi, conventional or conventional combi model) Hot water tank for systems without a combi boiler Room thermostat Radiators Thermostatic radiator controls Programmer The Boiler A conventional boiler heats up the water which is circulated through radiators to provide heat. The water also circulates through a coil in the hot water tank, which in turn heats up the rest of the water in the cylinder to provide running hot water. If your boiler is a 'combi' boiler then the water is heated instantaneously when the hot water taps are switched on. The thermostat on the boiler controls the temperature of the water circulating around the system. Please refer to the manufacturer's instructions for the optimum setting of the thermostat. Hot Water Tank Most hot water cylinders have a thermostat; this is recommended to be set at 60°C. To retain as much heat as possible the cylinder should have 80mm of insulation. Radiators Radiators are most commonly used in "wet" (uses water) central heating systems. T

By Todd Gilbert Nestled in a valley surrounded by rolling hills and towering peaks reaching 6,000 feet . . . rocky knolls amidst a river of trees that flow through the valley and greet the slopes of the adjacent mountains . . . an Eden amidst the dry, parched chaparral . . . an oasis dense with pines, manzanita and centuries old oak trees that once shaded only the Indians that inhabited the region: "El Valle de los Pinos", as this beautiful mountain valley was known before 1869, describes the abrupt change in scenery that only nature can explain. The surrounding desert terrain compliments the unique valley of over 1,200 acres where cedars and pines flourish amidst lush green meadows of sage and wild lilac. Early settlers of the region included the Cocopah and Coyote Indians and later the Machados family of Old Town who had come to California as pioneers in the late 18th century. For a number of years, Don Manuel Machado and his wife, Serafina Valdes operated a cattle grazing station and lived out of a Adobe house they had built. During the summer, thin and starved longhorn cattle were brought in to fatten up in the rich pastureland. In 1869, former Butterfield Stage coach driver, Captain William S. Emery and his wife settled in the area. Being Scotch-English pioneers from New England, the sound of Spanish words were unpleasant to their ears and, quickly, renamed "El Valle de los Pinos" to its literal translation of Pine Valley. Either way, the valley boasts one of the oldest names in the county. Charles F. Emery, son of Captain Emery, used to tell the story of his father's experiences on the old desert stage route and in dealing with the local Cocopah and Coyote Indians who were constantly running off the cattle he had accumulated. One old Indian, Antonio, told Captain Emery he could show him a beautiful valley in the mountains where there was plenty of grass for cattle where nobody else lived. So the two came on horseback over the Vallecitos trail th

Feb 1, '12 1:07 AM by hannah for everyone By Todd Gilbert Nestled in a valley surrounded by rolling hills and towering peaks reaching 6,000 feet . . . rocky knolls amidst a river of trees that flow through the valley and greet the slopes of the adjacent mountains . . . an Eden amidst the dry, parched chaparral . . . an oasis dense with pines, manzanita and centuries old oak trees that once shaded only the Indians that inhabited the region: "El Valle de los Pinos", as this beautiful mountain valley was known before 1869, describes the abrupt change in scenery that only nature can explain. The surrounding desert terrain compliments the unique valley of over 1,200 acres where cedars and pines flourish amidst lush green meadows of sage and wild lilac. Early settlers of the region included the Cocopah and Coyote Indians and later the Machados family of Old Town who had come to California as pioneers in the late 18th century. For a number of years, Don Manuel Machado and his wife, Serafina Valdes operated a cattle grazing station and lived out of a Adobe house they had built. During the summer, thin and starved longhorn cattle were brought in to fatten up in the rich pastureland. In 1869, former Butterfield Stage coach driver, Captain William S. Emery and his wife settled in the area. Being Scotch-English pioneers from New England, the sound of Spanish words were unpleasant to their ears and, quickly, renamed "El Valle de los Pinos" to its literal translation of Pine Valley. Either way, the valley boasts one of the oldest names in the county. Charles F. Emery, son of Captain Emery, used to tell the story of his father's experiences on the old desert stage route and in dealing with the local Cocopah and Coyote Indians who were constantly running off the cattle he had accumulated. One old Indian, Antonio, told Captain Emery he could show him a beautiful valley in the mountains where there was plenty of grass for cattle where nobody else lived. So the two came on hors

Scope Note The purpose of this study is to provide insight into the breadth and depth of mortgage fraud crimes perpetrated against the United States and its citizens during 2009. This report updates the 2008 Mortgage Fraud Report and addresses current mortgage fraud projections, issues, and the identification of mortgage fraud "hot spots." The objective of this study is to provide FBI program managers with relevant data to better understand the threat, identify trends, allocate resources, and prioritize investigations. The report was requested by the Financial Crimes Section, Criminal Investigative Division (CID), and prepared by the Financial Crimes Intelligence Unit (FCIU), Directorate of Intelligence (DI). This report is based on FBI, state and local law enforcement, mortgage industry, and open-source reporting. Information was also provided by other government agencies, including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-Office of Inspector General (HUD-OIG), Federal Housing Administration (FHA), the Federal National Mortgage Association, and the U.S. Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). Industry reporting was obtained from the LexisNexis Mortgage Asset Research Institute (MARI), RealtyTrac, Inc., Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), and Interthinx®. Some industry reporting was acquired through open sources. While the FBI has high confidence in all of these sources, some inconsistencies relative to the cataloging of statistics by some organizations are noted. For example, suspicious activity reports (SARs) are cataloged according to the year in which they are submitted and the information contained within them may describe activity that occurred in previous months or years. The geographic specificity of industry reporting varies as some companies report at the zip code level, and others by city, region, or state. Many of the statistics provided by the external sources, including FinCEN, FHA, and HU

If you live in a Universal Home Insulation Scheme (UHIS) area in Scotland you could benefit from an interest free loan of up to £10,000. To find out if you live in a UHIS area please contact your local Energy Saving Scotland advice centre on 0800 512 012 What's on offer? · Loans of between £500 and £10,000 are available (please note: loans are only available up to a maximum of £4,000 for solar photovoltaic (PV), wind turbines and small scale hydro technologies · Loans are interest free so you only pay back what you borrow · Applicants can pay back the loan in monthly instalments over a maximum of eight years. Loans can be combined with funding from fuel suppliers under the Carbon Emission Reduction Target. Loans cannot be combined with an Energy Saving Scotland Boiler Scrappage Scheme voucher. What can I use the loan for? · Installing cavity wall or solid wall insulation and/or loft insulation · Installing renewable energy systems, such as wind turbines, solar photovoltaic, solar water and space heating, heat pumps (ground, air and water source), small scale hydro and wood fuelled boiler systems · Replacing old, inefficient boilers with an Energy Saving Trust Recommended (ESTR) boiler The energy efficiency or renewable measure funded by the loan must be recommended in one of the following documents: · Energy Performance Certificate (within the home report completed when buying, renting or selling a home) · Home energy report for energy efficiency measures only (produced on completion of an Energy Saving Trust Home Energy Check (HEC) · Home Energy Generation report (completed via a phone survey carried out by an Energy Saving Scotland home renewables advisor ) · Home report on renewables and energy efficiency ( completed via a home visit from an Energy Saving Scotland home renewables advisor), or · Energy Assistance Package (EAP) Stage Four

If you live in a Universal Home Insulation Scheme (UHIS) area in Scotland you could benefit from an interest free loan of up to £10,000. To find out if you live in a UHIS area please contact your local Energy Saving Scotland advice centre on 0800 512 012 What's on offer? · Loans of between £500 and £10,000 are available (please note: loans are only available up to a maximum of £4,000 for solar photovoltaic (PV), wind turbines and small scale hydro technologies · Loans are interest free so you only pay back what you borrow · Applicants can pay back the loan in monthly instalments over a maximum of eight years. Loans can be combined with funding from fuel suppliers under the Carbon Emission Reduction Target. Loans cannot be combined with an Energy Saving Scotland Boiler Scrappage Scheme voucher. What can I use the loan for? · Installing cavity wall or solid wall insulation and/or loft insulation · Installing renewable energy systems, such as wind turbines, solar photovoltaic, solar water and space heating, heat pumps (ground, air and water source), small scale hydro and wood fuelled boiler systems · Replacing old, inefficient boilers with an Energy Saving Trust Recommended (ESTR) boiler The energy efficiency or renewable measure funded by the loan must be recommended in one of the following documents: · Energy Performance Certificate (within the home report completed when buying, renting or selling a home) · Home energy report for energy efficiency measures only (produced on completion of an Energy Saving Trust Home Energy Check (HEC) · Home Energy Generation report (completed via a phone survey carried out by an Energy Saving Scotland home renewables advisor ) · Home report on renewables and energy efficiency ( completed via a home visit from an Energy Saving Scotland home renewables advisor), or · Energy Assistance Package (EAP) Stage Four managing agent letter detailing the work recommended. You can find out mor

If you live in a Universal Home Insulation Scheme (UHIS) area in Scotland you could benefit from an interest free loan of up to £10,000. To find out if you live in a UHIS area please contact your local Energy Saving Scotland advice centre on 0800 512 012 What's on offer? · Loans of between £500 and £10,000 are available (please note: loans are only available up to a maximum of £4,000 for solar photovoltaic (PV), wind turbines and small scale hydro technologies · Loans are interest free so you only pay back what you borrow · Applicants can pay back the loan in monthly instalments over a maximum of eight years. Loans can be combined with funding from fuel suppliers under the Carbon Emission Reduction Target. Loans cannot be combined with an Energy Saving Scotland Boiler Scrappage Scheme voucher. What can I use the loan for? · Installing cavity wall or solid wall insulation and/or loft insulation · Installing renewable energy systems, such as wind turbines, solar photovoltaic, solar water and space heating, heat pumps (ground, air and water source), small scale hydro and wood fuelled boiler systems · Replacing old, inefficient boilers with an Energy Saving Trust Recommended (ESTR) boiler The energy efficiency or renewable measure funded by the loan must be recommended in one of the following documents: · Energy Performance Certificate (within the home report completed when buying, renting or selling a home) · Home energy report for energy efficiency measures only (produced on completion of an Energy Saving Trust Home Energy Check (HEC) · Home Energy Generation report (completed via a phone survey carried out by an Energy Saving Scotland home renewables advisor ) · Home report on renewables and energy efficiency ( completed via a home visit from an Energy Saving Scotland home renewables advisor), or · Energy Assistance Package (EAP) Stage Four managing agent letter detailing the work recommended. You can find out more about all these documents and how to

Scope Note The purpose of this study is to provide insight into the breadth and depth of mortgage fraud crimes perpetrated against the United States and its citizens during 2009. This report updates the 2008 Mortgage Fraud Report and addresses current mortgage fraud projections, issues, and the identification of mortgage fraud "hot spots." The objective of this study is to provide FBI program managers with relevant data to better understand the threat, identify trends, allocate resources, and prioritize investigations. The report was requested by the Financial Crimes Section, Criminal Investigative Division (CID), and prepared by the Financial Crimes Intelligence Unit (FCIU), Directorate of Intelligence (DI). This report is based on FBI, state and local law enforcement, mortgage industry, and open-source reporting. Information was also provided by other government agencies, including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-Office of Inspector General (HUD-OIG), Federal Housing Administration (FHA), the Federal National Mortgage Association, and the U.S. Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). Industry reporting was obtained from the LexisNexis Mortgage Asset Research Institute (MARI), RealtyTrac, Inc., Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), and Interthinx®. Some industry reporting was acquired through open sources. While the FBI has high confidence in all of these sources, some inconsistencies relative to the cataloging of statistics by some organizations are noted. For example, suspicious activity reports (SARs) are cataloged according to the year in which they are submitted and the information contained within them may describe activity that occurred in previous months or years. The geographic specificity of industry reporting varies as some companies report at the zip code level, and others by city, region, or state. Many of the statistics provided by the external sources, including FinCEN, FHA, and HU

Scope Note The purpose of this study is to provide insight into the breadth and depth of mortgage fraud crimes perpetrated against the United States and its citizens during 2009. This report updates the 2008 Mortgage Fraud Report and addresses current mortgage fraud projections, issues, and the identification of mortgage fraud "hot spots." The objective of this study is to provide FBI program managers with relevant data to better understand the threat, identify trends, allocate resources, and prioritize investigations. The report was requested by the Financial Crimes Section, Criminal Investigative Division (CID), and prepared by the Financial Crimes Intelligence Unit (FCIU), Directorate of Intelligence (DI). This report is based on FBI, state and local law enforcement, mortgage industry, and open-source reporting. Information was also provided by other government agencies, including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-Office of Inspector General (HUD-OIG), Federal Housing Administration (FHA), the Federal National Mortgage Association, and the U.S. Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). Industry reporting was obtained from the LexisNexis Mortgage Asset Research Institute (MARI), RealtyTrac, Inc., Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), and Interthinx®. Some industry reporting was acquired through open sources. While the FBI has high confidence in all of these sources, some inconsistencies relative to the cataloging of statistics by some organizations are noted. For example, suspicious activity reports (SARs) are cataloged according to the year in which they are submitted and the information contained within them may describe activity that occurred in previous months or years. The geographic specificity of industry reporting varies as some companies report at the zip code level, and others by city, region, or state. Many of the statistics provided by the external sources, including FinCEN, FHA, and HU

Scope Note The purpose of this study is to provide insight into the breadth and depth of mortgage fraud crimes perpetrated against the United States and its citizens during 2009. This report updates the 2008 Mortgage Fraud Report and addresses current mortgage fraud projections, issues, and the identification of mortgage fraud "hot spots." The objective of this study is to provide FBI program managers with relevant data to better understand the threat, identify trends, allocate resources, and prioritize investigations. The report was requested by the Financial Crimes Section, Criminal Investigative Division (CID), and prepared by the Financial Crimes Intelligence Unit (FCIU), Directorate of Intelligence (DI). This report is based on FBI, state and local law enforcement, mortgage industry, and open-source reporting. Information was also provided by other government agencies, including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-Office of Inspector General (HUD-OIG), Federal Housing Administration (FHA), the Federal National Mortgage Association, and the U.S. Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). Industry reporting was obtained from the LexisNexis Mortgage Asset Research Institute (MARI), RealtyTrac, Inc., Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), and Interthinx®. Some industry reporting was acquired through open sources. While the FBI has high confidence in all of these sources, some inconsistencies relative to the cataloging of statistics by some organizations are noted. For example, suspicious activity reports (SARs) are cataloged according to the year in which they are submitted and the information contained within them may describe activity that occurred in previous months or years. The geographic specificity of industry reporting varies as some companies report at the zip code level, and others by city, region, or state. Many of the statistics provided by the external sources, including FinCEN, FHA, and HUD-OIG,

If you live in a Universal Home Insulation Scheme (UHIS) area in Scotland you could benefit from an interest free loan of up to £10,000. To find out if you live in a UHIS area please contact your local Energy Saving Scotland advice centre on 0800 512 012 What's on offer? Loans of between £500 and £10,000 are available (please note: loans are only available up to a maximum of £4,000 for solar photovoltaic (PV), wind turbines and small scale hydro technologies Loans are interest free so you only pay back what you borrow Applicants can pay back the loan in monthly instalments over a maximum of eight years. Loans can be combined with funding from fuel suppliers under the Carbon Emission Reduction Target. Loans cannot be combined with an Energy Saving Scotland Boiler Scrappage Scheme voucher. What can I use the loan for? Installing cavity wall or solid wall insulation and/or loft insulation Installing renewable energy systems, such as wind turbines, solar photovoltaic, solar water and space heating, heat pumps (ground, air and water source), small scale hydro and wood fuelled boiler systems Replacing old, inefficient boilers with an Energy Saving Trust Recommended (ESTR) boiler The energy efficiency or renewable measure funded by the loan must be recommended in one of the following documents: Energy Performance Certificate (within the home report completed when buying, renting or selling a home) Home energy report for energy efficiency measures only (produced on completion of an Energy Saving Trust Home Energy Check (HEC) Home Energy Generation report (completed via a phone survey carried out by an Energy Saving Scotland home renewables advisor ) Home report on renewables and energy efficiency ( completed via a home visit from an Energy Saving Scotland home renewables advisor), or Energy Assistance Package (EAP) Stage Four managing agent letter detailing the work recommended. You can find out more about all these documents and ho

If you live in a Universal Home Insulation Scheme (UHIS) area in Scotland you could benefit from an interest free loan of up to £10,000. To find out if you live in a UHIS area please contact your local Energy Saving Scotland advice centre on 0800 512 012 What's on offer? Loans of between £500 and £10,000 are available (please note: loans are only available up to a maximum of £4,000 for solar photovoltaic (PV), wind turbines and small scale hydro technologies Loans are interest free so you only pay back what you borrow Applicants can pay back the loan in monthly instalments over a maximum of eight years. Loans can be combined with funding from fuel suppliers under the Carbon Emission Reduction Target. Loans cannot be combined with an Energy Saving Scotland Boiler Scrappage Scheme voucher. What can I use the loan for? Installing cavity wall or solid wall insulation and/or loft insulation Installing renewable energy systems, such as wind turbines, solar photovoltaic, solar water and space heating, heat pumps (ground, air and water source), small scale hydro and wood fuelled boiler systems Replacing old, inefficient boilers with an Energy Saving Trust Recommended (ESTR) boiler The energy efficiency or renewable measure funded by the loan must be recommended in one of the following documents: Energy Performance Certificate (within the home report completed when buying, renting or selling a home) Home energy report for energy efficiency measures only (produced on completion of an Energy Saving Trust Home Energy Check (HEC) Home Energy Generation report (completed via a phone survey carried out by an Energy Saving Scotland home renewables advisor ) Home report on renewables and energy efficiency ( completed via a home visit from an Energy Saving Scotland home renewables advisor), or Energy Assistance Package (EAP) Stage Four managing agent letter detailing the work recommended. You can find out more about all these documents and how to get th

Mortgage fraud is crime in which the intent is to materially misrepresent or omit information on a mortgage loan application to obtain a loan or to obtain a larger loan than would have been obtained had the lender or borrower known the truth. In United States federal courts, mortgage fraud is prosecuted as wire fraud, bank fraud, mail fraud and money laundering, with penalties of up to thirty years imprisonment.As the incidence of mortgage fraud has risen over the past few years, states have also begun to enact their own penalties for mortgage fraud. Mortgage fraud is not to be confused with predatory mortgage lending, which occurs when a consumer is misled or deceived by agents of the lender. However, predatory lending practices often co-exist with mortgage fraud. Types Occupancy fraud: This occurs where the borrower wishes to obtain a mortgage to acquire an investment property, but states on the loan application that the borrower will occupy the property as the primary residence or as a second home. If undetected, the borrower typically obtains a lower interest rate than was warranted. Because lenders typically charge a higher interest rate for non-owner-occupied properties, which historically have higher delinquency rates, the lender receives insufficient return on capital and is over-exposed to loss relative to what was expected in the transaction. In addition, lenders allow larger loans on owner-occupied homes compared to loans for investment properties. When occupancy fraud occurs, it is likely that taxes on gains are not paid, resulting in additional fraud. It is considered fraud because the borrower has materially misprepresented the risk to the lender to obtain more favorable loan terms. Income fraud: This occurs when a borrower overstates his/her income to qualify for a mortgage or for a larger loan amount. This was most often seen with so-called "stated income" mortgage loans (popularly referred to as "liar loans"), where the borrower, or a l