Property Records Industry Association Leveraging Technology Against Fraud Scott Moore Fidlar Software Dan McLaughlin - MERS Merle Sharick - MARI
Technology Driven Notification Internet Based Solutions Easy to navigate User-Interface Provide notification methods for all demographic groups Provide detailed notifications Provide live phone support for Q & A
Technology Driven Notification Solutions Provide compatibility with all LRMS systems. Do not interrupt workflow Do not burden county with printing or postage costs Saves the county money.????
How would a notification system save money? No printing costs No postage costs Reduce law-enforcement costs Potential lfor reducing the number of county foreclosures
Foreclosure Impact on Counties Cost per Sheriff-sale foreclosure to Hennepin County, MN (Minneapolis): Per Michael Cunniff, Recorder and Registrar of Titles, February 17, 2009
10% on either side of $50,000 Inspection costs Lost property p taxes Law enforcement costs Renovation costs Costs involved in sale of property Cleaning Utility costs
Direct from a County Board Mtg Declining values reduce re-fi options Increase in payday/predatory lending Fewer customers using local business Increase in tax foreclosure Increase in credit card debt. Reduces ability to get financing for home improvement Loss of equity for homeowners. Presenter was employed by county Neighborhood Housing Services
Integration with Assistance Agencies AA quoted as being able to help 75% of known cases stay in home. Land-owners are scam-weary Tie in notification systems with: Trigger document (Lis Pendens) Newspaper agencies.
Technology to Detect Land Fraud Target market: FBI and other law enforcement Develop algorithms around rules designed to detect suspicious recordings Develop weighting system for each rule/rule set. Could lead to prevention versus notification
Thank You! Scott Moore 309-230-4398
Property Records Industry Association MERS Role In The Fight Against Fraud
Fraud Detection Tools MERS Members MERS System (MERS OnLine) MIN Information MIN Find RH and RI Reports MINS for the Same Primary Borrower o SSN, Property and First Lien XML Inquiry Transaction MERS Link General Public MERS ServicerID
MERS System (MERS OnLine) MIN Find SSN search Pre-funding for undisclosed liens Post-funding for silent seconds or simultaneous closings on additional properties Borrower name search Pre-funding for undisclosed d liens under same name but different SSN Property address search Pre-funding for confirmation of existing liens and ownership Additionally might show a history of continuous refinancing (brokers flipping their old pipeline) MIN, FHA/VA/MI Certificate Number, Group searches
MERS System MIN Information Click on MIN Information
MERS System MIN Find Enter SSN and hit Begin Search
MERS System MIN Find SSN matches are returned click on hyperlink for loan detail 8 SSN matches are returned ALERT: There appear to be several different names coming up with the same SSN!
MERS System MIN Find Click on hyperlink for contact information on Servicer
RH and RI Reports RH and RI Reports MINS for the Same Primary Borrower SSN, Property and First Lien -Daily RH Report is automatically generated daily for each MERS Member Org ID shown on a loan for which a match to another active registered loan was created by registration or update the previous day Match is same Primary Borrower SSN and Property Information as another first lien registered on the MERS System Accessed via MERS OnLine, then click on Reports, then desired d date RI Report is a cumulative report generated on the last Saturday of each month Use these reports to identify Silent seconds Simultaneous first on the same property Trends by originators such as flipping and silent seconds
RH Report Reporting due to registration as indicated by the Reason code R Org ID 1000101 registered a MIN on April 7 th, 2008 Matches an active MIN that Org ID 1003927 registered on the same date Since 1000101 was unaware of any additional financing, this potentially could be a Silent Second, or perhaps a Simultaneous First on the same property
XML Inquiry Transaction XML Inquiry Transaction System-to-system interface allows MERS Members to search the MERS System using various SSN, property information or MIN selection criteria Mimics MIN Find functionality but allows for small batch processing and automation up to 5 requests per batch SSN search Pre-funding for undisclosed liens Post-funding for silent seconds or simultaneous closings on additional properties Aliases Property address search Pre-funding for confirmation of existing liens and ownership Additionally might show a history of continuous refinancing (brokers flipping their old pipeline)
MERS Link Browser-based access to the MERS System enables subscribers and members to retrieve information regarding the current servicer of a mortgage registered on the MERS System. Subscriber rate is $250 annual fee If supported by the servicer, you can also "hot link" to the servicer's website for customer service information ALTA members can access MERS Link by going to ALTA's MERS Link website Access also available for MERS members through MERS OnLine as an option on the Main Menu Many Underwriters prefer the look of the loan detail screen on the MERS Link search, as it provides detail on the trustee as well as the recording information
MERS Link Search SSN search Pre-funding for undisclosed d liens Post-funding for silent seconds or simultaneous closings on additional properties Borrower name search Pre-funding for undisclosed liens under same name but different SSN Property address search Pre-funding for confirmation of existing liens and ownership Additionally might show a history of continuous refinancing (brokers flipping their old pipeline) MIN or FHA/VA/MI Certificate Number searches
MERS ServicerID Click on MERS ServicerID Click on Sign On
MERS ServicerID Select Search By Property Address/Borrower Details Next, select one of the three search options
MERS ServicerID Current Loan Click on Servicer hyperlink to go to the servicer s website
MERS Industry Collaboration MERS Response to the Mortgage Bankers Fraud Database RFP Cooperative technology based on industry standards Leverage the existing MERS infrastructure MERS Organizational Identification Number (Org ID) is the logical method for subscribers to identify trading partners on the fraud database The Mortgage Identification Number (MIN) is the existing industry standard required for identifying loan-level information on the fraud database Collaborate with existing fraud detection vendors MERS Standards Support for the Conference of State Bank Supervisors Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System MERS Organizational ID Number (Org ID) uniquely identifies mortgage-related trading partners, including mortgage brokers and is in widespread use today as the industry standard identification method The Mortgage Identification Number (MIN) allows for the association of loan originators with loan performance over time
Resources From www.mersinc.org click on the MERS Fraud Tools tab Manuals - Quick Reference Guide on MERS Fraud Tools Publications - Case Study: Indymac's Use of Fraud Detection Tools Within the MERS System
Today s Discussion Topics MARI s Role In The Mortgage Industry MIDEX Allows For Safe Sharing of Information Between Lenders Without Risking Liability! LexisNexis Residential Mortgage Solutions Achieving Quality In the Mortgage Industry Why Achieving Quality Is So Important A Field of Schemes Only One Thing Matters in Mortgage Lending Zero Tolerance- Trust ONLY Through Verification and, Re-verification! Why? Adverse Selection!
Today s Discussion Topics (Continued) A Constricting Market Reveals Flawed Business Models Requiring A Change in How We Do Business--Why Due Diligence Prior to Funding is Vital!! Identity Risk Management is a Huge Challenge for Consumers and Mortgage Professionals! The Challenges of Doing Business in a Declining Market when the Housing Market becomes similar to the automobile market! Why Detecting and Fighting Mortgage Fraud Is More than a HUGE cost of doing business MARI s 11 th Periodic Report on Mortgage Fraud-available March 16! MARI s Second Quarterly Report! Solutions?
What Is The Mortgage Asset Research History Institute? Established In 1990 By Industry Participants (Cooperative Database Provider) Acquired By ChoicePoint In June 2003 Now A LexisNexis Service--LN acquired Choicepoint in late September, 2008 LN is recognized As Leading Provider Of Identity Risk Management Tools To The Financial Services Industry in addition to owning the largest public records DB Industry Support Publication Of The Annual MBA Report On Mortgage Fraud Industry And Consumer Education About Mortgage Fraud Administer And Manage The Only Contributory Database Of Derogatory Submissions (MIDEX ) Cross-Lender Pipeline Fraud Awareness Customers Served Agencies, Appraisers, Bankers, Insurers, Lawyers, Law Enforcement And Lenders
What is MIDEX? A Cooperative Database Service, that includes: Public administrative actions (Sanctions and/or Legal Actions) Nonpublic information (Investigations of fraud) Professional License Data Brokers / Originators Appraisers (NEW!) Realtors (NEW!) CPAs (Coming Soon) Closing/Escrow Agents (Coming Soon) And more Continuous Monitoring Notification of changes or updates to MIDEX and licensing status related to professionals and companies
LexisNexis + MARI: Better Answers, Smarter Decisioning Recognized as a leading provider of trusted information on real estate industry professionals and identity risk management solutions. Experience Authoritative mortgage fraud source for 18+ Years Industry support Administer and manage the only endorsed, consortium based repository (MIDEX) Products and Services Verification and credentialing of mortgage professionals and businesses Loan fraud risk due diligence Identity risk management Usage Quality Control and Audits Investigative Analysis Third Party Relationship Management Fraud & Risk Management Customer Base Top Tier Lenders, Bankers and Insurers ~ 70% market share
LexisNexis Residential Mortgage Solutions Identify, reduce and prevent exposure to mortgage fraud risk by providing a broad suite of solutions that focus on the applicant, professional and transaction.
Residential Mortgage Solutions: Focus Products Risk Mgmt Page MIDEX LFAS
RM Page Transaction Professional Applicant Why RM? Single point of access to critical information needed for extended risk due diligence at any point in the origination process. RM 1. Customers can streamline their Benefits production and risk investigative process. 2. Verifies essential information aboutpeople, businesses and assets. 3. Access to billions of public and proprietary records, including news information. 4. Enables compliance with regulations, e.g. Red Flag Rule.
Why MIDEX? Every relationship is both an opportunity and a risk! What does MIDEX prevent? Insider Fraud (a.k.a.) Fraud For Profit Contributes the most damaging financial losses and involves insider collusion. What does MIDEX do? Provides a comprehensive and cost effective solution to help customers verify, credential & monitor business relationships. Single source for insider risk due diligence leveraging consortium data. MIDEX Professional Transaction Applicant How does MIDEX MIDEX Professional License Search do it? Does their status expose you to risk? MIDEX Public & Nonpublic Data Reports Do their business activities or associations expose you to risk? MIDEX Continuous Monitoring (Professional License, Public & Nonpublic Data) Does maintaining an ongoing relationship expose you to risk?
MARI s Mortgage Fraud Data Sources of Information MIDEX Non-Public Cooperative Data Includes incidents of alleged fraud, material misrepresentation and serious misconduct from several hundred subscribers Nearly 18 years of cooperative information Endorsed by the MBA MIDEX Public Sanctions Data 200+ Sources, including state, federal & self-regulating groups Industries include Mortgage, Securities, Commercial Banking, Real Estate and Appraisal Offers administrative & some legal actions Information on People and Companies NEW! Law Enforcement Industry Partnerships MIDEX has become a utility in the mortgage industry!
Why LFAS? 1. Improves profitability with minimal investment. 2. Prevents fraudulent loans from entering the pipeline. pp 3. Reduces downstream operating costs. 4. Strengthens quality and compliance processes. What does LFAS prevent? Application Fraud (a.k.a.) Fraud For Housing Accounts for 80% of Mortgage SARs filings, increasing losses due to default Professional LFAS Transaction Applicant What does LFAS do? Offers a single view into multiple patterns of fraud. Identifies insider risk, collusion and transaction party relationships. Strengthens applicant risk and compliance management. Uses industry contributed incidents of verified fraud and misrepresentations.
Achieving Quality In The Mortgage Industry Highest Risk Exposure Is At Origination Identity Of Applicants and Loan Professionals Are Unknown To The Lender (On Each Loan) How Much Key Loan Data Do You Verify - Up Front - To Avoid Accepting Loans That Are Not In Good Order? Accepting Not In Good Order Loans Leads To G-I-G-O G Often Rooting Itself In The Servicing Of These Loans - Why Not identify Them Upfront? Improved Credit Practices Alone Won t Avoid Mortgage g Fraud As brokers reduce, shift is occurring to retail L.O. fraud
Mortgage Fraud is a Giant and Growing Cause of Losses 80,000 75,122 70,000 60,000 Fraud Trends: 6.0 Losses in 2008 will be between $2.5 & $6.0 BB 71,554 Growth of SARs will continue at high levels 65,049 5.0 Data sharing and vigorous pursuit will be critical $BB SARs Filed 50,000 40,000 30,000 25,989 37,313 50,038 4.0 3.0 2.0 Tota al Yearly Losses, 20,000 18,391 10,000 1,318 1,720 2,269 2,934 3,515 4,696 5,387 9,539 1.0 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008P 2010P Source: US Department of Treasury s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), FBI, TowerGroup.
Variety of Fraud Schemes are Proliferating FBI 30% to 70% of all loans in foreclosure have mortgage fraud 2 FBI Based on existing investigations and mortgage fraud reporting, 80% of all reported fraud losses involve collaboration or collusion by industry insiders 1 Appraisal Fraud Payment Kiting Backward Application Phantom Assets Bankruptcy Fraud Phantom Credits Builder Bailout Property Flipping Buy and Bail Quitclaim i Fraud Churning Real Estate Investment Schemes Equity Skimming (aka Chunking ) Excessive Seller Incentives Renovation Fraud Foreclosure Bailout Schemes Reverse Mortgage Scams Identity Theft Short Sales Fraud Insider / Third Party Collusion Silent Seconds Multi-lien Fraud (aka Shotgunning ) Straw Buyer Schemes 1 Source: FBI Financial Crimes Report to the public, fiscal year 2007, (October 1, 2006 September 30, 2007). 2 Source: FBI, December 2008.
Presented By Merle D. Sharick, CMB LexisNexis-RIAG i Risk & Information Analytics Group Vertical Solutions Consultant 803-364-9048-Office 803-422-8460-Mobile msharick@marisolutions.com www.marisolutions.com Merle.Sharick@lexisnexis.com
Property Records Industry Association Leveraging Technology Scott Moore Fidlar Software Dan McLaughlin - MERS Merle Sharick - MARI