WJFA - Latino Real Estate Crimes

Real Estate Crime
Real Estate Predators Targeting Hispanics

Benito Gonzalez, Hector Saavedra, Ruben Rivera, Moises Cadena, y Moises Cadena, Jr.
The Spanish speaking population are being prey on by their own ethinic populace.

Fraud is the Same in Any Language

Officials: Con artists speaking Spanish to target Latino wallets

Stealing a Latino's home has become easy pickings, especially among Latino's preying on their own. Predator's look for Latino's behind on payments, having financial difficulties, or just wanting some extra cash to remodel, or other things.

The unspecting Latino signs what he is told in his native language are loan papers -- "no big deal, Americans do this all the time."

Then the latino receives an eviction notice or demand for rent, from the new owner. Often, the one that tricked the latino homeowner into signing the grant deed, sold it to someone else.

Con artists say whatever they think helps them separate people from their money and or homes.

But local and state experts said that, in the Northern San Joaquin Valley, they're using a new tactic: speaking Spanish.

" Fraud is a concern in the Hispanic community," said Gil DeLuna, a program manager with the California Department of Consumer Affairs. "There's a pretty high population in the valley of Hispanics, so I'd think here it's even more prevalent."

He and other state and local officials said they're taking more interest in fraud against Latinos. Part of that includes speaking at events such as the Stanislaus County office of El Concilio's coalition lunch meeting Thursday.

Real estate fraud investigations, Marlisa Ferreira, said homeowners have been swindled when they fell behind on mortgage payments.

Con artists approach homeowners facing possible foreclosure and, in Spanish, offer a few thousand dollars to help them catch up. They persuade the homeowners to sign a document to secure a loan -- but the paperwork actually transfers ownership, Ferreira said.

" Hispanics are committing these frauds against Hispanics," she told the meeting's attendees.

More than $100M lost to fraud

Spanish-speaking U.S. residents lose more than $100 million annually to fraud, according to the Federal Trade Commission. State officials said they helped about 45,000 Spanish-speaking residents with con-sumer concerns in 2005.

DeLuna said that state surveys on fraud show Latinos are particularly concerned about identity theft and auto sales fraud.

Besides DeLuna, a representative from the state Bureau of Automotive Repair and two lawyers from the Stanislaus County district attorney's office spoke.

Each had their own tales of fraud against Latinos, from home sales to auto repair.

Prosecutor Maribeth Arendt, who specializes in auto insurance and workers compensation fraud, said language issues can make Latinos more susceptible to fraud.

She described an undocumented tree-maintenance worker whose employer didn't have proper insurance. When the worker fell out of a crane bucket and landed on his head, she said, his employer took him to a hotel room and gave him two aspirin.

" He thought he was being treated normally," she said. "He was very seriously injured, and he could've been paralyzed."

Fraud even extends into the fields where many Latinos work.

Robert Standiford, president of the local chapter of civil rights group Local Black, said migrant workers are approached by someone who offers help with immigration or legal issues for a few thousand dollars.

Because many workers keep their money with them, he said, they'll turn it over to the solicitor, who then disappears.

The speakers, who told of fraud in a number of different areas, had a common message: Fraud victims need to report it to the authorities.

Gilbert Sanchez, with the state Bureau of Automotive Repair, said his office won't usually investigate a repair shop unless someone complains.

But doing so takes courage for many Latinos. Standiford and other attendees said that undocumented residents fear deportation if they speak up.

Incoming El Concilio president Javier Sanchez said shame at being swindled is also a factor.

" By the time they come to me, it's already happened," Sanchez, a Stockton banker, said. He said that he often hears about Latinos who have been defrauded.

He added that scammers target Latinos because they believe they won't report the crime.

But DeLuna and other speakers said fears about being undocumented are unfounded -- reporting a fraud is always better.

" Immigration has never been an issue with our department," he said.

Bee staff writer Ben van der Meer can be reached at 578-2331 or bvandermeer@modbee.com.

Real Estate Crime Real Estate Predators Targeting Hispanics

Fraud is the Same in Any Language

Real Estate Crime
Real Estate Predators Targeting Hispanics