Maryland Is Sixth-Highest In Nation For Mortgage Fraud

State’s 2009 ranking is an improvement over previous year

Mortgage fraud in Maryland was the sixth-worst in the nation last year, according to a new report that finds continuing problems nationwide despite tighter lending restrictions.

The state's rate of reported fraud was 36 percent higher in 2009 than the national average, the Mortgage Asset Research Institute said Monday. The institute, a provider of mortgage-fraud-prevention services, compared the number of fraud cases in each state to that state's total number of newly issued mortgages.

Maryland's ranking is an improvement over 2008. The state ranked fifth that year, with 82 percent more fraud than the national average.

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