The UK has seen a 5pc increase in mortgage fraud in the first six months of 2019 compared to the last six months of 2018, according to the Cifas ‘Faces of Fraud’ campaign. The UK fraud prevention body’s aim; to highlight the fact that what some view as a victimless crime, is illegal and could have serious consequences.
Mortgage application fraud occurs when either false or altered documents are provided in support of a mortgage application (fraud by production of a false document rose by 14pc and fraud by submitting altered documents increased by 32pc). Such applicants often provide false or altered bank statements and proof of income as a way to validate their income for mortgage applications. Nearly half of those caught committing application fraud (45pc) were aged between 31 and 40, a 16pc increase compared to the last six months of 2018. They were closely followed by those aged between 41 and 50 who saw a 6pc increase.
Coincidentally, recent research by Cifas and WPI Economics revealed that people in the 35 to 44 age category were more likely to think that exaggerating their income on their mortgage application was ‘reasonable’ than any other age group. By region, the West Midlands saw the highest increase in fraudulent mortgage applications at 43pc, whereas cases in the North East rose by a third.
Cifas is urging people to stop, think and consider that taking out a mortgage based on a false income could result in homeowners being unable to repay the debt later on. Other consequences could include; blacklisting against future product purchases, or possibly being reported to the police for investigation – potentially leading to a criminal conviction and a prison sentence.
Mike Haley, Chief Executive Officer of Cifas, said, ‘It’s easy to assume that making exaggerations to improve the chances of your mortgage being approved is harmless, but the reality is that this is fraud and the consequences can be very serious. Mortgage providers carry out rigorous checks, and so exaggerating your income or withholding any change of circumstances could result in it being harder to obtain financial products in the future such as mortgages and loans. In more serious cases, this kind of fraud could result in a hefty fine or a prison sentence, or the possibility of losing your home.’
And James O’Sullivan, Policy Manager for the Building Societies Association, said: ‘A mortgage is a significant financial commitment and it is essential that applicants are honest about their personal circumstances. There are many risks inherent in being less than honest, not least that the borrower finds themselves unable to pay because a realistic affordability assessment was not possible or that, when caught, offenders struggle to get future credit. It is far from being a victimless crime and is something that lenders take rigorous action on.’
