A scam in which five men persuaded more than 400 distressed homeowners to send “reinstatement fees” and “trial mortgage payments” to participate in the Treasury Department’s Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) came to a close when the ringleader, Roscoe Ortega Umali, and his four other co-conspirators pleaded guilty to fraud. See the details of the case that lost more than 400 homeowners their homes and $3.8 million here.
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