Attorney General Brown Shuts Down Mortgage Scam Artists
Yesterday, the Los Angeles Superior Court, at the request of the attorney general, froze all the companies’ real estate and bank accounts and enjoined them from engaging in further predatory practices. .. In the coming weeks, Brown intends to bring additional legal actions, both civil and criminal, against other mortgage lenders and foreclosure consultants who are taking advantage of homeowners across California.

[Also see: Marcia Coyle/NLJ: Subprime-Related Filings in Federal Court Increase Dramatically].

A story by Kathy Matheson in today's edition of the Boston Herald caught my attention today: Teen faces extort rap over mutt. (Available online here.)

Edna, a ten-year-old beagle mix belonging to Bill Whiting of Philadelphia, PA, vanished during a Halloween walk. Whiting received a late-night phone call from kids demanding $600 for the safe return of the dog. A dog collar was jangled over the line, and in the background a dog yelped. Whiting didn't recognize the yelp, but the jangle of the collar sounded familiar.