Combating real estate fraud in the tri-county area

Real estate professionals and law enforcement leaders in Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito County say they’ve had enough with real estate fraud.

In the first meeting of the Tri-County Real Estate Fraud Advisory Team Monday, members of District Attorney’s Office met with law enforcement and realtors to find some long-term solutions.

Monterey County District Attorney Dean Flippo, Santa Cruz County District Attorney Jeff Rosell and San Benito County District Attorney Candice Hooper all attended. Rosell said each county had been working on real estate fraud independently. Now they hope this collaboration will bring change. Flippo said he was impressed by a similar task force in Ventura County.

“They’ve had a citizens group for a number of years and we are very optimistic that likewise we will be very successful as we proceed through the next couple of years,” Flippo said.

The group plans to meet quarterly to discuss scams. For now they’re focusing on unlicensed professionals, loan modification and solar scams.