Feds, 10 states join to fight mortgage fraud

OLYMPIA: Ten state attorneys general and four federal agencies are forming a task force to combat mortgage fraud.

Washington state Attorney General Rob McKenna issued a statement Monday saying targets of the enforcement effort include equity skimming, bogus foreclosure rescue, straw purchases and unethical lending.

McKenna's statement says he and Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller are leading the group, which includes the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Nevada, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Missouri and Ohio.

Representatives of the US Department of Justice, the federal Treasury, US Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Federal Trade Commission also are joining.