Las Vegas Sun

February 11, 2012

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3 indicted in alleged foreclosure rescue scam

Monday, Aug. 30, 2010 | 6:37 p.m.

Three people were indicted on multiple felony charges Monday for allegedly operating a foreclosure rescue scam in Las Vegas during 2008 and 2009, according to the Attorney General's Office.

The three defendants — Doninador Palalay, Marie Tejada Medina and Benjamin Aquino Moraleda III — allegedly misled customers by falsely claiming their services would prevent foreclosures on their homes and saying they would obtain loan modifications, according to a statement. They allegedly operated the foreclosure rescue scam under the business name of PDM Financial Group, Inc.

The group allegedly charged 1 percent of the victims' loan balance — or between $2,600 to $3,700 — for loan modification and document preparation services, officials said.

The defendants also defrauded customers by having them sign deeds of trust that gave the defendants liens on the victims' homes based on false promissory notes, officials said.

The promissory notes deceptively claimed that loans had been made on properties to cloud the title to the home and prevent the legitimate lenders from foreclosing on the victims' properties, officials said.

According to the attorney general, Palalay and Medina also allegedly defrauded a person older than 60 by enticing him to invest a large sum of money in PDM Financial Group, Inc. without telling him the business was a criminal enterprise. They also allegedly convinced the victim to open numerous credit cards, which they used for their personal expenses, leaving him with substantial credit card debt, officials said.

The Attorney General's Mortgage Fraud Task Force and Bureau of Consumer Protection investigated the case after receiving complaints about PDM Financial Group, Inc.

Officials said arrest warrants have been issued for the three defendants.

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