Mortgage fraud comes in many different forms but results in multi-billion dollar losses each and every year. Some mortgage fraud cases occur with unscrupulous lenders that "tweak" the forms or applications with ways to get you approved. Often the buyer may be unaware that what the lender is recommending or entering in as data is illegal or constitutes fraud. Other situations include what are called straw sales, where real homes and real buyers don't exist, are ways in which professional lenders can be engaging in mortgage fraud. Over pricing or valuating the cost of the homes and taking a kickback from the buyer can also be another scheme. Not all mortgage fraud is high finance. Some mortgage fraud cases involve applicants simply falsifying their mortgage application. This can include errors in reporting income to qualify for higher mortgages, providing someone else's personal identification, or engaging in a practice called a silent second mortgage. In these situations the buyer actually borrows the down payment from the seller and fails to report that debt to the lender. The seller, in return, has a silent or unknown second mortgage on the property.