It seems you'll be hard pressed to sit through the evening news without a story about the nation's mortgage crisis. You'll hear blame towards the lenders, the borrowers and the government. Looming behind crisis in the mortgage industry is the risk of an increased amount of homeowners filing for bankruptcy.

It is expected that obtaining a mortgage is going to be more difficult as the credit markets tighten. Should the supply of money tighten up companies will want to person additional layers of due diligence when reviewing new loan applicants.

For companies looking to mitigate fraud risk, below is a list of actions they can take among different parties.

- Property Brokers: Be cautious if a property broker insists a buyer uses a specific lender exclusively.

- Maintain Records: Ensure you receive copies and appropriately file and archive all copies of signed documents.

- Appraisers: Hire third-party appraisers.

- Referrals and References: Request referrals and verify references of real estate professionals that have an established record.

- Document Signatures: Never sign documents with incomplete information.

- Professional Service Reports: Research and leverage professional services that report on mortgage fraud as a collaboration with the federal government.

Bankruptcy Records:

Did you know bankruptcy records are public records? Bankruptcy records, along with other liens and judgments are part of the research process of due diligence. Professional organizations are making it easier for a person to research the credit history, from a bankruptcy prospective, of persons and organizations they are conducting business with

ID Verification Services:

Is your loan applicant really who he or she claims to be? How do you know? Have you confirmed the applicant's identity? Is there a chance he or she is looking to commit a fraud and misrepresent their identity to obtain a loan? Fortunately id authentication services exist that can help provide a series of verifications against a person's ID including:

- The ZIP Code matches the state.

- The last name matches the address.

- The Social Security number matches the first and last name.

- The Social Security number issue date is within a valid date range.

- The Social Security number is not listed as deceased.

- The Social Security number exists.

- The subject meets your age requirement.

ID's issued by state government's have become more tamper-resistant within the last decade. Many states have implemented advanced security features. At the same time many would-be thieves and criminals have also tried to keep pace and are constantly seeking methods to stay ahead. As a means of providing due diligence you may want to consider running a verification against a person's ID to ensure you know the identity of the person you are working with.

The state of the economy is of great concern to many in America. It can speculated that companies will have an increased interest in researching the organizations and persons they are conducting business with. Remember when conducting due diligence, leverage the available professional services available that can help you collect public records information. By referring to national databases and public records services you are helping your organization mitigate the risk of a potential fraud.