Scammers on Parade

Our con men are getting dumber and dumber. What made David Palmer think he could walk into an empty foreclosed upon U.D. home, take possession of it and rent it, without getting arrested?

He makes Gennaro Rauso look like Bernie Madoff.

Meanwhile in the comments, "Mandingo" claims:

Other nationalities do this all day long, but you never here (sic) about it. But as soon as Black people "get hip" to it. (sic) The rules change. In fact, to all you hater's (sic), did you know that Muslim's (sic) dont (sic) pay any interest on mortgage's (sic) , it's against there (sic) religion. So, dont (sic) hate because were (sic) using the laws to work for us. Talk to your congressman.

I spent numerous hours (and columns: see here and here for examples) making sure that the criminal hijinks of Mr. Rauso (an Italian-American) were heard about. It still took federal prosecutors years to put him away.

As for the claim that Muslims don't pay any interest on their mortgages, it being against their religion and all, don't you believe it. Plenty of Muslims in this country purchase homes by qualifying for and paying interest on their mortgages. There are a few Muslim banks that operate under Shaira law, that don't permit "interest" payments but they make financial arrangements that amount to interest payments even if they don't call them that. Otherwise how would they stay in business? In Minnesota, there is a program for devout Muslims that helps them purchase a home without interest payments. They do it by having them pay the interest upfront. That also means, I believe, that these new homeowners have to forego the mortgage interest deduction provided by the Great Satan.

But definitely ask your congressman about this. Congressional staff can always use a good laugh.