North Carolina

Arizona has joined a multistate task force designed to fight the growing national problem of mortgage fraud. The task force was announced today by Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna, who co-chairs the State-Federal Task Force on Mortgage Enforcement along with Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller.

The task force is described by McKenna's office as an "unprecedented partnership to target fraudsters."

Additional members of the task force include representatives of the U.S. Department of Justice, Department of Treasury, Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Federal Trade Commission, as well as the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Nevada, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Missouri and Ohio.

"Since Arizona is one of the states hardest hit by the foreclosure crisis, our state is also a prime target for mortgage fraud," said Attorney General Terry Goddard in a statement. "Our office is doing all it can to prevent mortgage scams and prosecute unscrupulous operators. This task force promises to help strengthen these efforts."