Robo-Signing Whistleblower Returns to Haunt Industry, Unseals New False Claim Allegations Against Old Foes
February 13, 2014
The whistleblower who gained fame and a lot of money from suing major banks for robo-signing and other improper mortgage servicing practices has filed an amended lawsuit accusing 22 companies of defrauding the Department of Housing and Urban Development of billions of dollars in false FHA claims. Lynn Szymoniak, whose 2011 interview on 60 Minutes blew the lid off improper servicing practices at some major banks, filed a qui tam, or whistleblower, lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of South Carolina last week alleging violations of the federal False Claims Act and state false claims statutes. Defendants include CitiMortgage, Wells Fargo Bank, Bank of America, Deutsche Bank, HSBC USA, JPMorgan Chase and U.S. Bank, as well as servicers, trustees, custodians and title companies. The lawsuit seeks...