Tag: fraud

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Former HGTV star slapped with $10 million fine and jail time for real estate fraud

Former HGTV star slapped with $10 million fine and jail time for real estate fraud

Back when mortgage rates and home prices were more reasonable and manageable, homeowners invested in fixer-upper properties and made them their own. Now these types of projects aren’t as popular. But in the early-to-mid-2010s, HGTV shows including Fixer Upper, Love It or List It, and Flip It to Win It were all the rage as viewers binge-watched dilapidated homes transform into dream properties.

But as it turns out, one former HGTV star’s house-flipping show was masking major real estate fraud. On Tuesday, Charles “Todd” Hill, was sentenced to four years in jail and ordered to pay back nearly $10 million to his victims following his conviction. Los Gatos, Calif.–based Hill, 58, was the star of HGTV show Flip It to Win It, which aired in 2013 and featured Hill and his team purchasing dilapidated homes and fixing them up. Hill then sold them for a profit.

“Some see

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Crown asks for four-year term in Carleton Place real estate fraud case

Crown asks for four-year term in Carleton Place real estate fraud case

James Edward “Jim” Pellerin, 68, was found guilty in February of 13 counts of fraud over $5,000 and one of obtaining money under false pretenses.

Published Mar 15, 2024  •  Last updated 3 days ago  •  3 minute read

A social media photo of James Edward “Jim” Pellerin. The fraud case against him involved 17 different lenders of $30,000 each on a failed house-flipping scheme in Carleton Place. Photo by @jim_pellerin/Instagram

Crown prosecutors have asked an Ottawa judge to impose a four-year sentence on a smooth-talking real estate investor who bilked 17 people — some of them friends — in a fraudulent scheme to build and flip townhomes.

“Mr. (Jim) Pellerin doesn’t have a gambling issue, he doesn’t have a substance abuse issue, he has

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Ottawa real estate investor found guilty on 27 counts of fraud

Ottawa real estate investor found guilty on 27 counts of fraud

A judge ruled that James Edward “Jim” Pellerin made false representations to his lenders about the security interest of their loans, then paid himself about $150,000 in salary — plus other personal fees and expenses — with funds withdrawn from their investments.

Published Mar 01, 2024  •  Last updated 6 days ago  •  4 minute read

A social media photo of James Edward “Jim” Pellerin. The fraud case against him involved 17 different lenders of $30,000 each on a failed house-flipping scheme in Carleton Place. Photo by @jim_pellerin/Instagram

A prominent Ottawa real estate investor who has authored multiple books on the subject has been found guilty of defrauding 17 different lenders of $30,000 each on a failed house-flipping scheme in Carleton Place.

James Edward “Jim” Pellerin was found guilty on 27 counts of fraud by Superior Court Justice Robert J. Smith after

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Real estate fraud risk is on the rise, and victims are sounding the alarm

Real estate fraud risk is on the rise, and victims are sounding the alarm

DeBianchi Real Estate President and realtor Sam DeBianchi gives advice to millennials who are struggling to buy homes on Making Money.

Purchasing a home is an exciting milestone in a person’s life, but criminals are increasingly exploiting such transactions through real estate fraud, robbing victims who are often left with little or no recourse.

CertifID’s 2024 State of Wire Fraud report released Tuesday found that 1 in 20 Americans who bought or sold a home within the past three years have been victims of some type of real estate fraud, with the median amount in consumer losses exceeding $70,000 as a result of stolen buyer’s down payments and seller’s net proceeds.

Real estate wire fraud is surging, and victims are calling for awareness and recourse as cybercriminals become increasingly cunning. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images / Getty Images)

The wire fraud protection company warns fraudsters have become increasingly skilled at leveraging public

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