Stupid lender tricks

You know those "FICO" credit scores that lenders use to approve or deny loans?

You can fake them almost as easily as you can make up your income on a liar loan:

Only a low credit score stood between Alipio Estruch and a mortgage to buy a $449,000 Spanish-style house in Weston, Fla., a few miles west of Fort Lauderdale.

Instead of spending several years repairing his credit rating, which he said was marred by two forgotten cell phone bills and identity theft, the 37-year-old real estate agent paid $1,800 to an Internet-based company to bump up his score almost overnight.

Thanks to Old Zeke for sending me this.