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WASHINGTON — The mortgage industry, applying far more scrutiny after a tidal wave of defaults, reported a record number of mortgage-fraud incidents last year, with Rhode Island making its first appearance as the nation’s top fraud hot spot. The number of mortgage- fraud reports among loans made last year grew 26 percent from a year earlier, according to the Mortgage Asset Research Institute.
The increase came as lenders drastically tightened their standards. About $1.4 trillion in home loans were made last year, down about a third from a year earlier, according to trade publication Inside Mortgage Finance. The Associated Press
