On September 6, 2006 Mattes received national attention when he was attacked by two people while investigating an alleged real estate scam.

Forgery, of course, plays a central role in many real estate scams.

B UT, in the heartless world of real estate scams, there are even times when the bell has already tolled for the victim.

And beware of real estate scams.

Mr. Hynes called the scheme "a simple but extremely effective real estate scam."

Henry Marshall participates in a real estate scam and is caught.

The deal illustrates one of the important ways in which the federal tax base has been eroded through real estate scams.

"I see co-oping in these areas as nothing but a real estate scam," he said.

After he received it, he moved to Florida, where he fell victim to a real estate scam which worsened his financial condition.

One victim of a Clifton developer's real estate scam, prosecutors say, was a bus boy whose wife left him after he lost his down payment.