Buy to let mortgages were a key target for mortgage fraud in the boom years as a result of affordability in relation to rental income and after dodging regulation in 2004.
There have been some high-profile cases which have cost the property market many hundred of millions of pounds.
In January 2009 saw five directors of a Gateshead-based property company plead guilty to involvement in an £80m buy to let mortgage fraud .
With more finance going into and more competition in the buy-to-let sector, this sector is likely to become a big target again.
Early 2011 witnessed the Financial Services Authority accusing specific brokers of abusing buy-to-let mortgages to help self-cert clients.
Certain mortgage brokers are using some buy-to-let and let-to-buy deals to bypass strict income and affordability checks on regulated residential mortgages .
It would appear that buy-to-let mortgages have replaced new-build mortgages as the target of fraud.





