People charged in "Operation Malicious Mortgage" include lawyers, real estate agents, developers, mortgage professionals and appraisers, the Associated Press reports. It's a depressing reminder to everyone, especially those looking for help to avoid foreclosure, that someone's years of real estate experience are no guarantee that he or she isn't trying to take advantage of you.

A dozen have been charged in two Maryland cases, which the FBI describes as only loosely related to the Operation Malicious Mortgage sting. They're based in the Washington suburbs. But victims include Baltimore-area residents. Read more about the Metropolitan Money Store case HERE and the more recent arrests HERE.

The FBI describes its cases across the country as lending fraud, foreclosure rescue scams and mortgage-related bankruptcy schemes:

Lending fraud frequently involves multiple loan transactions in which industry professionals construct mortgage transactions based on gross fraudulent misrepresentations about the borrower’s financial status, such as overstating the borrower’s income or assets, using false or fictitious employment records or inflating property values. Foreclosure rescue scams involve criminals who target legitimate homeowners in dire financial circumstances and fraudulently collect fees for foreclosure prevention services or obtain ownership interests in residential properties. Both of these fraudulent mortgage schemes may be furthered by filing bankruptcy petitions that automatically stay foreclosure.