WIREDGOV

The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has banned Hornchurch-based mortgage broker Abdul Karim for submitting a mortgage application for himself that was based on false information about his income.

Margaret Cole, FSA enforcement director, said: 

“Mortgage fraud poses a serious risk to the financial system, so we are continuing to take action against mortgage brokers who abuse their position in this way. We have banned over 50 brokers in the last three years, and 2009 will see more prohibitions for those involved in mortgage fraud.”

Karim applied for a mortgage of £480,000 telling the lender that his annual income was more than £100,000 – while at the same time declaring an annual income to HM Revenue and Customs of £30,000. As the £480,000 loan applied for was 16 times his declared income the FSA found he must have known that the application would not meet any lending criteria. It therefore seemed highly likely that he knowingly declared a false income of more than £100,000 as the only way to obtain a loan of that scale.

The FSA has also cancelled the permission of Karim’s firm Monopoly@States Limited.

Notes for editors

1. The Final Notices for Karim and Monopoly@States include the background to the case.
2. The FSA regulates the financial services industry and has four objectives under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000: maintaining market confidence; promoting public understanding of the financial system; securing the appropriate degree of protection for consumers; and fighting financial crime.
3. The FSA aims to promote efficient, orderly and fair markets, help retail consumers achieve a fair deal and improve its business capability and effectiveness.