Websites offering fake payslips are still thriving, despite a reported fall in the number of borrowers using fake documentation to commit mortgage fraud, Mortgage Strategy has found.
Figures from CIFAS - the UK's fraud prevention service - show mortgage fraud increased 18% in 2010, with 69% of fraudulent business introduced by brokers.
There were 3,542 mortgage frauds recorded in 2010, up from 3,004 in 2009.
But CIFAS claims mortgage frauds using false or altered documents stating false income, or providing false employment details have decreased from over two-thirds of mortgage application frauds in 2009 to less than half in 2010.
But a quick search on the internet brings up dozens of websites offering fake documents and Mortgage Strategy was easily able to buy three months' fake payslips for #40.
They were emailed to us within two hours and we received the originals within two days. All we were asked to supply was our name, company, National Insurance number and earnings.
John Malone, executive chairman of PMS and brokers' representative on the National Fraud Authority's mortgage fraud forum, says lenders are spending more time checking documentation because they are doing less lending, but he says it is still a major problem.
Malone says: "At the fraud meetings I go to we are aware that there are organisations that are still creating these documents.
"We are trying to alert brokers to how easy it can be to commit fraud using these types of documents."
Malone looked at our payslips and said that although they may have been accepted by lenders a couple of years ago there were a few inaccuracies which should ring alarm bells.
He says things such as a change in font size and no tax reference number on the slips should raise questions with lenders.
He recommends brokers only carry out business face-to-face with clients.
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