California AG cracks down on foreclosure scams

California is stepping up its crackdown on foreclosure scams that prey on people about to lose their homes.

Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced that foreclosure consultants must register with his office by July 1 and post a $100,000 bond in order to do business in California. Failure to do so could result in jail time or fines.

"California is awash with con artists who prey on vulnerable families facing foreclosure," Brown said in a statement. "By forcing foreclosure consultants to submit detailed information to my office and post a $100,000 bond, this registry will help bring long-overdue transparency to this shadowy world."