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Calif., Nev. Attorneys General To Launch Joint Mortgage Fraud Probes

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The attorneys general in California and Nevada are partnering in investigations into the mortgage meltdown that crippled both states.

California Attorney General Kamala Harris and her Nevada counterpart Catherine Cortez Masto said Tuesday they will combine resources and share information about mortgage fraud probes each have launched in recent months.

Both states were decimated during the economic downturn when housing prices fell and led to a wave of foreclosures.

Nevada has the nation's highest foreclosure rate while California ranks second.

Harris recently subpoenaed mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac looking into their lending practices.

Masto has indicted two Southern California title officers of running a so-called "robo-signing" scheme to sign and file thousands of fraudulent foreclosure documents in Las Vegas between 2005 and 2008.

(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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