A report from the Denver Post in Colorado. "Four ex-employees accuse Aurora-based American Financial Corp. in a lawsuit of firing them after trying to expose the company’s alleged mortgage fraud. The mortgage originator allegedly misled at least a half-dozen banks and finance companies with faked documents and consumer loan applications, according to the whistle-blower lawsuit. The action in Arapahoe County district court claims managers at the company knew of the alleged mortgage fraud the employees discovered and, in some cases, worked hard to try to cover it up."

"The employees – Stacia and Chris Springer, Steffen Mehnert and Sandra Reynolds – say in the lawsuit that they were suspended and then fired after bringing their concerns to higher-ups in March 2017. Chris Springer, Mehnert and Reynolds were mortgage consultants, and Stacia Springer was a pre-qualification specialist. The company defended its track record in a statement issued to The Denver Post, saying it will defend itself 'vigorously against this meritless lawsuit and the false allegations …'"

"The lawsuit describes conduct reminiscent of the type that helped bring about the real-estate collapse and ensuing financial crisis that began in 2004. Among the allegations the quartet make against American Financing include intentionally falsifying loan information, faking signatures, withholding negative financial information about an applicant and faking compliance with key deadlines – all of them critical to whether a bank will approve or buy an existing loan."

"Some of the alleged fraud was brazen, including assertions that potential borrowers’ income tax returns were intentionally withheld to hide potentially adverse information, relying instead on their W-2 forms."

"The 23-page lawsuit lays out a detailed timeline of how the employees each reported concerns of fraud to supervisors over several weeks, only to be told not to talk about it to others, or not to come to work at all. After their suspension, the lawsuit says company supervisors looked through the employees’ desks and computers, allegedly shredding paperwork that related to the suspected fraud."

"The employees said they were fired in retaliation for talking to a lawyer about their predicament. The lawsuit says a complaint about the alleged mortgage fraud was filed with the Colorado Division of Regulatory Agencies, which oversees mortgage brokers through its division of real estate, but that nothing was done."