The Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS - Professionals who fake home appraisals are helping fuel a rise in mortgage fraud in Indiana, bilking would-be homebuyers or lenders out of millions of dollars, officials warn.

Since FBI and IRS agents formed a mortgage fraud task force in June, federal prosecutors have charged at least 22 people in alleged scams.

Those individuals, who include closing agents and suspect homebuyers, were indicted or sentenced in central and southern Indiana in scams that bilked lenders out of more than $15 million.

And authorities said more scams are under investigation.

Appraisal fraud would seem difficult to pull off, because people - and banks - rely on professionals to oversee home purchases. Yet if those pros are working together to defraud a buyer or lender, it can be hard to spot.

Mortgage fraud scams don't just leave lenders with bad loans - the inflated costs are also passed on to the next borrower.

Authorities say mortgage fraud drives up foreclosure rates, promotes urban blight and hurts property values in some areas because when lenders realize the homes are worth much less than originally appraised, they usually don't fix them up.