Curbing Fraud

In response to “Real Estate Fraud’s Dirty Deeds,” Nov. 29:

As one involved in the title insurance business for more than 20 years, and concerned with the problems of forgery and fraud, and their effect upon the innocent, I have no quibble with your reporting of the facts.

What you got wrong, and what neutralizes the real utility of your story, is the photo. Picturing the victim may elicit some sympathy, but does nothing to prevent recurrence. Kevin Gillies can change the name under which he operates as readily as you may change your socks. But what would have helped to drive him from business would have been his photo, even if only from mug shots.

The laws we have would be enough if we could get effective enforcement. For whatever the reasons, and I am sure that at least some of the reasons given for lax enforcement are valid at least part of the time. Neither the police, the prosecution, the courts, nor the penal system have the interest or the resources to deal with the problem in such a manner as to come close to effectively deterring or even reacting to the perpetrators. The news media, however, have a resource in the form of identifying these predators and publicizing their likenesses to help the weak become the wary, and to help prevent rather than cure.

H. COLLYER CHURCH

Executive President

Underwriting Counsel

Los Angeles