Federal prosecutors charged Lydia Fong and Matthew Worthing, both of San Francisco, with rigging foreclosure auctions by agreeing not to bid against one another. They joined 20 other individuals throughout four Bay Area counties who have pleaded guilty or agreed to plead guilty in similar bid rigging and public auction fraud cases.

The DOJ’s antitrust division has an ongoing investigation into bid rigging and fraud at public real estate foreclosure auctions in the Bay Area. Including Fong and Worthing, a total of 22 people have settled cases in San Mateo, San Francisco, Contra Costa and Alameda counties.

Anyone with information about bid rigging or fraud related to public real estate foreclosure auctions should contact the Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office at (415) 436-6660 or visit www.justice.gov/atr/contact/newcase.htm or call the FBI tip line at (415) 553-7400.

Lydia Fong at San Francisco foreclosure auction on March 6, 2012

Links: San Mateo Daily Journal Article    7th Space Interactive Article