Fourteen whole cases, huh?

In the current economic environment, the temptation to commit arson can be too much for some. There were 2.2 million foreclosures last year, up 75% from the previous year, according to RealtyTrac. In addition, a study by Moody’s Economy.com and Equifax found that 4.5% of all mortgages were delinquent in the first quarter of 2008. Auto loan delinquencies hit a 10-year high in January.

Frank Scafidi of the National Insurance Crime Bureau, a membership organization that tracks insurance fraud, says his group has not identified a rise in financially motivated arson. “Everything we’ve found does not support that,” he said.

That’s interesting info buried in the sixteenth paragraph. The Times rationalizes it by quoting “observers” saying industry folks like Scafidi downplay the crimes so as not to inspire copycats.

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