Nassau police charge woman in loan modification scam

Nassau police arrested a Uniondale woman at her home Sunday and charged her with bilking clients out of more than $80,000 that, officers said, she assured the clients would be paid toward loan modifications on their homes.

Tania Ayala, 31, of Emerson Avenue, was charged with second- and third-degree grand larceny and is scheduled to be arraigned Monday in First District Court in Hempstead, detectives said.

Police said Ayala's activities date back to 2009, when she was an employee of a realty firm and recommended that two clients seeking mortgage modifications send their money orders — one for $31,000 and another for $53,000 — to her personal post office box.

But, officers said, Ayala did not facilitate the loan modification application or make any such payments to a lender. Rather, she used the money for herself, they charge.

Neither Ayala nor her attorney could be reached for comment.

Detectives said anyone who may have been a victim or who has any information about the cases should contact the Crimes Against Property Squad at 516-573-5275.