Via SLenterprise comes word that a site hosting a national index for mortgage fraud case activity puts Utah at the top of the list. With $300 million in mortgage fraud cases open Utah pushed competing fraudster states like Texas and Florida into the runner-up categories.

What might be the cause of this you say? Does this have something to do with the dominant religion in Zion? The answer is: sort of.

In states with strong communities of organized religious networks (not just Utah) social capital in said communities is very strong and defined. But these networks have a dark side. In the same token that a man can readily call his ward members to help raise money for a charitable cause, banking on cooperation based on a shared religious and communal affiliation, so too can a conman use these networks to tap into trusting individuals to buy into their illicit schemes.

In our cyber-viral age it’s still amazing that the most efficient networks still happen to be word of mouth between friends, associates, church members and neighbors. Too bad it’s not just for organizing ward socials anymore.