Jim Ronan, Interthinx Vice President of industry relations is on hand at the MBA’s Fraud Issues Conference in Las Vegas. Speakers on the panel he moderated agreed that while fewer applications are being funded, the overall amount of fraud is increasing. Primary hot spots: income and employment fraud and identity theft. Expert forgers are working hard here. One tool lenders can use to beat them is a guidebook available from Drivers License Guide Company. It can help lenders determine if these documents are valid. Write to: Department OF09 PO Box 5305, Redwood City, Calif. 94063 or call 800-227-8827. More to follow: