The FBI says Colorado ranks 9th in the country for mortgage fraud.

The agency didn't provide any details on the number and types of cases that put Colorado in the top 10 list for 2007.

The head of the state's foreclosure hotline, Zachary Urban, reviewed the analysis and said the problem may not be as bad as it appears.

He said it looks like Colorado made the list because of fraud cases that happened before the state started cracking down on the mortgage industry, and offering borrowers more education and counseling.

Colorado now licenses mortgage brokers, and state lawmakers have passed several bills in recent years to fight mortgage fraud and deceptive lending practices.