In the wake of the 2008 housing market crash, Operation Malicious Mortgage emerged as one of the most significant federal efforts to combat rampant mortgage fraud that contributed to the crisis. Spanning from March 1 to June 18, 2008, this operation was a multi-agency response to systemic corruption and fraudulent practices within the mortgage and real estate industries. Led by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the initiative exposed a nationwide epidemic of financial crimes, culminating in 406 defendants charged in 144 separate cases across the United States.