S4 E02: What Does Fraud Have to Do With Bad Debt?

Fraud and bad debt are connected, but not identical. In this episode of Tech Talk with 20for20, Dom Beveridge speaks with Steve Carroll (Findigs), Kyle Nelson (Snappt), and Nate Thompson (Morgan Properties) about how fraud drives bad debt, and how smarter policies, metrics, and market awareness can keep both under control.The panel explores:

• Where they overlap: Many evictions stem from fraud, but some bad debt comes from life events or overly rigid screening policies.
• Better policies: One-size-fits-all rules like “three times rent” don’t work everywhere. Operators are using local data to fine-tune risk and approval criteria.
• Evolving fraud patterns: Organized fraud targets fast-growing lease-ups in Sunbelt markets—but is spreading into new regions through “fraud-as-a-service.”
• Friction vs. experience: Post-pandemic systems block more fraud but can frustrate honest renters. Smarter “fast-lane” screening helps balance both goals.
• Measuring success: Early payment behavior—especially in the first 90 days—is the best leading indicator of fraud and future bad debt.

Sponsors for this episode:

Western Reporting, resident screening and income verification  by Inhabit

EliseAI, AI-driven automation that helps streamline communications and improve operational efficiency.

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Connect with Dom Beveridge (Principal, 20for20) via LinkedIn, or email to [e-mail].

The takeaway: analyze evictions, act on your data, and never lose sight of the renter experience. “You can eliminate delinquency,” says Nate Thompson, “but you’ll eliminate occupancy too if you’re not careful.”

Our theme, “Beautiful Geometry” by Phish Funk is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.