I wanted to know more but all of my life experience up until that point had shown me that this must be a scam.

Google seller scam  especially Wells Fargo and Bank of America  I only know about it because a wife’s friend lost almost $10,000 and Bank of america said sorry  we only protect against unauthorized transactions although you were scammed, you authorized the transaction.

It most definitely is not, and is the Real Estate World's version of the "Online Freelance Writer" fad / joke / scam...

Then again, would that have stopped this scam from happening? 

same here, i havent heard anything and feel scammed

He is someone who looks at it from a high level above.He is featured on another podcast (Real Estate Agent Marketing: How to be an Informed realtor w/ Brad Inman) in which they say in the 90s he was this guy who spoke out against a realtor scam and has been trying to help realtors ever since.I checked out his website and it looks like a bunch of good real estate news articles at inman.com He doesn't do the podcast anymore.

Do you like answering the phone when the display says "scam likely"? 

Google anything and you will find someone saying "SCAM"! 

The HELOC isn't that scam.

Soooo, you must have the evidence showing initial offers and closing statements for lots of people scammed by OD, with "fake purchase prices" and federal "redlining" crimes as you claim, right?