e learned that Rihanna is SHORT SELLING her mansion. The Bajan singer is asking sellers to pay $2.5 MILLION LESS than the amount she paid for the home just two years ago.

The home was just put up for listing - and is being listed as a SHORT SALE - meaning that Rihanna's MORTGAGE on the home is greater than the amount of money she's ASKING.

So we know what you're thinking - isn't it a SMART idea to do a short sale if the value of the home is less than the amount of the mortgage owed. Well the fact is that banks will NOT approve of a short sale, if they believe the borrower has the FINANCES to continue paying the mortgage. So that means unless she's BROKE or under financial DISTRESS . . . she CAN'T do a short sale. And if she KNOWINGLY advertised the sale of her home as a SHORT SALE (like she did below) knowing that she WOULD NOT QUALIFY, that could be considered a FRAUD.