In terms of financial and federal crimes, most crimes are serious and come with serious ramifications. When people hear wire fraud, however, they may not recognize the steep penalties that they face. After all, you probably have heard of the Nigerian prince email frauds that you assume most people will not fall for. There are a lot of different forms of email fraud. While it may seem minor and it may seem expected online, it is not acceptable. The federal government does not consider wire fraud to be a minor offense. Instead, it may have much higher penalties than you expect.
Wire fraud is a federal crime, according to the Department of Justice. It requires a person to use an interstate call or an electronic communication such as email. The elements include:
- A defendant who participates in a scheme to defraud a person
- A defendant who has intent to defraud
- A defendant who uses interstate wire communications
There are a few popular examples of wire fraud. These examples include telemarketing scams, tax representative scams and of course email scams.
The point of wire fraud is simple. Normally, one person convinces another to give over information or funds. A person may use false pretenses to trick or swindle a person out of his or her money. It is important to note that tricking someone out of money is still a crime.
Federal crimes can carry high penalties. It can completely alter your future if you do not fight against allegations and wire fraud charges. There is more information about wire fraud on our web page.