What Are Common Examples of Wire Fraud?

Wire fraud is a specific type of federal fraud offense that can be charged under 18 USC 1343. It is one of two broad federal fraud statutes — along with mail fraud — that can be used to bring criminal charges against a person for many different types of fraudulent acts. While different federal circuit courts have outlined their own specific elements of wire fraud, in general, for a person to be convicted of wire fraud, the prosecution must be able to prove 1) that the person engaged or attempted to engage in a scheme to defraud, and 2) that they used an interstate wire communication to further the scheme to defraud. In other words, wire fraud involves a scheme to defraud that uses interstate wire communication. An interstate wire communication can mean a phone, the internet, email, text messaging, and more.

Given the various forms of interstate wire communication and the wide range of fraud types recognized by federal law, what are all of the types of offenses that the wire fraud statute can encompass? Our Tampa fraud defense lawyers can provide you with some of the most common examples of wire fraud cases.

Examples of Cases Involving Wire Fraud

According to a recent report from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Internet Crime Complaint Center, in the last year there were nearly 860,000 complaints concerning internet-related wire fraud crimes for losses totaling more than $16 billion. And those numbers do not account for other forms of wire fraud involving texting, calling, and more. All of the following are examples of forms of wire fraud reported and investigated by the federal government:

• Phishing schemes and crimes arising out of phishing schemes;
• Telemarketing fraud, where phone calls are made to engage in identity theft and other forms of financial fraud;
• Email scams seeking money or funds for assistance;
• Data breaches where personal information is stolen;
• Non-payment scams, where a “buyer” makes online purchases and receive goods without paying for them; and
• Non-delivery scams, where a “seller” makes an online sale and receives payment but does not deliver the merchandise.

These are just some of the common types of schemes that result in wire fraud charges. As we noted above, the federal wire fraud statute is broad and can be used by the government to prosecute a wide range of fraud-related crimes that involve phone calls, texting, emailing, and the internet.

Contact Our Tampa Criminal Defense Attorneys Today for Assistance with Your Wire Fraud Case 

Wire fraud can take many different forms, and a person who is facing wire fraud charges may also be facing additional and more specific fraud-related charges under federal law. Whether you have already been charged with wire fraud or you have reason to believe that you are under investigation for wire fraud, it is essential to seek legal advice as soon as possible. One of the experienced Tampa federal fraud defense lawyers at the Law Offices of Daniel J. Fernandez, P.A. can discuss the details of your case with you today and can begin working on a defense strategy that is specifically tailored to your circumstances. Contact our firm to learn more about how we can assist you.

Source:

justice.gov/archives/jm/criminal-resource-manual-941-18-usc-1343-elements-wire-fraud