Category Archives: Criminal Fraud
Defenses to a Credit Card Fraud Charge
Credit card fraud is a broad charge that can be applied to a variety of alleged actions. Often, but not always, credit card fraud is the illegal use of an individual’s personal information to make purchases or open credit cards with the intention of making purchases. Other acts that may be charged as credit… Read More »
Marriage Fraud – What are the Penalties for an American Spouse?
When most people think of fraud, they tend to think of credit card fraud and investment scams. These are two types of fraud, but certainly not the only type. Fraud is a theft crime, which means it can be used to steal money, information, valuables, or anything else with monetary value. This includes the… Read More »
How is Fraud Different from Other Types of Theft?
Theft is a broad term. It refers to the unlawful taking of money or anything with monetary value from a victim or a group of victims. To make it easier to define specific charges, the law breaks theft down into multiple categories. One broad subcategory of theft is fraud. Fraud is defined as the… Read More »
Deciphering Access Device Fraud
A little known statute is making news in Florida. Two men were recently sentenced to almost two years in prison and another faces charges for the same offense. The Palm Beach Post is reporting about two men who were recently convicted of access device fraud and given a jail sentence. The court convicted the… Read More »
Defending a Tax Fraud Case
Florida is known for many things, from its beaches to its warm climate, but now the sunshine state can add tax fraud leader to the list. According to an IRS Criminal Investigation Task Force, tax fraud in Tampa alone is costing the United States Treasury Department more than $5 billion each year. One police… Read More »
Division of Insurance Fraud Makes Four Arrests
The Florida Department of Financial Services’ Division of Insurance Fraud (DIF) made four arrests recently on allegations of three different insurance scams. As reported in the Insurance Journal, the alleged schemes involved personal injury protection (PIP) payouts and resulted in fraudulent insurance claims exceeding $145,000. Staging an Accident Scene One arrest reportedly involved the… Read More »
Racketeering Charges are Serious Business in Florida
The term racketeering brings up images of Prohibition-era gangsters and infamous mob bosses. But under Florida law, racketeering can encompass a variety of actions. At their core, these laws seek to deter and punish enterprises that are built off of unlawful activities. A racketeering conviction relies heavily on the knowledge of the accused, which… Read More »
Fraud Flourishes in South Florida
South Florida is known for many things, including beautiful beaches, a booming nightlife and extensive cultural diversity. But according to recent reports, the sunny region earned a new and less complimentary distinction as the fraud capital of the nation. Some of the infamous scams include: false lotteries; identity theft to purchase high dollar items;… Read More »
The Serious Consequences of a Wire Fraud Conviction
Recent news articles are reporting about a Florida man who is facing wire fraud charges in federal court. Wire fraud is an offense often associated with financial crimes. Though it may seem like a harmless white collar offense on its face, wire fraud is a serious crime that, upon conviction, carries significant legal penalties…. Read More »
Defending Tax Fraud Claims
Tax fraud reportedly costs the United States more than $300 million each year. For this reason, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) works to identify and prevent incidents of fraudulent behavior. However, in their efforts to collect money that is rightfully owed to the government, agents sometimes pursue the wrong suspects, leaving innocent citizens to… Read More »
