Fraud is always against the law, and different kinds of blackmail are frequently prosecuted, including: insurance scam, healthcare fraud, unemployment insurance and workers’ compensation scam, welfare scam, foreclosure fraud, check fraud, credit card scam, mail fraud, bank fraud, securities fraud, and now internet fraud and identity fraud. If you’re arrested and charged with any kind of fraud on Long Island or in New York City – or even if you’re being investigated but have not yet been charged – speak at once with an experienced Long Island criminal defense attorney.

Fraud has significantly increased in recent years, and its perpetrators are getting bolder, more creative, and in many cases more foolish. Here are just a few examples of the kinds of cheat cases currently being prosecuted:

What is Wire Fraud?

You may have heard of wire cheat, but do you know what it is? Wire fraud is any plan or scheme to defraud or obtain money or property by means of false or fraudulent pretense or representation through the use of any electronic communication, including writing, signs, signals, pictures, and/or sounds for the purpose of committing a fraud for financial gain. If you’re charged with wire cheat, you’ll have to retain legal help immediately; if you’re convicted, the federal government could imprison you for up to thirty years, fine you up to $1 million, or both. Wire fraud is usually charged as a federal crime, but it may be accompanied by fraud charges prosecuted under state law in New York. If you’re accused of wire scam in or near New York City, contact an experienced Long Island criminal defense attorney as quickly as possible.

If you are convicted of wire scam, you’ll probably spend years in prison, pay thousands in fines, and the government may even seize your property to pay back your victims. However, some who are charged with wire scam are innocent. The whole incident was a misunderstanding, or there was no intent to defraud, or the suspect was simply falsely accused. The government still must prove its case and prove your guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If you’re charged with wire cheat on Long Island or anywhere in the New York City area, get legal help at once; take your case immediately to an experienced Long Island criminal defense attorney.

What is Tax Fraud?

If you make an honest mistake on your taxes, it’s possible that you might be charged with tax cheat, and if that happens, you will need a good criminal defense attorney with experience in tax scam cases. However, the auditors at the IRS are trained to detect the sometimes subtle differences between an honest mistake and intentional scam. Sometimes they’re wrong, and an innocent person is accused of tax fraud, but the IRS auditors are generally very good at understanding mistakes and spotting real fraud. They certainly don’t think that every tax error – or even most tax errors – are made by criminals with fraudulent intent.

IRS auditors assume that they will find some kind of mistake in the majority of the tax returns they see. Tax laws can be exceedingly complex and challenging to understand; anyone could make an honest mistake.

Tax cases are either civil or criminal. In civil cases, the government claims that the defendant made a mistake, calculation error, or acted negligently in the preparation and filing of his or her taxes. In a criminal case, the government charges that the defendant intentionally acted to avoid paying taxes owed. Criminal cases involve the possibility of both substantial fines and prison sentences. Civil cases may involve hefty fines and other financial penalties, but they do not involve the criminal justice process or potential prison time.

If you’ve made an honest mistake on a tax return, and you are charged with tax scam– or if you anticipate being charged – consult immediately with a good criminal defense attorney, someone who routinely represents clients facing tax fraud and similar charges.

What is Bank Fraud?

Under federal statutes, “bank fraud” happens when a person employs a “scheme or artifice” to defraud a financial institution. Bank cheat can even be charged without the accused person ever actually setting foot in a bank. Bank fraud schemes can include check-kiting, fund diversion, phishing, booster checks, and accounting scam.

Usually, bank fraud is perpetrated along with some other white collar crime such as money laundering, mail fraud, and wire cheat. For instance, if someone steals your credit card information to make online purchases, the person can be charged with both bank scam (because the stolen funds were in the bank’s possession) and with wire fraud (because the Internet was used).

A conviction for bank scam can be punished by up to thirty years in a federal prison and up to $1,000,000 in fines. If you are accused of bank cheat in New York, a good criminal defense lawyer will gather evidence and examine witnesses on your behalf; will try to discredit the prosecution’s evidence and witnesses; and will work to have the charge reduced or thrown out entirely.

What is Healthcare Fraud?

Providing false information when you apply for healthcare benefits, programs, or services is healthcare scam. So is forging prescriptions and selling prescription drugs; using healthcare-related transportation benefits for other purposes; and using another person’s insurance card, whether stolen or borrowed. Healthcare providers commit healthcare cheat when they submit inflated or fraudulent claims to insurance companies or recommend unneeded treatments or medications to patients.

Under both federal and state laws, a conviction for healthcare cheat can have serious consequences including a lengthy prison term, stiff fines, and for healthcare professionals, the loss of their right to work in the medical industry.

Hire A White Collar Crimes Attorney

Not every person charged with cheat is guilty. You might have made a simple honest mistake, been misunderstood, or be the victim of a false accusation. Don’t face white collar crime charges without good legal representation. Get the help you need if you are charged with any white collar crime in New York, and speak to an experienced Long Island criminal defense lawyer immediately.