Anaheim Fraud Crime Defense Attorneys
Anaheim Fraud Crime
ANAHEIM RESOURCES
While crime in Anaheim is often thought of as mostly violent crime, various forms of property crime are actually the most prevalent in the city, and among such illegal activities, fraud crime is a common occurrence. Fraud crimes are categorized as theft under California Penal Codes due to the crimes' intent to illegally gain money and other funds from victims. Fraud is committed when a person uses false representation or a disguise in order to have another entrust him or her with some form of property or money. Access to these funds is then used for the suspect's own financial gain. Fraud is not a violent crime; unlike other acts, such as robbery and burglary, there is no threat of violence or violent act used to gain money. Instead, it relies completely on false representation.
Frequently Committed Fraud Crimes
Because fraud crime is defined through the use of false representation, there is a wide spectrum of crimes which fall under the category of fraud. Some of the most common fraud crimes committed in Anaheim and across Orange County include: forgery, phishing, identity theft, false billing, tax fraud, and investment fraud.
Often, fraud crimes are committed in conjunction with one another in order to carry out a larger scheme that targets multiple victims for larger amounts of profits. Common instances of these crimes, as identified by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), are:
- Telemarketing Fraud - where a caller coerces victims to provide personal or financial information over the phone for a supposed free gift or special offer.
- "419" Fraud – Victims receive a letter or email urging them to send money in order to help someone out of a dire situation, commonly falsely identified as a Nigerian official.
- Advance Fee Scheme – A victim pays money in advance for something of greater value, such as a loan or gift, but receives nothing or little in return.
- Ponzi Scheme – Promises high financial returns for investors in a seemingly legitimate investment program, but instead initial investors are given "dividends" by subsequent investors, while those in charge of the scheme take the seemingly invested money for themselves.
Fraud Crime Punishment in Anaheim
As fraud crime is a form of theft, it is punishable under the same regulations as theft crimes, with petty theft (illegally taking less than $950) and grand theft (greater than $950) applying to the prosecution of such crimes. Under the California Penal Code, petty theft can be punished by a maximum $1,000 fine, a maximum county jail sentence of six months, or both. Grand theft can be punished by one year in county jail. As fraud crime can include many different illegal actions, California Penal Codes have set up a lengthy series of penalties and regulations relating to the various actions that can take place during fraud, with penalties such as victim restitution added to the various other punishments handed down during a guilty verdict.
Anaheim Fraud Defense Legal Representation
Receiving a guilty verdict for a fraud crime can result in a multitude of punishments that may not only leave a defendant with years of imprisonment and heavy fines, but also a reputation that makes finding gainful employment incredibly difficult. Anaheim fraud crime defense attorney Jeremy N. Goldman uses his years of experience and skills in the criminal defense field to protect his clients and have sentences both reduce and dismissed in court. For more information on how the law team at The Law Offices of Jeremy N. Goldman can help you in your fraud crime case, call (800) 349-1619 today.
