Fraud is a broad term. Technically, it means deliberate deception intended for financial or personal gain. However, it can come in many different forms.
Fraud may be charged whether it is successful or merely attempted. Here are some of the more common types of fraud:
Bank fraud – The intent to defraud an institution is bank fraud. It can include stolen checks, impersonating a bank or forging checks.
Healthcare fraud – Patients or providers can commit healthcare fraud. It involves filing dishonest claims for a profit.
Wire fraud – Providing false pretenses or promises to someone over with the intent to defraud them over wires is called wire fraud. This can involve phone calls, texting, television, faxes or internet communications.
Mail fraud – Mail fraud is like wire fraud, but it involves postal services, either private or commercial.
Computer and internet fraud – Hacking is the most common corn of computer and internet fraud. It involves an unauthorized person accessing a protected computer or system, possibly to steal passwords, credit card information or identity information.
Tax fraud – Tax fraud is cheating the assessment or payment of taxes. This could mean supplying inaccurate information on your tax forms to pay less money.
Insurance fraud – Any action meant to get payment from an insurer when it is not owed is insurance fraud. This includes hard fraud, which is destroying property to collect an insurance payout or soft fraud, which is exaggerating a claim for a larger payment.
Accounting fraud – This is manipulating financial statements to create the appearance of financial health. Often, this occurs corporately, misleading investors and shareholders.
Credit card fraud – When an unauthorized person takes another’s credit card information, it is credit card fraud. It can also involve using that information for charging the account, removing funds or applying for new credit in another’s name.
Bankruptcy fraud – Bankruptcy fraud typically can happen in four ways. A debtor can conceal assets, false or incomplete forms can be filed, files can be submitted to multiple jurisdictions or a trustee can be bribed.
Every type of fraud has different consequences and needs to be dealt with differently. Be sure to work with an attorney who has experience defending fraud crimes.