What is wire fraud, and how is a person charged with it?

A charge of wire fraud could change the life of a North Carolina resident. It’s a white-collar crime that is considered very seriously and carries significant penalties.

What is wire fraud?

Wire fraud is a serious federal criminal offense. A person commits wire fraud when they deliberately use a communications device such as a phone or computer to cheat other people out of their property, money or anything that carries a value. As a federal offense, wire fraud is charged very seriously.

What are the elements of wire fraud?

Wire fraud is a crime of intent, meaning that a person cannot accidentally commit it. The intention behind the crime is to defraud another person or persons for one’s own personal gain. Deception, misrepresentation, false promises and other such statements are often used when a person commits wire fraud. The crime always has the element of an intention to deprive a person of something of value that they own. For example, the Nigerian Prince scam occurs with a person posing as a wealthy person, asking someone to send them money in exchange for even more money. The crime is committed while someone uses a computer and composes an email to random people to scam them out of cash.

In order for wire fraud to be committed, a person must use a communications device that can operate interstate and even beyond. Phones, computers and other devices that connect to the Internet can be used to transmit fraudulent messages to victims.

Even if a victim doesn’t actually lose any money, the perpetrator can still face charges of wire fraud. This is because of the intention aspect of the crime and the use of a device to defraud people. If a person is convicted of wire fraud, they could face up to 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.

Facing wire charges can be life-changing. If you know you’re innocent, protect your rights at all costs.