Fraud is a broad term when used in a legal context and it can refer to a lot of different actions. However, at the root of fraud is always the assumption of purposeful deceit through direct statements of misinformation or through omission and misrepresentation of facts to others. The individual who commits fraud is usually doing so in order to receive some kind of unfair advantage and financial gain.
Here are four examples of fraud crimes that a Pennsylvania resident might be accused of:
Tax fraud
Whether it’s state or federal taxes, individuals might be accused of purposefully lying on their taxes to avoid needing to pay the full amount they owe. This is fraud and could be punishable with jail time for those who are convicted of the offense.
Insurance fraud
There are a host of opportunities to commit insurance fraud when dealing with an insurance company. A vehicle owner, for example, might lie about how specific damage to his or her vehicle took place. Or, a doctor might lie about treatments to his or her patients to receive a higher payment from the insurance company.
Identity theft: Identity theft is another form of fraud that’s particularly common. An individual might steal someone’s Social Security number, identification card or credit card and pretend to be that individual. An identity thief might take out a new credit card in his or her victim’s name, or pretend to be the victim for financial gain.
If you were wrongly accused of any type of fraud, you may need to defend yourself in court to reduce the chances of a conviction. Learn more about your legal rights and options as a fraud crime defendant now.