What constitutes fraud in the state of Pennsylvania?

On Behalf of Stanton D. Levenson, P.A. Law Offices

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Nov 26, 2024

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Fraud

Fraud is a consequential criminal offense involving engagement in deception to obtain money from unsuspecting individuals and entities. For Pennsylvania residents, it’s important to have a broken-down understanding of this crime in order to stay on the right side of the law.

Individuals should know that violating state law, even unknowingly, can cause them serious legal trouble. Knowing the key elements of fraud can help individuals and organizations to protect themselves from fraudulent schemes.

Fraud in the Keystone State

An individual engages in fraud if they intentionally lie to an individual or entity with the goal of personal or financial gain. State law identifies fraudulent activities as criminal acts when it includes four essential elements:

• Misrepresentation through false statements or concealment by omission of facts
• The intention to consciously deceive the victim
• The victim’s reliance on the perpetrator’s deception
• The experience of loss or harm by the victim due to the falsehood of the perpetrator

These elements form the foundation of any fraud case; they distinguish fraudulent acts from honest mistakes or misunderstandings.

Common types of fraud

The Keystone State acknowledges that several types of fraud exist. One common form of fraud involves deceiving insurance companies to obtain money. Individuals can be charged with insurance fraud if it’s established that they submitted false insurance claims for financial gain. Examples of this type of fraud can include:

• Staging an accident to receive benefits
• Inflating damages when filing an insurance claim
• Fabricating injuries to receive compensation

Another type of fraud involves using someone else’s personal information to make unauthorized financial transactions. This is known as identity theft, and some of the information that can be stolen includes:

• Social Security numbers
• Credit card details
• Medical insurance account numbers
• Phone numbers

There’s also credit card fraud, which constitutes illegally using an individual’s credit card information to withdraw funds or make purchases.

Some may be surprised to learn that mortgage and real estate fraud also exists. This is why it’s important to pay keen attention when applying for a mortgage. Unknowingly providing false information in loan documents might lead to unintended legal trouble.

Individuals or organizations who unintentionally get mixed up with any type of fraud in the Keystone State shouldn’t hesitate to enlist legal support. An experienced legal team can assist affected parties in clearing their name.