Fraud typically involves a person or group of people attempting to obtain money through illegal means or means that misrepresent true intentions. When a person is accused of fraudulent activity, serious charges could result, which could also lead to serious consequences if a conviction takes place.
Various types of activities could fall into the category of fraud. In particular, you could find yourself accused of mail fraud. If so, it is important that you understand the accusations you face and determine what courses of action may help you defend against those charges.
Examples of mail fraud
It may be important to note that mail fraud does not only apply to snail mail or letters or packages delivered by the United States Postal Service. While many cases of suspected mail fraud do involve the USPS, mail fraud could also apply to schemes that take place using email. Examples of mail fraud include the following:
- Online auction scams: Someone may bid on and believe he or she has won an online auction only for the product to not exist or for the seller to have no intention of actually sending the product to the buyer. Mail fraud charges may apply if the seller uses email to communicate about the transaction, such as to request money.
- Impersonation: Another type of mail fraud may involve someone pretending to be another person or organization in efforts to trick a person into sending money or information. For instance, someone may send a letter that appears to be from the Internal Revenue Service in hopes of obtaining an unsuspecting individual’s financial information.
- Mail-order product scams: Similar to online auction scams, mail-order product scams could take place if someone advertises a product for sale with no intention of delivering the product after receiving payment or advertising a product and sending a different product or lower-quality product.
These are not the only types of mail fraud that could occur, and you could end up accused of misrepresentation or fraudulent activity when you did not intentionally try to mislead anyone. Unfortunately, you may still have to deal with serious criminal charges.
Creating a defense
Luckily, you do have options for defending against any mail fraud allegations that come against you. Information on how such cases are handled in Louisiana may help you find the defense avenue you feel most comfortable utilizing. You may also wish to speak with an attorney to gain more information on the charges and your legal options.
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