Internet Fraud

There are countless computer fraud and Internet fraud laws, and countless ways the government can investigate and prosecute those accused of breaking those laws. If convicted of computer or Internet fraud, an individual may be found guilty of a felony and face a fine of up to $250,000 and/or up to 20 years in jail. In fact, since the inception of The Patriot Act, if charged with computer fraud you could be accused of breaking an anti-terrorism law and face increased federal consequences as a result. Attorneys at The Blanch Law Firm have years of experience in defending computer fraud/Internet fraud crimes. Our internet fraud attorneys stay up-to-date and on top of every new law and ordinance passed by both state and federal governments, and have countless successes in trial defending against such crimes.

Internet Fraud Investigations

Government task forces are set up to investigate and collect information on individuals thought to be involved in computer fraud and Internet fraud scams. The seriousness of the matter can't be stressed enough, the United States Department of Justice posts their victories on their Website where they list the penalties involved. Some of these cases include: U.S. v. Arabo, where the guilty party was sentenced to 30 months in prison and a $500,000 fine; in U.S. v. Ancheta, the guilty party was sentenced to 57 months in prison and a $75,000 fine; and in U.S. v. Flury, the guilty party was sentenced to 32 months in prison and a $300,000 fine. These are just a few smaller cases.

What is Computer Fraud/Internet Fraud?

According to the various laws, including the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 (updated in 1994, 1996 and 2001) computer/Internet fraud involves the following:

• Knowingly accessing a computer without authorization in order to obtain data
• Defrauding individuals of information such as passwords, user names or other protected information
• Intentionally accessing a computer without authorization to obtain financial information or consumer information
• Unlawfully accessing a computer to obtain information involving interstate or foreign communication
• Intentionally accessing a government computer without authorization
• Accessing a protected computer with the intent to defraud or steal
• Uploading a virus, worm or other program which can cause damage
• Fraudulently buying and/or selling goods/services using a computer and/or the Internet
• Unlawfully accessing medical records of one or more individuals, causing a threat to a person's public health or safety
• Damaging any government system

Examples of Computer Fraud/Internet Fraud

The Blanch Law Firm regularly advises and counsels individuals on Internet fraud and computer crimes accusations, and has experience with, but not limited to, the following:

• Confidence Fraud Defense
• Credit/Debit Card Fraud Defense
• Computer Intrusions Defense
• eBay Fraud Defense
• Financial Institution Fraud Defense
• Identity Fraud Defense
• Nigerian 419 Fraud Defense
• Non-delivered Merchandise and/or Payment Defense
• "Botnet" Crime Defense
• Online trafficking defense
• Piracy Defense
• Denial of Service Attacks, Viruses, and Worms Defense

The Patriot Act

The Patriot Act increased the scope and penalties of this act by: raising the maximum penalty for violations to 10 years for a first offense and 20 years for a second offense; ensuring that violators only need to intend to cause damage generally, not intend to cause damage or other specified harm over the $5,000 statutory damage threshold; allowing aggregation of damages to different computers over a year to reach the $5,000 threshold; enhancing punishment for violations involving any damage to a government computer involved in criminal justice or the military; including damage to foreign computers involved in US interstate commerce; including state law offenses as priors for sentencing; and expanding the definition of loss to expressly include time spent investigating and responding.

We Can Help

Qualified New York Internet fraud defense lawyers are absolutely necessary because these criminal accusations can involve the IRS, FBI, US Department of Justice and other government agencies that can spend top-dollar on arming their best people armed to prepare their case. The attorneys at The Blanch Law Firm have successfully defended individuals and institutions in some of the most contentious computer fraud matters in history. To speak with a white collar attorney about your criminal defense concerns, contact the internet fraud attorneys at The Blanch Law Firm by calling 917-472-9883 or at 1-866-690-9316 to arrange an initial consultation.