Fraud Charge Defense Lawyer in Atlanta GA
Fraud is a broad term used to define theft of money, goods or property through deception.
Fraud crimes are steadily on the rise. According to the FBI’s 2007 Uniform Crime Report on the state of Georgia, there were 4,634 total charges brought against individuals that involve fraud throughout the entire state; 121 of these offenses were committed by individuals that were under the age of 18.
Crimes that involve fraud are just as prevalent in the city of Atlanta, Georgia as they are in the rest of the United States. Many people resort to various types of fraud for a number of reasons, but as unemployment rates continue to rise in Atlanta, more and more people are likely to fall prone to the enticement that can be associated with certain types of fraud.
Although many of these fraud cases may seem like victimless crimes, that is not the case. For instance, health care fraud in the United States means higher health costs for everybody, and this is a trend that has unfortunately become more common now than ever before. Health care fraud includes altering or fabricating medical bills or documents, reporting a false disability, using multiple policies to receive multiple payments for the same injury. etc.
Mortgage Fraud Law in Atlanta GA
With the housing market also in crunch here in Atlanta, Georgia, mortgage fraud is on the rise. According to the FBI, 2006 saw 46,000 SARs (suspicious activity reports) concerning mortgage fraud throughout the entire United States. The first quarter of 2007 alone saw nearly 15,000 SARs, which can be extrapolated to nearly 60,000 on the year. Furthermore, there are two separate areas of mortgage fraud according to the FBI: fraudulent activities for profit, and fraudulent activities for housing.
Fraud for profit typically involves banks and large corporations, whereas fraud for housing concerns the individual homeowner. There are many types of mortgage fraud cases that can be seen in Atlanta, and just like fraud in general, it is a growing trend. For instance, take the recent September 2008 case where 12 individuals were indicted on Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations conspiracy charges, as well as up to 18 counts of residential mortgage fraud. To date, the seized assets of those accused exceed the $200,000 mark.
Insurance Fraud Law in Atlanta GA
Atlanta sees its fair share of insurance fraud, as well. The investigation of insurance fraud is one of the FBI’s utmost priorities. Again, this is seen as a victimless crime by many, but the CAIF (Coalition Against Insurance Fraud) points out that insurance fraud cases may be costing the industry as much as $80 billion each and every year. This is why the FBI is so aggressively pursuing those who are suspected of engaging in such illegal activities. In the year 2007, the FBI collected some $27.2 million in restitution and $427,000 in fines regarding insurance fraud throughout the United States. This is up drastically from the previous year.
Internet Fraud Law in Atlanta GA
With the Internet becoming more and more prevalent in households all throughout Atlanta, crimes involving Internet fraud are now being seen as well. By far the most common type of fraud that is investigated on the World Wide Web is known as “Advance Fee Fraud”. This is a general term, and includes schemes like the Nigerian letter fraud, foreign lottery/sweepstakes fraud and overpayment fraud. All of these schemes rely on the victim’s trust, which is soon exploited and taken advantage of in a variety of ways.
What makes these crimes even more prevalent is the fact that they can be so hard to trace – though the FBI is certainly stepping up their defenses when it comes to fraud crimes involving technology, too. In the year 2007 alone, the FBI received $30.6 million in restitution, nearly $300,000 in recoveries and over $50,000 in fines. All of this was on only 12 indictments and 11 convictions. So you can be sure that the FBI is taking internet fraud quite serious, and they will continue to do so well into the future.
You need skilled legal support
As you can see by now, crimes involving fraud are very serious charges indeed. It is important that you have an experienced and knowledgeable law professional on your side. With the services of the law firm of Melvin S. Nash, you’ll receive just that. If you are being charged with any type of fraud accusations, you may be facing fines of $100,000 and 20 years in prison for every single count. We have already successfully defended many cases in the Atlanta court system. In fact, we have served the area for over 25 years with great success. We will continue to defend your individual rights when it comes to charges of fraud.
Defending fraud charges can involve complicated financial investigations and determining intent. Melvin S. Nash is familiar with defending all types of fraud, including bank fraud, forgery, embezzlement, insurance fraud, internet fraud, identity theft, Medicare fraud, and pyramid schemes.
