wire fraud
Electronic financial deception
Wire fraud is a federal crime involving schemes to defraud using electronic communications—telephone, email, television, or internet.
The "wire" refers to any interstate transmission.
It's a catchall charge prosecutors use when deception crosses state lines electronically: He was indicted on twelve counts of wire fraud.
The crime requires intent to defraud, a scheme to obtain money or property, and use of wire communications to further that scheme.
Calculated strategy, often secretive
- misrepresentationFalse or misleading statement
- false pretensesDeceptive claims for gain
- fabricateInvent or manufacture
- falsifyDistort the truth
deceit · artifice · bogus · fictitious · counterfeit documents · forged signatures · shell company · front company
Formal charge from jury
- prosecutionPursuing legal charges
- felonySerious criminal offense
- conspiracyClandestine coordinated scheming
- sentencingImposing legal punishment
defendant · guilty · plea bargain · grand jury · arraignment · bail · subpoena · testimony
Advanced in age
- retireesPeople finished working permanently
- investorsThose who commit capital
- homebuyersPeople acquiring residential property
- small businessModest independent commercial venture
vulnerable adults · financial loss · life savings · identity theft · credit damage · emotional distress · recovery · reimbursement
Fraudulent credential harvesting
- spoofingFraudulent imitation
- romance scamFeigned courtship for theft
- ponzi schemeSwindle paying old with new
- tech support scamFake technician extortion scheme
grandparent scam · catfishing · vishing · smishing · money mule
Payment sent between parties
- bankingFinancial institution transactions
- transactionExchange of goods/money
- electronic communicationSending data via circuits
- paymentFulfilling a financial obligation
account · swift · ach · remittance · deposit · withdrawal · settlement · credit card
scheme
Calculated strategy, often secretive
- misrepresentationFalse or misleading statement
- false pretensesDeceptive claims for gain
- fabricateInvent or manufacture
falsify · deceit · artifice · bogus · fictitious · counterfeit documents · forged signatures · shell company · front company · impersonation
indictment
Formal charge from jury
- prosecutionPursuing legal charges
- felonySerious criminal offense
- conspiracyClandestine coordinated scheming
sentencing · defendant · guilty · plea bargain · grand jury · arraignment · bail · subpoena · testimony · conviction
elderly
Advanced in age
- retireesPeople finished working permanently
- investorsThose who commit capital
- homebuyersPeople acquiring residential property
small business · vulnerable adults · financial loss · life savings · identity theft · credit damage · emotional distress · recovery · reimbursement · victim impact statement
phishing
Fraudulent credential harvesting
- spoofingFraudulent imitation
- romance scamFeigned courtship for theft
- ponzi schemeSwindle paying old with new
tech support scam · grandparent scam · catfishing · vishing · smishing · money mule
funds transfer
Payment sent between parties
- bankingFinancial institution transactions
- transactionExchange of goods/money
- electronic communicationSending data via circuits
payment · account · swift · ach · remittance · deposit · withdrawal · settlement · credit card · escrow
- Financial ScandalsEnron, Bernie Madoff, Ponzi scheme, insider trading, Theranos
- fraud investigationforensic accounting, forensic audit, embezzler, evidence collection, evidence gathering
- crimerobbery, accomplice, alibi, burglary, conspiracy
- crimesarson, burglary, robbery, kidnapping, vandalism
- criminal investigationsinvestigations, crime scene, crime scenes, crime scene investigation, crime scene analysis
- wrongdoingmisconduct, crime, sabotage, crimes, misbehavior
wire fraudarmed robbery
Theft with weapon threat
burglary · pickpocketing · mugging · robbery · purse snatching
wire, fraud, wired, wires, wiring, wireless, wiry, defraud, fraudster