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Catfishing may lead to federal wire fraud charges

On Behalf of | Dec 19, 2015 | Criminal Defense, White Collar Crimes |

The Internet provides people with the ability to communicate with one another by doing little more than striking a few keys on a keyboard and clicking a mouse button. However, the constant connectivity that the World Wide Web provides can also lead some individuals to fall into trouble.

One way that a person could run afoul of the law is if he or she attempts to gain profit by soliciting for funds online. There are several common types of these sorts of online activities that are illegal. For instance, there are what are known as “catfish scams,” which can lead to incidents of Internet fraud.

A catfish scam can involve an individual creating a fraudulent online identity, say on Facebook, and then using that fake identity to try to strike up a romance. Having a pretend online identity is something many people do, but problems may arise when the person who is doing this convinces another person to send money or other types of payments.

Online role playing is something that goes on all the time on the Internet. However, if your actions are deemed to have crossed certain legal boundaries, you may be accused of having committed federal wire fraud, which is a very serious charge.

If you are ever investigated for, or charged with, committing online fraud, you may wish to seek the legal representation of a Louisiana white collar crimes attorney. An attorney who has experience dealing with both state and federal cases may be able to help you prepare a response to any charges that you face.