South Carolina Attorney for Fraud Defense
Fraud is a very serious offense. Conviction may result in lengthy sentences and large fines. If you face charges of committing fraud—or even if you are being investigated for fraud, contact a qualified defense lawyer as soon as possible. South Carolina attorney Jack B. Swerling has the experience needed to defend against any fraud charges levied against you. The following are some of the most common types of fraud:
Mortgage Fraud
Mortgage fraud is a federal crime that has been occuring more frequently since the U.S. real estate market bubble burst. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) defines mortgage fraud as any scheme involving a material misstatement, misrepresentation, or omission related to a property or potential borrower, which relies on an underwriter or lender funding, purchasing, or insuring a loan. Types of mortgage fraud include the following activities:
- Inflating real estate appraisal values
- Using fictitious or stolen identities to secure funding
- Making false loan applications
- Using falsified documents to secure loans
- Accepting or offering kickbacks
Tax Fraud
Tax fraud involves cheating on taxes—usually by deliberately underreporting the amount of income earned in a given year to
- The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for federal taxes
- Local tax authorities, such as the South Carolina State Department of Revenue
According to the IRS, 75 percent of middle income, individual taxpayers cheat on their taxes. Tax fraud includes the following activities:
- Not reporting income
- Using false information, such as a social security number
- Legitimacy of any bookkeeping and indications of keeping more than one set of books
- Claiming non-existent dependents
- Claims of rights to other exemptions for which evidence cannot be produced
Bank Fraud
Bank fraud is a broad category used to describe any scheme to steal money or other assets from a bank or similar institution. The best-known form of bank fraud involves identity theft, or use of another person’s private identifiers to obtain a credit card or loan, or make purchases without his or her knowledge. Other common forms of bank fraud include the following:
- Forging or altering already-written checks
- Check kiting
- Record and other tampering by bank employees
- Fraud in loan applications
Healthcare Fraud
Healthcare fraud involves filing falsified claims in order to make a profit, either directly or indirectly. The following are only a few examples of the many forms of healthcare fraud: practiced:
- Patients using fake prescriptions to get pills that they then resell illegally
- Doctors billing for services never provided or filing duplicate claims with insurers
- Medical institutions using unlicensed staff
- Patient using someone else’s insurance card
Mail Fraud
United States Postal Service inspectors investigate any type of fraud involving use of the U.S. mail. The U.S. Postal Service maintains a list of mail fraud schemes on their website for public reference, which include the following:
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Wire Fraud
Wire fraud involves using electronic communications to accomplish a crime where victims lose money or property. Using telephone, radio, television, Internet or mobile technology with the intent to defraud falls under the general category of wire fraud. Examples include the following:
- Spam emails intended to con people out of money
- Text requests for account and other private information from apparently official sources
- Infomercials that convince people to purchase items that wind up costing more than advertised
- Telemarketing calls for phony sweepstakes or contests that require payment to enter
Contact South Carolina Fraud Defense Attorney Jack B. Swerling Today
If you are facing charges or an investigation of mortgage, tax, bank, healthcare, mail, or wire fraud in South Carolina, or learn you are the subject of a criminal investigation, you may call our law firm 24 hours per day at (888) 363-4981. Our answering service will direct you to lawyer Jack Swerling. You may also e-mail Jack Swerling at jacklaw@aol.com. E-mails are checked regularly.
