Articles Posted in Wire Fraud

I was in need of money and told people I was raising money for a charity, but I plan to keep the money for myself instead of actually making the donation. Can I be charged with a crime?

The crime of wire fraud generally involves obtaining money, property, services, or something of value under false pretenses using electronic means of communication, including the internet, emails, text messages, social media websites, or wire transfers. Mail fraud is a similar offense, only the communications occur through the United States Postal Service or other carriers.

Wire fraud is illegal under both federal and Florida law. The Florida Communications Fraud Act criminalizes schemes to defraud, as described above. Under Florida law, a scheme to defraud is defined as “a systematic, ongoing course of conduct with intent to defraud one or more persons, or with intent to obtain property from one or more persons by false or fraudulent pretenses, representations, or promises or willful misrepresentations of a future act.” In the situation described above, asking people for money for a charity while knowing that the money would not actually be turned over to that charity and instead used for other purposes would be an intentional scheme to defraud.