Any type of fraud charge that is related to an individual’s identity, such as identity theft or credit card fraud, is considered identity fraud. When this offense is alleged, it is important to contact an Alexandria identity fraud lawyer as these offenses are very serious and often carry a number of severe consequences including fines and jail time. An experienced fraud lawyer in Alexandria, however, may be able to assist in building a defense and preparing the defendant for what they are going to face. To learn more, call and schedule a consultation today.
Depending on what type of identity fraud someone is charged with, the potential penalties will vary. Credit card fraud is one example. With credit card fraud someone is using somebody else’s credit card to make a purchase and does not have the card owner’s consent, meaning someone is acting as the card owner. An individual could be charged with anything from a Class 1 misdemeanor, a serious misdemeanor, all the way up to a Class 6 felony, depending on the amount of money and the facts of the case.
A lot will depend on what an individual’s case physically involves, but another example would be if someone were giving false statements to get a credit card. This would also be a Class 1 misdemeanor. That would entail up to 12 months in jail and up to a $2,500 fine. It really is just going to depend on the facts of the case and what exactly someone is charged with.
For identity fraud charges, defense strategies include things like finding a lack of intent to fraudulently give information—if an individual accidentally misspelled his or her name for instance, that would be a defense an identity fraud lawyer in Alexandria could use. Additionally, for credit card theft and similar charges, defenses would include alibi defenses. If it was not an individual that did the action in question, that would be something to attack as well. The intent is generally the main focus for a defense to an identity fraud question.
If a person realizes they are under investigation for fraud when something happens like a bank account is frozen. That person should contact a local Alexandria identity fraud lawyer as soon as possible so they examine the reasons behind this action. In some situations, the attorney would be able to start compiling evidence to help prepare a defense for an individual and to tell an individual to discontinue an action if someone is doing something that could be considered fraud.
Retaining an Alexandria based fraud attorney right away will help an individual not to commit any further crimes and additionally will help an individual give the information over to the attorney so that the attorney can help them stop giving information to law enforcement officers.
An identity fraud attorney in the Alexandria area can provide support for a person charged with fraud, by explaining what is going on in the case. This informative communication is perhaps the most important thing. Fraud can be extremely confusing and the charges can be extremely sophisticated. An individual needs somebody to explain what the elements are and how an individual violated them.
Additionally, a charged individual also needs an attorney to help sort out the issues that are related to fraud charges. Under Virginia law, an individual can get a new fraud charge. An individual can be charged with another count of a fraud offense if a reasonable action occurs. in Alexandria a fraud attorney is able to help an individual figure out exactly what the appropriate charges are and that is a benefit that an individual should have right from the beginning of their case.