Holland Fraud Investigations

Fraud is obtaining property of value by means of a false representation. For example, bad checks are a common act of fraud because they involve a person signing a name on a check that is not their own or giving someone a check when the person knows there is no money in the account. Penalties vary depending on the type of fraud committed, but many convictions can result in extensive time in prison for the offender. Prosecutors take Holland fraud investigations seriously, which is why it is essential to have a seasoned lawyer by your side if you have been charged with fraud.

When a person has been contacted by anyone, such as law enforcement agency or a financial institution, asking questions about a transaction related to fraud, they should contact a fraud lawyer immediately. Even if the person being questioned has a legitimate explanation, that individual should have someone there to make sure they are being represented appropriately and do not put themselves in a difficult situation.

In fraud cases, the affected party may not even be aware that fraud has occurred for several months after the incident takes place. This makes fraud investigations in Holland more difficult because the person does not have the immediacy of the investigation happening right away.

The internet has had a huge impact on fraud offenses because people make many purchases through the internet, which means their financial information is subject to being hacked. An experienced hacker can gain access to a person’s entire credit history.

Also, a vast majority of purchases are made online where the buyer cannot see the person they are buying from. If the seller is unreliable and now has access to that person’s information, then the seller has an easy opportunity to commit fraud.

When collecting evidence in a fraud case, it is crucial to first track down information about the fraudulent purchaser. For example, if someone is charged with $2,000,000 worth of airline tickets they did not order, it is important to investigate the transaction. The investigation for evidence includes the initial credit card offer, the person who made the purchase, where the tickets were mailed or how they were picked up. If the person’s address is in Ohio and the checks were mailed to Michigan, this offers a clue. Further investigation then focuses on the address in Michigan to see whether a known individual could be associated with the address. There could be surveillance evidence as well. If the person came to the airport to redeem the tickets, then there may be surveillance photos or videos of that person. If the crime is part of a pattern of activity, the person could be easier to track down.

A mistake that could happen in a fraud case is if the person affected by the fraud has a hard time convincing the financial institution that a fraud occurred, and they attempt to resolve the situation on their own. It is crucial to get a lawyer involved in Holland fraud investigations right away. An experienced attorney can begin the process of establishing conclusively that a fraud occurred, and the person affected can void weeks or months of hassle from financial institutions or law enforcement. Someone affected by fraud might need to hire a lawyer even though they did nothing wrong. A fraud investigation can be a long process and could hurt that person’s credit.

If someone is accused of committing fraud, then they will want a lawyer representing them from the beginning so they could build a defense. When it comes to fraud cases, it is usually best to obtain legal counsel as soon as possible.