As technology becomes a more and more substantial part of everyone’s lives, so does cybercrime. This can include hacking, identity and information theft, child exploitation, fraud, phishing, online and email scams, cyberstalking, and more. Because of the anonymity, people may feel when they are on the Internet, they sometimes look at cybercrime activity as more of a game. However, cyber crimes such as identity theft are taken very seriously by law enforcement, and an alleged offender is likely to face steep fines and even jail time.

What Are the Types of Identity Theft?

There are two types of identity theft: financial and criminal. While these are two different kinds of identity theft, they can both cause a great deal of difficulty for the potential victims, and because of this, prosecutors are likely to do everything they can in pursuit of a criminal conviction. In addition, these crimes often leave a digital trail of evidence, so a person facing these charges should be aware of what types of illegal activity they have been accused of and the potential effects of their alleged actions.

Identity theft used to commit tax fraud is a serious criminal offense. It involves the process of stealing a person’s Social Security number and filing a tax return to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and cashing the proceeds. Billions of dollars are lost every year in this process, and the federal government has taken actions to strengthen security and go after offenders with heavy criminal sentences. If you have been charged with identity theft used to file a fraudulent tax return, your future and freedom are at stake, even if you did not commit the crime or know that your actions were in violation of the law. Do not wait any longer to reach out for legal assistance. Call our experienced Naperville fraud defense attorneys for help today.

The Federal Government Cracks Down on Stolen Identity Refund Fraud Offenders

The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) does not look lightly upon those who have in any way violated the laws of the IRS. In fact, according to the DOJ, “One of the Tax Division’s highest priorities is prosecuting people who use stolen identities to steal money from the United States Treasury by filing fake tax returns that claim tax refunds. Working to stop Stolen Identity Refund Fraud, or SIRF is vital because these schemes threaten to disrupt the orderly administration of the income tax system for hundreds of thousands of law abiding taxpayers and have cost the United States Treasury billions of dollars.” In fact, in 2013 the IRS found that $30 billion in total was stolen. However, 81 percent of those fraudulent claims were stopped or recovered, meaning that the chances of being caught for refund fraud are high.