According to the National Center for Victims of Crime, more than a million women and almost 400,000 men are stalked online every year. Cyperstalking is on the rise, and senior citizens and children are the most likely targets. But these numbers for cyberstalking seem insignificant compared to the shocking number of "spoofing" of "phishing" fraud scams that occur every year. Spoofing is an attempt to make Internet users believe they are receiving emails from a reliable, trusted source or that they are securely connected to a trusted web site. Individuals are tricked into providing personal or financial information that will be used to commit credit card, bank fraud and other forms of identity theft.
Spoofing and other fraud attempts are illegal and are receiving special attention from the FBI's specialized Cyber Squads and Cyber Crime Task Forces across the country. Those who are charged with internet crimes will face serious repercussions under the law, and may be put on trial against federal or international prosecutors. In a recent case, a 17-year-old high school student living in his parent's home in California defrauded unwitting investors of more than $1 million in an online scam. Even though he is considered a juvenile, the court will likely punish him to the full extent of the law.
Spoofing is a crime covered under Internet Fraud law, and may be punishable by jail/state prison, federal prison, probation, restitution, loss of employment, fines and more. If you have been charged with any type of internet fraud crime, you need to act quickly to defend your rights against harsh prosecution. You need a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney who will fight aggressively to defend your rights and who will not back down from a challenge. Contact a Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer at Lessem, Newstat & Tooson, LLP to learn more about how a legal expert may help you reduce or dismiss your criminal charges.