Computer Fraud

Computer fraud is where a person uses computers, internet services, internet devices, and the internet itself for defrauding people, government agencies, or companies of internet access, revenue, or money. Some of the most common illegal computer activities are comprised of social engineering, phishing, DDoS attacks, and viruses used for disrupting services or gaining access to another person’s funds. If you have been charged with stealing someone’s personal information from their computer, or any other type of computer fraud, the top Pittsburgh Criminal Defense Lawyer at Logue Law Group can help. A Pittsburgh computer fraud lawyer will be important in protecting your rights.

What is Federal Computer Fraud?

It is a fact that the federal government makes it illegal to use the internet or a personal computer for creating misrepresentations that will make another individual lose his property or money. A list of the most commonly used computer fraud schemes includes:

• To change the entries of the computer in an unauthorized way for moving funds into an account which will mostly benefit the individual inputting the information
• To delete or change the information in a database exclusively for your personal benefit
• To rewrite the computer code of a bank in order to gain access to the identification of an account holder
• To hack a computer for the purpose of stealing money, especially from the bank or other business
• To hack a computer to steal identification information, like credit card numbers or passwords
• Phishing schemes which trick unsuspecting individuals into inputting their credit card numbers on fake websites

Abuse Act and Computer Fraud

In 1986, Congress passed the CFAA (Computer Fraud and Abuse Act) which is a basic law utilized by federal prosecutors for prosecuting computer and internet crimes that include computer fraud. In fact, this law had been enacted for curtailing computer crime while legislators tried to keep up with the growing number of criminal activities via amending it a couple of times, as our computer fraud attorneys in Pittsburgh recall. The CFAA will consider it a federal crime to trespass intentionally and destructively in the below-mentioned computer systems, if not an authorized user:

• Computers utilized for foreign and/or interstate commerce
• Bank computers
• Federal computers

What Will be the Penalty?

A first offense computer fraud conviction can lead to 5 years of imprisonment and/or paying a hefty fine. The severity of your punishment will depend upon the legality of your entrance into the computer network, and if you acted with intent to commit fraud or cause destruction or harm. Computer fraud cases are graded in the same manner as other crimes, and the charges can range from misdemeanors to felonies.

Ways in Which a Lawyer Can Help

The moment you are charged with the crime of computer fraud, you will automatically face inflexible laws and a determined prosecutor. Here, our Pittsburgh Computer Fraud Attorney can help you a great deal in examining your choices and attaining the finest result for your case.

Defenses that can be used in computer fraud cases include consent—the defendant had permission to use the computer and/or network in the manner in which he or she did; and intent—the defendant did not intend to commit a crime. Often, use of the intent defense will lead to the lowering of the offense to a lesser charge.

Don’t wait to call an attorney! The longer you wait, the more difficult it will be for a lawyer to help you win the fight against the charges you face. Computer fraud is prosecuted zealously both inside and outside of Pittsburgh, making it vital for people who have been charged with this offense to accept the assistance of an expert Pittsburgh Criminal Defense Lawyer who will attempt to have the charges dismissed or reduced. So, give us a call at Logue Law Group, (412) 612-2210. Rest assured, the computer fraud lawyers at our Pittsburgh firm will help you in every way possible to make you feel relaxed and calm while they fight for your future.