By your side

Fraud is a massively broad area of law, which is why anyone that has been accused of a fraud offence needs to have a reputable and trusted fraud solicitor by their side from as soon as they are contacted by the court or police.

In the UK, fraud offences are all governed by the laws set out within the Fraud Act 2006. The act was designed to make it easier for the government departments who deal with fraud cases – namely the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) – to charge and prosecute both businesses and individuals with a wide variety of fraud offences.

Because fraud is such a large area of law and encompasses everything from tax fraud to immigration fraud, you need to get proper legal guidance from a solicitor who specialises in the field of the fraud that you are being accused of.

By doing so, you can give yourself the best chances of fair and proper representation that will ensure your legal rights are respected and upheld and that you do not implicate yourself unwittingly or make matters worse.

What can a solicitor do in a fraud case?

Given their nature, fraud cases are usually very complex and, therefore, require extensive analysis and cross-analysis of any information that the CPS or SFO may have against you.

Alongside reviewing all evidence against you, a solicitor in a fraud case will also work to keep you informed about how your case is progressing and be by your side if ever you are called in for questioning either at a police station or over the phone.

Besides this, fraud solicitors may also engage private investigators such as those at Bond Rees LTD to defend you in a fraud case by conducting a comprehensive investigation. The private investigators can gather evidence to challenge the prosecution’s claims, identify potential weaknesses in the case, and locate witnesses who can provide favorable testimony.

They can scrutinize financial transactions and records to uncover any exonerating information and perform background checks on individuals involved. By presenting their findings, the investigators assist the solicitors in building a strong defense strategy and countering the accusations.

What constitutes fraud?

As mentioned earlier, in the UK, all fraud cases are governed under the Fraud Act 2006, which stipulates the three main types of fraudulent offences. These are fraud by misinformation, fraud by false representation and fraud by abuse of position. Depending on which of these you are charged with, the length and complexity of the case will be affected, although all fraud cases typically involve extensive research.

Different types of fraud

While the three main varieties of fraud are broken down within the Fraud Act 2006, the specifics of each differ vastly. There are typically two types of fraud that are recognised – civil fraud, which is where facts are deliberately misrepresented, and criminal fraud, which involves the theft of some description.

One example of civil fraud would be if someone lied about their income taxes, which would typically be resolved through either a fine or financial restitution (when they pay back what they owe to someone else).

An example of criminal fraud would be identity theft, whereby someone else’s identity is used unwittingly for financial gain. This sort of case would usually be punishable by jail time, probation or fines, depending on the specifics of the case.

Whatever the specifications of your particular case, if you have been charged or are under investigation for any fraud-related offence, you must get professional legal guidance and aid from a trusted solicitor as quickly as possible.