{"id":352116,"date":"2023-11-22T14:20:32","date_gmt":"2023-11-22T19:20:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/criminal\/criminal-charges\/phishing-scams.html"},"modified":"2025-05-27T13:19:00","modified_gmt":"2025-05-27T18:19:00","slug":"phishing-scams","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/criminal\/criminal-charges\/phishing-scams.html","title":{"rendered":"Email Phishing Scam Criminal Charges"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 fl-sectionWithSidebar fl-container fl-flex fl-flex-wrap fl-gap30\">\n    \n    <div class=\"fl-page-articles fl-section-main fl-section-main-full-width\">\n        <h1 class=\"fl-no-margin-top\">Email Phishing Scam Criminal Charges<\/h1>\n<section class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline\">\n    <div class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-content\">\n                    By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/our-team\/samuel-strom-j-d\/\">Samuel Strom, J.D.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by <a\n                href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/our-team\/kit-yona-m-a\/\">Kit Yona, M.A.<\/a>\n                | Last updated\n        <time>\n                            May 27, 2025\n                    <\/time>\n    <\/div>\n\n    \n    <details class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-toggle fl-gutenberg-byline-legally-reviewed\">\n        <summary>\n            <i class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n            Legally Reviewed\n        <\/summary>\n\n        <div class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-toggle-content\">\n            <p><em>This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/our-team.html\">FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/company-history\/editorial-policy.html\">our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/details>\n\n    <details class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-toggle fl-gutenberg-byline-fast-checked\">\n        <summary>\n            <i class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n            Fact-Checked\n        <\/summary>\n\n        <div class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-toggle-content\">\n            <p><em>The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/our-team\/contributing-authors.html\">contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please <a href=\"https:\/\/lawyers.findlaw.com\/?fli=bylinelink\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/details>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"fl-key-takeaways fl-mb30\" data-testid=\"fl-key-takeaways\">\n    <div class=\"fl-card-content\">\n        <div class=\"fl-card-body fl-card-bg-teal fl-flex fl-flex-column\">\n                            <h2 class=\"fl-card-title fl-h2 fl-no-margin\">Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n                        <p>Email phishing is a form of fraud. It is often related to crimes like identity theft, wire fraud, bank fraud, and other cybercrimes. People who are convicted of these crimes face significant penalties.<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Online&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/consumer\/online-scams.html\">scammers<\/a>&nbsp;have become more sophisticated with their internet crimes. They often use fake logos and realistic email formats. Phishing,&nbsp;as in fishing for sensitive information,&nbsp;happens when someone attempts to obtain and use your&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/consumer\/online-scams\/stolen-identity-what-to-do.html\">personal or financial information through fraud<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>This article summarizes how email phishing works and the laws related to phishing. Consider contacting a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/lawyers.findlaw.com\/consumer-protection\/?fli=dcta\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">consumer protection<\/a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/lawyers.findlaw.com\/criminal-law\/?fli=dcta\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">criminal defense attorney<\/a>&nbsp;for more specific information.<\/p>\n<h2>How Email Phishing&nbsp;Scams Work<\/h2>\n<p>Phishing scams often play out like this:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A consumer receives an&nbsp;email&nbsp;appearing to originate from a financial institution, government agency, or other entity.<\/li>\n<li>The message describes why you must enter personal or confidential information. For example, the email may request you \u201creverify&quot; your information.<\/li>\n<li>The provided link appears to go to the website of the entity, but, in phishing scams, the website belongs to the scammer.<\/li>\n<li>Once you visit the&nbsp;fraudulent&nbsp;website, it may ask you to provide personal information. For example, it may ask for your date of birth, Social Security numbers, account numbers, or personal identification numbers. It may also try to get your password or hints about your password, like your mother&#8217;s maiden name or your dog&#8217;s name.<\/li>\n<li>When the consumer provides the information, the scammer can access consumer accounts or assume the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/consumer\/online-scams\/steps-you-should-take-in-preventing-identity-theft.html\">person&#8217;s identity<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Phishing, like&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/consumer\/online-scams\/what-is-email-phishing-and-spoofing-.html\">spoofing<\/a>, often involves requests for credit card numbers or bank account numbers. Legitimate businesses and government agencies rarely ask for personal or confidential information in this manner.<\/p>\n<h2>Anti-Phishing State Laws<\/h2>\n<p>In 2005, California became the first state to enact legislation to deter phishing crimes. Under the state&#8217;s&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/consumercal.org\/about-cfc\/cfc-education-foundation\/california-online-privacy-laws\/#:~:text=A%20Guide%20To%20California%27s%20Other,his%20or%20her%20personal%20information.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Anti-Phishing Act of 2005<\/a>, it&#8217;s unlawful:<\/p>\n<p><i>&quot;. . .&nbsp;for any person, by means of a Web page, electronic mail message, or otherwise through use of the Internet, to solicit, request, or take any action to induce another person to provide identifying information by representing itself to be a business without the authority or approval of the business.&quot;<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Other, broader&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/california-law\/california-computer-crimes-laws.html\">California computer crime laws<\/a>&nbsp;are also on the books.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/texas-law\/texas-computer-crimes-laws.html\">Texas<\/a>&nbsp;also has broad computer crime laws, including making it a crime for anyone who:<\/p>\n<p><i>&quot;. . .&nbsp;references a name, domain address, phone number or other item of identifying information belonging to any person: (1) without obtaining the other person&#8217;s consent; (2) with the intent to cause a recipient of the communication to reasonably believe that the other person authorized or transmitted the communication; and (3) with the intent to harm or defraud any person.&quot;<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Almost&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/criminal-laws\/computer-crimes.html\">all states<\/a>&nbsp;have enacted anti-phishing laws to deter cybercrime. Most phishing scams are&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/dictionary.findlaw.com\/definition\/misdemeanor.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">misdemeanors<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>No Specific Anti-Phishing Federal Statute<\/h2>\n<p>Congress passed the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ftc.gov\/business-guidance\/resources\/can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CAN-SPAM<\/a>) Act in 2003 to combat \u201cspam&quot; email, but the federal law does not specifically mention phishing schemes.<\/p>\n<p>Lawmakers have tried to pass federal anti-phishing legislation. When they introduced the Anti-Phishing Act of 2004 and the Anti-Phishing Act of 2005 in Congress, both bills died in committee. Those bills proposed a five-year prison sentence for those convicted of phishing.<\/p>\n<p>Federal authorities may still prosecute many forms of online fraud via other statutes. While there is no specific mention of&nbsp;anti-phishing,&nbsp;the strongest laws on the books are codified in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/codes.lp.findlaw.com\/uscode\/18\/I\/47\/1028\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">18 U.S.C. section 1028<\/a>. Law enforcement may also&nbsp;apply related&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/dictionary.findlaw.com\/definition\/fraud.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">fraud<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/consumer\/online-scams\/identity-theft.html\">identity theft<\/a>&nbsp;laws to phishing offenders.<\/p>\n<p>The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has an&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ic3.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Internet Crime Complaint Center<\/a>&nbsp;(IC3). The FBI encourages anyone affected by internet crime to report it on their website. The IC3 also provides information about protecting yourself from phishing scams.<\/p>\n<h2>Charged With Operating an Email Phishing Scam? Get Legal Help<\/h2>\n<p>The government must&nbsp;establish&nbsp;your guilt&nbsp;if they accuse you of operating an email phishing scam or other&nbsp;white-collar crime. Having an expert criminal defense lawyer can make a difference in your case. Contact a local&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/lawyers.findlaw.com\/criminal-law\/?fli=dcta\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">criminal defense attorney<\/a>&nbsp;today to discuss your situation and legal options. An experienced attorney can provide critical legal advice about the following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Defense and litigation strategy regarding your criminal case and&nbsp;fraud schemes&nbsp;such as wire fraud and mail fraud<\/li>\n<li>General information about&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/criminal.html\">criminal law<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/criminal\/criminal-charges.html\">criminal charges<\/a><\/li>\n<li>How a prior&nbsp;criminal&nbsp;record&nbsp;may affect potential&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/dictionary.findlaw.com\/definition\/sentence.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sentencing<\/a>&nbsp;in a fraud&nbsp;conviction<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you are the victim of a phishing scam, contact an expert&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/lawyers.findlaw.com\/internet-cyberspace\/?fli=dcta\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">internet attorney<\/a><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">&nbsp;near you.<\/span><br>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"was-this-helpful\">\n    <div\n            class=\"was-this-helpful__question-container\"\n            aria-labelledby=\"was-this-helpful__question\"\n            role=\"group\"\n    >\n        <span\n                id=\"was-this-helpful__question\"\n                class=\"was-this-helpful__question fl-text-lg-bold\"\n        >Was this helpful?<\/span>\n        <button\n                class=\"was-this-helpful__button fl-text-sm\"\n                aria-label=\"Yes\"\n                value=\"yes\"\n        >\n            <span class=\"was-this-helpful__button-text fl-text-bold\">Yes<\/span>\n            <i class=\"was-this-helpful__button-icon\">\n                <svg width=\"22\" height=\"22\" viewBox=\"0 0 22 22\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n                    <g id=\"thumbs-up\" clip-path=\"url(#clip0_604_3418)\">\n                        <path id=\"Vector\"\n                              d=\"M6 21H3C2.46957 21 1.96086 20.7893 1.58579 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11.9866 1.31586 12.2793 1.39669 12.5577C1.47753 12.8362 1.61793 13.0937 1.80817 13.3125C1.99842 13.5313 2.23395 13.7061 2.49846 13.8248C2.76297 13.9435 3.05012 14.0033 3.34003 14H9.00003Z\"\n                              stroke=\"#666666\" stroke-width=\"2\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"\/>\n                    <\/g>\n                    <defs>\n                        <clipPath id=\"clip0_604_3423\">\n                            <rect width=\"22\" height=\"22\" fill=\"white\"\/>\n                        <\/clipPath>\n                    <\/defs>\n                <\/svg>\n            <\/i>\n        <\/button>\n    <\/div>\n    <span class=\"was-this-helpful__taken-action fl-text-sm-bold\"><\/span>\n    <div class=\"was-this-helpful__feedback-container\">\n        <div class=\"was-this-helpful__choose-option-message\" role=\"status\">\n            <p class=\"was-this-helpful__choose-option-message-text\"><\/p>\n        <\/div>\n        <form 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