If you have been charged with Phishing then you need a Phishing defense attorney who is well versed in Identity theft and Cybercrime laws and the Federal and state statutes. Your cyber crimes defense attorney should understand the complexities of Phishing, Spoofing and Identity Theft charges.
Phishing and Spoofing: is it Identity Theft?
Phishing and Spoofing are terms and charges that are often used in conjunction with each other. Both phishing and spoofing are forms of identity theft, which is a serious crime. Phishing schemes involve spoofing mechanisms that are “faked” to gain your trust so that you fall for the “scam.” Spoofing is when someone changes something about their email address or contact information in such a way that you might think they are someone else.
This could be a fake email from a friend or trusted contact or it could be an email from a business or service provider alerting someone that their information is required to keep your account active or there was a fraudulent charge and they need to login and confirm it. Both Phishing and Spoofing involve obtaining sensitive information by posing as a false persona.
Some of these scams can be simple, such as when someone pretending to be a relative asks you for help and wants you to purchase a gift card on their behalf.
Most if not all of these types of Phishing Scams are looking to get individuals to hand over their personal information. Other Phishing Scams are more complex and are seeking login information to your personal accounts, email, banking, and other private accounts. Once they are able to get a password they can access your email and then reach out to your address book. Oftentimes they will filter or forward any new email that comes in to a new address so they get all of the mail.
When someone falls for a phishing scam they might download malicious software, send money, or disclose personal, financial, or other sensitive information. Once you have clicked you might arrive at a spoofed website which looks like a real website but it is only designed to capture information and personal details.
Have You Been Accused of Phishing or Spoofing? What are Your Next Steps?
The penalties for Phishing and related crimes will depend on the intent behind the crime. For example if the websites to gather information have been set up for the sole purpose to mislead and steal information then penalties will be severe.
If you have been accused of Phishing or law enforcement is seeking your arrest in connection with Phishing or Spoofing crimes, the attorneys at Dhar Law LLP can help you with your case.
Members of our defense team have been trained by the Center for Cybercrime Investigations and we are experienced in the defense of cyber crimes and serious identity theft crimes, such as Phishing and spoofing crimes.
If you or someone you know has been accused of phishing, it’s important to contact an experienced Boston Phishing Attorney without delay. At Dhar Law, LLP, we have decades of experience fighting the most serious cases in state and federal courts. We defend your rights by building a robust case that can stand up to aggressive prosecutors. Please don’t hesitate to contact us immediately.
