Online shopping is a great way to take advantage of all those after Christmas sales. The Internet is generally so much more convenient than waiting in long lines at the mall, or braving those crazy shopping center parking lots. While there are numerous benefits to online shopping, there are also major downfalls. Technology makes it so much easier for people to commit Internet crimes, such as credit card theft or other forms of fraud, forgery, schemes and scams. For example, an individual can be accused of an Internet crime when he or she uses a computer and some sort of network to obtain a victim’s credit card information for personal use.
Generally speaking, a person can face charges for Internet crimes in Arizona if they:
- Use a computer as a target, and attack or damage someone else’s computer with malware;
- Use a computer as a weapon to commit a more traditional crime like theft; or
- Use a computer as an accessory to store illegal or stolen credit card information.
Crimes committed online can be punished just as severely as those committed offline. Just because a stolen credit card is used to make a purchase at an online store instead of a physical store, doesn’t mean that the consequences will be any less severe if you are caught. In fact, the penalties handed down for Internet crimes in Arizona can be extremely harsh. As a result, it is important that you protect your future by contacting a Phoenix Internet crime attorney if you’ve been accused of using the Internet or a computer to commit fraud, forgery or theft in Arizona.
If you need assistance with your case, feel free to give our firm a call. At JacksonWhite, our team includes a former Arizona prosecutor who has a background in white collar crime, credit card theft and other types of computer crimes. To schedule your free criminal consultation, please give myself, Phoenix criminal defense attorney Jeremy Geigle a call on my direct line at anytime. Consultations can be held at our various office locations in Mesa, Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe. 480-818-9943.