Federal Wire & Mail Fraud Charges in New Jersey – All You Need to Know

Because some white-collar crimes are particularly nuanced, it’s important that you understand what these charges entail and how you can protect yourself against them. Both federal wire & mail fraud charges in New Jersey have thousands of victims every year, and a conviction of either charge can come with severe consequences. Luckily, the team at Tim Anderson Law is here to help New Jersey and other states’ residents learn more about federal wire and mail fraud charges and protect their futures.

What Is Wire Fraud?​

Wire fraud, in short, is a white-collar crime that involves using electronic communication in some form to get money from individuals or institutions under false pretenses. Some examples of offenses that constitute wire fraud are the following:

• Using phishing emails to have individuals send money by posing as someone else
• Using false advertising through phone calls, email, or other written communication to convince people to invest money in nonexistent assets
• Emailing businesses posing as other businesses to conduct fraudulent transactions

Wire fraud is a broad term, and many actions fit squarely under that umbrella. The crime is defined by Title 18, Section 1343 of the United States Code. According to this law, an offense can be considered wire fraud if the following are true:​

• The accused party devised or attempted to devise a plan to defraud individuals or other entities.
• The fraud occurred or was intended to occur by means of wire communication, whether that be email, phone, television, or otherwise.
• Interstate or foreign communications were involved in the plot.

What Is Mail Fraud?

Mail fraud has essentially the same definition as wire fraud, but instead of using electronic communications, mail fraud schemes use the mail system. Some examples include the following:​

• Sending fabricated bills in the mail that direct recipients to make payments
• Using the mail to advertise nonexistent services and collect money for those services
• Sending fabricated notices of inheritance in an effort to collect personal information.

Much like wire fraud, mail fraud encompasses a wide variety of activities. For an offense to be considered mail fraud, the following must be true:

• The offender committed fraud or planned to commit fraud.
• Deceptive written statements, whether outright deceptive or deceptive by omission, were used in the scheme.
• The scheme employed the United States mail system.

The Impacts of Federal Wire & Mail Fraud Charges in New Jersey and Beyond

​Wire fraud is a major problem in the modern, technologically-driven world. The Federal Trade Commission reported that American consumers lost over $12.5 billion to wire fraud schemes in 2024. Scammers are getting ever more creative with their fraudulent messages. Some phishing schemes use email addresses that are almost indistinguishable from real ones. Victims would only notice if they read the address letter by letter and noticed a misspelling or a missing period.​

Mail fraud is also, unfortunately, common, even with the prevalence of electronic communication. Because it is easy to make fabricated notices look official, victims are often not initially suspicious of communications. Offenders may copy company logos, use phrasing from company websites, or even try to obtain some of the victim’s personal information beforehand (such as a birth date or purchase record) to make them seem more legitimate.

What Makes Wire Fraud and Mail Fraud Federal Crimes?​

Mail fraud and wire fraud are both prosecuted at the federal level. Wire fraud is considered a federal crime because it employs interstate or international wire systems to conduct schemes. Therefore, federal prosecutors can claim jurisdiction. Mail fraud is a federal crime because the mail system is considered part of the federal government, which gives federal authorities automatic jurisdiction over crimes involving it.​

Both wire fraud and mail fraud convictions result in severe consequences, even if the offender has no prior criminal record. Penalties can be more severe if the scheme in question is ongoing or has a large scope. By law, prison sentences can also be longer if the fraud was conducted in association with a federally declared disaster or if one of the victims is a bank.