If you, a group of people or a company knowingly misstates or misrepresents something about the nature, scope or type of a medical service provided, healthcare fraud occurs. This often results in the insurer or company making unauthorized payments to receive a...

Mail fraud involves a scheme to defraud for the purpose of obtaining money or property for something to be sent using the U.S. Postal Service.  A federal investigation can usually pinpoint illegal use of the U.S. mail fairly quickly, but proving intent is more...

Business owners may find themselves facing allegations of money laundering in a variety of ways, such as by hiring undocumented workers. According to the American Bar Association, the U.S. government may view hiring employees to work "off the books" as a means...

Let’s face it—the word “taxes” alone can be a major stress inducer for most people. A main reason for this is the underlying fear of making a mistake that could lead to an IRS audit, potentially resulting in hefty fines, penalties, or even a jail sentence. In the past...

Missouri law handles both mail and wire fraud in a serious way. These two crimes often end up conflated with one another as well. But despite their overt similarities, they have many distinctions and differences. The law handles them as separate crimes. So what are...

The IRS considers some incorrect tax actions negligent, while other actions constitute fraud. An investigation will determine whether the agency will pursue criminal charges.  Review the federal laws about tax fraud and evasion.  Types of tax evasion  The IRS may...

In Missouri, white collar criminal convictions are often met with hefty penalties. Depending on your criminal charge, you could face the potential of years in jail, hefty fees and more. One example is mail fraud. This white collar crime involves the use of mail in a...

The media often presents white collar crime as big corporation embezzlement or public corruption. Any charge involving nonviolent crimes for financial gain may fall under the term. But as The Herald-Mail reports, a Missouri man exploited a computer system glitch to...

If you’ve ever seen a master painting, you know how amazing it is. You may want it for your own home, but the likelihood of being able to afford it (or having access to it for sale) is slim. In most cases, people purchase reproductions of these famous paintings. They...

When the real estate market is hot or highly competitive, agents often have to get creative in order to lure clients to list properties with them or to help them with a purchase. Promising buyers that their home will qualify for a mortgage amount that matches their...