Bank Fraud

This area covers two types of frauds:

1) Frauds committed against banks.

This is the act of deceiving a bank or other financial institution, to obtain money from them under false pretences.

An example of this is where a business submits manipulated financial accounts to create a false impression of good financial standing,in order to raise finance from that lender. They might under-state the level of bad debt, or over-state the level of their work-in -progress. The company may have extraordinary liabilities which they have failed to disclose to the potential creditor.

Another example of bank fraud is obtaining funding from a financial institution based on assets that a company has planned to sell on without first clearing the debt.

2) Frauds involving passing off as a bank.

These offences are becoming more prevalent as a result of the use of the internet and on line banking. It is committed where a customer of a bank is duped into providing their bank accounts and passwords to an entity pretending to be their bank. This has been perpetrated over the phone and on-line.

What are the sentences for bank fraud?

Such offences are very serious and can often result in a term of imprisonment. In determining the nature and extent of the sentence, the court will look at:

• The amount of money defrauded,
• How many times the offences have been committed.
• The efforts made to pay the money back to the victim.
• Whether the accused has any similar previous convictions.
• The character generally of the accused,
• The context of the offence including any explanation
• Any genuine remorse.
• The stage in the proceedings that any guilty plea has been submitted to the court.

As well as sentencing, the court can impose additional orders such as confiscation order and a disqualification from being a director of a company.

Should I contact a solicitor for legal advice?

The sooner you contact a solicitor experienced one bank fraud the better:

• We can give you instant advice of what to say and what not to say to the police
• We can protect you against police tactics
• We can help you preserve any vital evidence
• We can commence formulating a robust and strategy to secure the best outcome for you.
• We are also able to prevent certain cases going to court.

Can I discuss my case in confidence with a solicitor before instructing them?

We are happy to provide confidential, no -obligation advice to you now. One of our solicitors can give you invaluable and potentially pivotal advice from the start. The sooner you contact us  the better.

Do not delay, time is vital in order for us to properly examine the evidence against you, contact potential witnesses, ensure timelines are consistent with the evidence and investigate many other aspects in order to create your strongest legal defence.

Call our national helpline 0800 567 7810 now or our local numbers. Alternatively, complete a contact form or request a call back.