What Are Some Examples of Internet Crimes in California?
Internet crimes can refer to any number of crimes that are perpetrated over the Internet, including:
- Internet pornography, including possession, manufacture, and distribution of pornography
- Phishing schemes that involve deceiving a person into providing confidential information, such as a social security number, or credit card or bank information.
- Identity theft, which includes committing fraud using someone else’s identity
- Internet fraud, such as creating scams that are typically carried out through email or fraudulent sales transactions. Common scams include work-from-home scams, sweepstakes, Craigslist scams, and lottery scams.
- Computer hacking, which can involve accessing someone else’s computer data or network without their permission to obtain intellectual property or sensitive data.
- Cyberstalking, such as cyberbullying, harassing or threatening someone over social media.
- Computer crimes against a child, including child pornography-related charges
What Are the Penalties if I am Convicted of an Internet Crime?
Although an Internet sex crime may seem like no big deal, a conviction can land you in serious trouble. Certain crimes, such as child pornography, fraud, and stalking, are illegal without the use of the Internet. In these cases, the internet crime label will be an enhancement, which will lead to stricter punishments.
Internet crimes can lead to the following penalties:
- jail time
- huge monetary fines
- probation
If money was stolen, you may be forced to make restitution to the victims. In addition, anything used to perpetrate the crimes will likely be confiscated, including your computer, printer, cellular phone, and more.
Hiring an experienced internet crimes attorney is your best shot at beating these types of charges and protecting yourself against long-term consequences.
What to Do if You’ve Been Accused of an Internet Crime?
If you are facing internet-related charges, we urge you to get in touch with our internet crimes lawyers in Ventura right away. Such crimes can significantly change the course of your future so it is wise to act quickly. Our team can examine the details of your case and determine which strategies are strongest for your particular case. Over the years, we have obtained the necessary skills and knowledge to obtain positive results for you.
To speak with our internet crime defense lawyers, contact Lessem, Newstat & Tooson, LLP today!
