In any state, fraud is a serious felony. Like other states, Alaska has statutes that punish fraud crimes. There are numerous types of fraud, and they all come with harsh penalties, including:
- Your reputation suffers if you are accused of fraud.
- Your business partners, practicing license, or job could all be lost.
Because of the harsh repercussions, You should hire an attorney in Anchorage experienced with Alaska laws to defend you against fraud allegations.
Check Fraud
Making, writing, possessing, or using a fake check is now unlawful in Alaska under Alaska Statutes Title 11. Criminal Law § 11.46.280. According to the laws, forgery is committed by anyone who fabricates a document with the intent to defraud someone else or attempts to pass a fake or altered bill, checks, note, or other pieces of writing that purports to be a document for monetary returns or property of an actual or fictitious financial institution.
Real Estate and Mortgage Fraud
When you or your company takes unfair advantage of another party during a real estate transaction—which could happen during an appraisal, closing, or foreclosure—that is when real estate and mortgage fraud happens. In Alaska, this crime is punishable by many laws, including Alaska Stat. § 06.60.340 and Alaska Stat. § 06.60.060.
Credit and Debit Card Fraud
Alaska Stat. §11.46.285 and Alaska Stat. §11.46.290 prohibits acts of fraudulently obtaining or using a credit card. Alaska Stat. §11.46.285 punishes the fraudulent use of an access device, and Alaska Stat. §11.46.290 punished the act of obtaining an access device or identification document by fraudulent means.
You violate Alaska Stat. §11.46.285 when you intend to defraud, and you know that the access card is:
- Being used without authorization by either the issuer or the person to whom the card is issued.
- Expired or has been revoked or canceled.
- Stolen or forged.
You violate Alaska Stat. §11.46.290 when you:
- Buy an access card from someone else other than the issuer of that card.
- Obtain the access card intending to defraud.
- Make a false statement in an application intending to defraud the application for the access card.
Vehicle Insurance Fraud
In Alaska, auto insurance fraud is one of the most pervasive types of insurance fraud that is prosecuted. If you purposefully damage, destroy, abandon, or dispose of insured property to defraud the insurer, you are guilty of vehicle insurance fraud. The following behaviors, as well as any solicitation or conspiracy with another individual, are prohibited:
- knowingly assisting in submitting a false claim for the payment of a loss or damage resulting from an insurance contract.
- The deliberate filing of many claims with multiple insurers for the same loss or injury with the intent to mislead the insurance company.
- Fake or deliberate involvement in a collision with a vehicle to defraud the insurance.
- Presenting a knowingly fraudulent report of theft, destruction, or damage. Converting a car, a part of a vehicle, or the contents of a vehicle to receive money.
- Making or signing a document with the knowledge that it would be utilized, permitting it to be used to support false claims or both.
Unemployment Insurance Fraud
Unemployment insurance (UI) is a joint federal-state insurance program run by the Employment Development Department (EDD) in Alaska. The program aims to assist people whose job loss was not a result of their irresponsibility. Beneficiaries of this program are paid from $50 to $500 per week. For you to qualify for unemployment funds, you must:
- Be unemployed.
- Be looking for employment.
- Be ready and fit to start work immediately.
When you submit false or incomplete information to claim unemployment benefits, you violate Alaska law’s definition of unemployment insurance fraud. When a business provides misleading information to discourage current or former employees from taking advantage of the program, EDD fraud may also occur.
Medicaid Fraud
You may also hear it referred to as health insurance fraud, HMO fraud, Medicare fraud, or Medi-Cal fraud. Medical personnel, such as doctors, nurses, and therapists, as well as other employees of medical offices or hospitals, such as secretaries or clerks, are frequently charged with HMO fraud. You can be accused of medical fraud if you:
- Make false or deceptive claims about your health.
- File several claims for the same medical procedure and double charge the insurer.
- Submit undercharges without overcharges.
- Support of a fraudulent claim in any manner.
Have you ever been accused of committing a fraud offense in Alaska? Because fraud offenses are considered Offenses of Moral Turpitude, they severely hurt temporary residents or anyone with a professional license because they constitute theft and dishonesty crimes. You should hire a trustworthy, knowledgeable criminal defense lawyer to increase your chances of having your charges reduced or dismissed.
