Florida Application Fraud

Fraud is something that affects countless Americans each year. We often think of someone taking out credit cards or loans in our name when we think of fraud and identity theft, but it can affect much more than that, extending to your ability to access benefits you may desperately need. If you are the victim of Florida application fraud, you may benefit from working with a Sharmin and Sharmin Florida identity theft attorney.

What is Florida Application Fraud?

Application fraud is relatively self-explanatory. Florida statutes provide specifics for many types of fraud, but the common theme is that fraud occurs when you falsify or withhold relevant information to obtain goods or services you would not otherwise be entitled to. Some of the common problems we see relating to application fraud pertain to:

• Public assistance
• Reemployment assistance
• Credit card 
• Loan
• Social security

Typical instances of fraud like this include identity fraud, where someone claims or collects benefits under someone else’s name. For victims of identity fraud, you may not realize this has happened until you have lost your job and applied for reemployment benefits, only to be told you are already receiving them. 

Fraudulent Reemployment Assistance Application

When you seek reemployment assistance, it is often because you have suffered a significant financial hit with a sudden job loss. You might be tempted to fill out the application with a version of the truth that puts you in a better light. However, this can leave you vulnerable to fraud charges. Some behaviors that equate to reemployment assistance fraud  in your application include:

• Knowingly providing fraudulent, false, or incomplete information
• Intentionally reporting incorrect wages
• Inflating your efforts to seek work 
• Failure to report all income in the weeks you receive benefits
• Using someone else’s name, social security number, or other information 
• Filing for benefits for an incarcerated individual

Penalties of Application Fraud

The penalties of fraud can be significant. If you are caught receiving unauthorized benefits, you can face several penalties. The Florida Commerce page on Identity Fraud and reemployment assistance cited above explains that you may encounter some or all of the following:

• Payback benefits with an additional 15% penalty
• You are ineligible to collect benefits until fraudulently collected benefits are paid back 
• You may forfeit part of or all of your federal tax refund to pay back what is owed
• You may face criminal charges

Criminal Penalties for Application Fraud

If you are facing criminal charges for fraud, these may be misdemeanor or felony charges.  The resulting penalties can be fines that range from $1000-$5000, probation or jail time from 12 months to as many as five years, or fines and incarceration. Additionally, if your fraud meets the standard of a felony, you may then have a felony conviction on your record, affecting much more than the fines you pay and the time you may spend incarcerated. 

The Impact of Florida Application Fraud

The legal consequences of application fraud can be significant to those caught doing it. However, the impact on the victims can also be extensive. It can take months for victims to rectify the problems caused by identity theft and fraud, and that is after all issues have been identified. In the case of problems like application fraud, a victim may not be aware of what has happened until months or years later when they apply for assistance, only to learn someone is already collecting benefits in their name.