As the capabilities of the internet have grown, and especially as the number of people using the internet on a day-to-day basis has skyrocketed, internet-based crimes have also risen. Most involve fraud and seek to steal money from the victim. Famously, there are email scams, like the emails purporting to be from people in Nigeria who can help the reader obtain thousands of dollars that a "relative" allegedly left behind - for a fee. Others, however, are far more subtle - but nonetheless criminal.
More and more, Floridians are using the internet for financial transactions, such as online shopping, banking, and even e-filing taxes. Unfortunately, this has created new avenues for credit card fraud and other crimes. Recently, a Tampa bay area woman was the victim of such a crime, which was perpetrated by a man whom she trusted and considered to be a friend. The crime occurred when the less tech-savvy victim allowed her friend to "help" her file her tax return.
William Alston Clarke, who is 25 and resides in Sebring, faces charges for committing a computer crime with the intent to defraud and attempting to use another person's identification without consent. According to police, Clarke was "helping" his friend e-file her tax return in January. Clarke had access to the victim's financial information, including her W-2 forms, bank account and routing numbers, and Social Security number. He was entrusted with the task of setting up a direct deposit refund for about $1,500 - which he allegedly did, filling in his own bank account numbers. A deposit of the exact amount of the refund due to the victim was subsequently made into his checking account. He has been released on a $6,000 bond.
If you have been arrested for a computer crime or fraud in the Tampa bay area, contact the criminal defense attorneys of Musca Law to discuss your legal rights.
