A 15-year-old living in a suburb outside of Chicago has been increasingly agitated and bored during the coronavirus pandemic. He has been feeling isolated because he has not spent as much time with his friends. As a result, he has been spending more time online. He is interested in cybersecurity and hacking but falls in with the wrong crowd online. After looking at some nefarious websites, he decides to try his hand at hacking a local business’s email account, mainly to see if he can do it. He gets caught, and now he is facing criminal charges that carry significant jail time.
Internet Crimes Rose Nearly 70% in 2020
The FBI has reported that Illinois residents were among the biggest cybercrime victims in 2020. Illinois was one of the top 10 states experiencing cybercrime. The FBI also reported that business email compromises caused the most significant financial losses among victims. The federal government and the state of Illinois take Internet crimes seriously, and they have been ramping up prosecution for these crimes.
Many of the internet crimes that have become more prevalent involve hacking business email accounts. As people are more aware of cybercrime, hackers have found it more difficult to acquire money by hacking and spoofing business email accounts. As a result, hackers have become more sophisticated. Now they are turning to romance scams, tech support fraud, and extortion to obtain money.
Romance scams have been prevalent in Illinois for a while now. Imposters will pretend to be romantically interested in someone, develop a relationship, and then request money. Many times, criminals will convert the money they obtain into cryptocurrency to make it harder for law enforcement to find. Over 5,000 victims have filed complaints in Illinois for internet crimes such as these. The total amount of alleged damages comes to approximately $12 million.
Defending Against Internet Crime Charges in Illinois
Prosecution of Internet crimes is on the rise, and more people than ever are being charged in Illinois. Suppose you have been accused of an internet crime, such as credit card fraud, solicitation of a minor, or wire fraud. In that case, it is crucial that you reach out to an experienced criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible. Additionally, if you suspect that you are being investigated by a law enforcement agency, we recommend consulting with an attorney as quickly as possible.
Your attorney will protect your constitutional rights during the investigation process. Your legal defense strategy will include providing evidence that the prosecution cannot prove every element of the internet crime with which you are charged. You might be able to petition the court to dismiss your case if law enforcement gathered evidence against you in an unconstitutional manner.
Contact an Internet Crimes Defense Lawyer Today
When defending against internet crimes, you need an attorney with extensive knowledge of constitutional law and Illinois’ criminal code. Simply put, when you need an attorney, experience matters. Do not trust an inexperienced lawyer with your freedom. Instead, contact the award-winning criminal defense lawyers at Glasgow & Olsson today to schedule your initial consultation.