Although most people who are accused of fraud do not have a history of any unlawful behaviour, if the prosecution proves that they were knowingly being dishonest with the aim of making an illicit gain, then they will receive a sentence as a consequence.
Fraud by false representation is the act of making a dishonest representation for your own advantage or to cause another a loss or to expose them to a risk of loss.
Being in a fraud by false representation investigation can be worrying and upsetting. It’s understandable if you feel very concerned about what the outcome of your case might be. You’ll want to know whether you’ll be asked to pay a hefty fine or whether you’ll receive a stiff prison sentence. You may also be worried about how your dependents will manage without your income if you are unable to work due to being imprisoned.
To demonstrate the possible penalty of somebody who is convicted of fraud by false representation, we have provided answers below. We recommend that you take the advice of a competent legal professional, as soon as you hear that you may be part of an investigation into fraud by false representation. In some cases, a good lawyer could even get the case dismissed before it reaches the court stage.
Read more information about the offence of Fraud by false representation
Here are some examples of fraud by a false representation that may have led to the situation at hand:
Using a stolen credit card – whether the fraud is performed vocally or by another communication, if a person tries to use a credit card that does not belong to them to pay in a store, they could be charged with this offence.
Stating that a car is in good order to sell it – for example, a person sells a car that they claim is in perfect working order, although they know that there is a significant issue with the vehicle.
Selling an object that isn’t yours to sell – an example of this might be when a person states that their mother has told them that she is happy for them to sell a vehicle, but in reality – this is far from the case.
Using a card that is not yours to gain access to a member’s club – for instance, using the membership card of a friend to gain access to a private club.
There are many other examples. If you would like to know more about whether a crime that you’ve been linked to is classified as a fraud by false representation crime, you can always make contact with us for further information.
What is the average sentence for fraud by false representation?
A fraud by false representation case is heard at a Crown Court. If you are found guilty and convicted, you may be given up to ten years imprisonment, given a fine or even receive both.
These offences would usually be charged using the Fraud Act, which has a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment for the most serious cases.
The court will consider what harm has been caused by the offence when deciding which sentence to give. They will look at:
The fraud sentencing guidelines specify that fraud can cause considerable harm to victims, society and the economy that goes beyond the immediate impact of the offence. For example, there might be a loss in market confidence in and the closure of businesses.
In some cases, fraud can be used to siphon funds to organised crime and terrorist groups. Vulnerable people might be influenced to take drugs or traffic people.
Fraud is also often used to fund serious organised crime that may target vulnerable people, such as in the case of drug supply and people trafficking.
The following is a section taken from the sentencing guidelines used by judges to decide on penalties for fraud offences.
Culpability demonstrated by one or more of the following
A – High culpability
B – Medium culpability
C – Lesser culpability
Where there are characteristics present which fall under different levels of culpability, the court should balance these characteristics to reach a fair assessment of the offender’s culpability.
Certain aspects of a case are known as the mitigating aspects which can influence the sentence that a judge gives. In fraud by false representation cases, they can include:
In recent years, several changes have been made to the sentencing system in the UK to save the court time and cost and to protect witnesses from the stress of needlessly going through a trial. For offenders aged 18 and over, pleading guilty early on in a case can reduce a sentence by as much as one third (maximum). The later the plea is entered, the smaller the reduction.
Ancillary Orders
A court can also make ancillary orders on a defendant if they are found guilty and convicted of a fraud by representation offence. These are extra elements that can be added to a sentence and include additional restrictions or requirements that affect a dependent’s finances, property or activity. For instance, if a company director has abused their position which resulted in a fraud crime, they can be banned from trading a particular business for up to 5 years or be required to make full financial reports for all their financial transactions for up to 15 years.
Ancillary orders include the following:
Compensation Order
The court may enforce that a compensation order is applied in favour of a victim if they have suffered a personal injury or a financial loss. Compensation may include a community order, a fine or a prison sentence and be a stand-alone sentence or combined with another punishment.
Confiscation Order
When the defendant is viewed by the court as having benefited financially from the offence, the court may decide to enforce a confiscation order to reclaim any finances gained from the crime.
Deprivation order
A deprivation order includes depriving the defendant access to computers that can be used for IT-based frauds or to manipulate payment cards such as credit cards.
Restitution order
A restitution order is when the court orders that stolen goods are restored or returned to the victim. It may also involve money or assets of the value stolen being transferred to the victim.
Disqualification from acting as a company director
When a company director is convicted of an offence related to the operation of a business, the court can decide to ban the person from acting as a company director for between 5 years and 15 years.
Financial reporting order
If the court believes that the defendant is likely to be involved in future offences, they may decide to enforce the defendant to report their financial affairs on a regular basis. A financial reporting order can last for up to 15 years.
Serious crime prevention order
This is the most stringent order to be given by a court and can influence several different aspects of the life of the convicted person. It may include
The convicted person may also be enforced to disclose personal and business information on demand for a period.
In addition, the court may demand payment of the following if the accused is convicted:
Payment of costs applied for by the prosecutors
Although the police meet some of the costs involved in the prosecution, the costs of investigation are typically sought from the convicted. These may include the costs of:
Victims surcharges
The term victims’ surcharges can be explained as paying compensation to a fund for victims and can range between £20 to £170 depending on what sentence you were given at conviction.
How sentences can be added to national information databases
There are several national databases that hold information about individuals and any allegations made about them, their criminal and court records. These include the DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) which was previously known as the CRB (Criminal Record Bureau) and the Police National Computer (PNC). Depending on what happened, whether the accused is convicted and what sentence was issued, the accused may be added to one or all these databases. Their purpose is to provide information to potential employers and to regulate the ability to take part in certain activities.
If your case progresses to court and you are convicted of fraud by false representation offences, your conviction will be noted on your CRB / police record. The period of the endorsement will depend on the nature and length of your sentence.
Below are details on how long you will be listed as holding a criminal record if convicted. This is something very serious to consider when it comes to future employment. The term ‘spent’ refers to when your name can be removed from the databases.
Rehabilitation Period (the time it takes for the sentence to become ‘spent’) |
||
Sentence | Adult (aged 18+) at time of conviction | Young person (aged under 18) at time of conviction |
Prison sentences of more than 4 years | Sentence is never spent | Sentence is never spent |
Prison sentences of more than 2.5 years (30 months) but less than 4 years | Sentence length 7 years | Sentence length 3.5 years |
Prison sentences of more than 6 months but less than 2.5 years (30 months) | Sentence length +4 years | Sentence length +2 years |
Prison sentences of less than 6 months | Sentence length + 2 years | Sentence length +18 months |
Conditional Discharge | Length of order | Length of order |
Absolute Discharge | None | None |
Conditional Caution | 3 months | 3 months |
Simple Caution / Youth Caution | None – immediately ‘spent’ | None – immediately ‘spent’ |
Other Including Compensation Order, Supervision Order, Bind Over, Hospital Order | Length of the order / once compensation is paid | Length of the order / once compensation is paid |
We handle fraud by false representation cases regularly and have deep expertise in this field. We can help you by recommending the best course of action to take to mitigate the outcome. No matter what size your case is, get in touch.
Most clients who seek the advice of our expert fraud solicitors fail to understand that it is the prosecution who ‘must prove the case’ to convict you. It is for the prosecution to prove, so that the Jury is no less than sure, beyond any reasonable doubt in their mind, that you were in an Agreement with the others (Conspiracy) and that you were intentionally dishonest in making or trying to make money or causing someone loss.
If you or somebody you know is currently under investigation for fraud by false representation, you may not only have the police pursuing you, but you could also have other regulators and prosecutors after you. It might be that you or your business is under investigation and you need the support and specialist legal advice of fraud solicitors.
In addition to a competent solicitor spending time with the defendant, collecting character references and medical information can be what transforms the outcome of a fraud trial for the better. The sentence is likely to be reduced and, in some cases, the case dismissed before it reaches the court.
Our Fraud Lawyers defend allegations of Fraud by False Representation on a daily basis.
Our fraud lawyers are expert at unravelling complex and substantial volumes of evidence. We have a solid and definite history in achieving excellent results which can be found in our Fraud Cases pages. We appreciate the impact such proceedings can have on your personal and business affairs. Our Fraud Lawyers have the necessary skills to provide a complete service and deal with any issues you may have related to Restraint Orders and onerous bail conditions.
We have represented company chairmen, directors, accountants, mortgage advisors, bank employees, doctors, lawyers, pharmacists, teachers and a vast array of other professionals caught up in these offences. As recognition of our experience and specialist skills in dealing with substantial and complex Fraud Cases, we are on the Serious Fraud Panel and approved by the Legal Aid Agency to defend Very High-Cost Cases.
We believe, no matter what your financial position if you are prosecuted by the State, you must also be defended with funds by the State.
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If you’d like to have a no-obligation chat with us before you instruct us to take your case, then call us today.
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