Financial Crimes
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Financial and identity theft related crimes are the number one growing crime in the world. Financial crimes often involve transfers within the national and international banking and financial system. As such, financial crimes often cross multiple jurisdictions and have a wide ranging impact. The impact such crimes have upon individuals and businesses is great reaching beyond actual monitary losses. The Financial Crimes Unit works closely with all law enforcement agencies, federal agencies, and banking institutions to prevent, reduce,and solve such crimes. Learn about the primary offenses investigated by the Financial Crimes Unit below.
Wisconsin State Statute 943.24(1)
Whoever issues any check or other order for the payment of not more than $2,500 which, at the time of issuance, he or she intends shall not be paid is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.
Wisconsin State Statue 943.24(2)
Whoever issues any single check or other order for the payment of more than $2,500 or whoever within a 90-day period issues more than one check or other order amounting in the aggregate to more than $2,500, which, at the time of issuance, the person intends not to pay is guilty of a Class I felony.
Complete the Issue of WorthLess Check Packet and take it to your neighborhood police station.
You should proceed in Small Claims Court.
You will not be able to file a complaint with the Milwaukee Police Department; you must proceed in Small Claims Court.
You should proceed in small claims court.
- Post-dated checks (checks dated after date of sale/transaction, except payroll checks),
- Checks issued for past considerations, except payroll checks,
- Checks not received in the City of Milwaukee,
- Third-party checks,
- Checks under $2,500, except checks that are being, or have been, pursued by collection agencies,
- Stop-payment checks
- Checks stamped “Uncollected Funds” or “Refer to Maker,” unless additional information can be obtained by the complainant from the issuing bank in writing which provides grounds for pursuing Issue of Worthless Check charges (i.e. substantiates attempt to defraud at the time the check was issued),
- Checks issued to the complainant more than one year ago,
- Check cases in which the complainant wishes to assess punitive damages (i.e. inconvenience charges, bank services charges, etc.),
- Checks issued by someone other than the person in whose name the account was opened,
- Check cases that have been processed through Small Claims Court,
- Checks that are being, or have been, pursued by collection agencies,
- Checks drawn on out-of-state financial institutions,
- Checks processed through a check-cashing service (i.e. Tele-Check, etc.),
- Checks for which partial payment has been accepted,
- Checks to charitable, non-profit organizations issued as monetary donations,
- Checks issued for contractual agreements, including rent or security deposit for rental property,
- Checks issued for payment of damages involving landlord/tenant disputes,
- Past refusal or unreasonable failure to make personnel available for prosecution of offender(s),
- Checks issued for illegal contracts (i.e. gambling, drugs, etc.).
What is Embezzlement?
By virtue of his or her office, business or employment, or as trustee or bailee, having possession or custody of money or of a negotiable security, instrument, paper or other negotiable writing of another, intentionally uses, transfers, conceals, or retains possession of such money, security, instrument, paper or writing without the owner’s consent, contrary to his or her authority, and with intent to convert to his or her own use or to the use of any other person except the owner. Wisconsin State Statue 943.20(1)(b)
Whoever with intent to defraud falsely makes or alters a writing or object of any of the following kinds so that it purports to have been made by another, or at another time, or with different provisions, or by authority of one who did not give such authority. Wisconsin State Statue 943.38
If your checks are being used fraudulently you can’t “file charges” until the bank determines who will suffer the financial loss. If the bank determines they will reimburse your account, it is up to the bank to file a police report. If you receive a letter from your bank (stating that your account will not be reimbursed), contact your district station. (Note: Filing a report with the MPD will not cause the bank to reimburse your account.)
If your credit card(s) is being used fraudulently you can’t “file charges” until the credit card company determines if your account will be credited. If the credit card company determines they will reimburse your account, it is up to the credit card company to file a police report. If you receive a letter from the credit card company (stating that your account will not be reimbursed), contact your district station. (Note: Filing a report with the MPD will not cause the credit card company to reimburse your account.)
File a police report for the theft of the check(s), if you haven’t already done so, taking the checks to your police department. Obtain a copy of the police report and submit it to your bank. The bank should return the check to the business that accepted it.
Advise the business that this is a unauthorized/fraudulent transaction. Encourage the business to file an incident report with the law enforcement agency where the incident occurred. Provide the business with an Affidavit of Forgery.
The affidavit is a sworn statement, attesting that the signature appearing on the document in question is indeed a forgery.
Individuals involved in fraudulent activities will often assume stolen or counterfeit identities when negotiating forged checks. The counterfeit identification will often contain either fictitious information or another person’s information.
The United States Postal Inspection Service has jurisdiction for investigating Mail Theft.
These cases generally start in civil/small claims court as a dispute. At some point the court might refer the case for criminal investigation. If you live in Wisconsin you can refer to the Wisconsin Circuit Court Online.
As long as you have closed your account, you do not have to file an additional police report regarding the use of the checks. The business that cashed your check may request that you provide them with an Affidavit of Forgery.
Whoever obtains money, funds, credits, assets, securities, or other property owned by or under the custody or control or control of a financial institution without authorization from the financial institution and with intent to convert it to his or her own use or to the use of any person other than the owner of financial institution. Wisconsin State Statute 943.81
If someone deposits a check into a bank ATM then withdraws the funds knowing that their checking account is closed, this is fraud against a financial institution.
What are fraudulent writings?
Whoever, with intent to injure or defraud, being a director, officer, manager, agent or employee of any corporation or limited liability company falsifies and record, account or other document belonging to that corporation or limited liability company by alteration, false entry or omission, or makes, circulates or publishes and written statement regarding the corporation or limited liability company which he or she knows is false or by means of deceit obtains a signature to writing which is subject to forgery. Wisconsin State Statue 943.39
Whoever intentionally uses, or attempts to use, any personal identifying information or personal identification document of an individual to obtain credit; money; goods; services or anything else of value, without the authorization or consent of the individual by representing that he or she is the individual, or is acting with the authorization or consent of the individual. This is covered under Wisconsin State Statue 943.201, Unauthorized use of and individual’s personal identifying information or documents.
No. If your card provider(s) refunds your account then you are not the victim of Identity Theft. But you should file a police report (for lost /stolen credit card) with the Milwaukee Police Department’s Telephone Reporting Unit (TRU) by calling (414) 933-4444. (Note: If a known person(s) has stolen your card you need to file your police report with the Milwaukee Police Department in person at a district station.)
No. First determine where in the City of Milwaukee your check(s) were stolen then file a theft report with Milwaukee Police Department – Telephone Reporting Unit at telephone number (414) 933-4444 (for the theft of checks.) (Note: If you determine that your checks were lost or stolen in another city you should contact the local law enforcement department in that city.)
You should contact the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
No. If the check(s) are stolen in the City of Milwaukee, you will need to file theft report in person at a Milwaukee Police Department – District Station.
No. The use of your name alone (and no other personal identifying information) is not Identity Theft. The use of your name along with one of the following personal identifiers would show that you are the victim of identity theft: (1) Birthday, (2) Driver’s license number, (3) Social Security Number, (4) Identifying number of a depository account, (5) Employers Identification number, (6) your address, (7) your telephone number, or (8) your mother’s maiden name.
First you need to compose your letter of dispute and send the letter certified mail to the creditor or business in question. Second the creditor should respond in writing per the Fair Credit Reporting Act – Section 609(e). Upon receiving the documentation from the creditor you then can complete the Milwaukee Police Department – Identity Theft Informational Pamphlet.
Once you have received the documentation, use these items to complete the MPD informational pamphlet. Make sure to complete the attached Affidavit including having it notarized prior to submitting it to a Milwaukee Police Department-District Station.
Yes. But if you do not cooperate with prosecution of suspect(s), the utility company will still hold you accountable for the unpaid bill(s).
You should contact the Federal Trade Commission Bureau of Consumer Protection below.
Yes. But if you do not cooperate with prosecution of suspect(s), the utility company will still hold you accountable for the unpaid bill(s).
Compose a “Letter of Dispute” (Sample 1) (Sample 2) and complete the Affidavit) and have it notarized. The affidavit is a sworn statement, attesting that the signature appearing on the document in question is indeed a forgery.
You can obtain an Affidavit via the button below.
You should contact the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.
You should file an online report with the Internet Crime Complaint Center.
File an online report with the “Reporting Economic Crimes Online” (RECOL) at https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/ and also file a report with the Wisconsin Better Business Bureau at https://www.bbb.org/local-bbb/wisconsin.
Social Security numbers and other personal identifying information can be obtained from your place of employment, your doctor’s office, the mortgage company that processed your loan, and many other places. The places that you have grown comfortable with are the same places that are vulnerable to identity theft.
File an online complaint with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) at http://www.irs.gov/privacy/article/0,,id=186436,00.html
File a Theft of social security card report with a Milwaukee Police Department – District Station, and contact Social Security at http://www.ssa.gov/ssnumber/
If you live in Wisconsin you have a right to place a “security freeze” or “fraud alert” on your credit report. A freeze will prohibit a credit-reporting agency from releasing information in your credit report without your express authorization. http://privacy.wi.gov/securityfreeze/securityfreeze.jsp
What is insurance fraud?
Whoever, by means of fire, damages any property, other than a building, with intent to defraud an insurer and proof that the actor recovered or attempted to recover on a policy of insurance by reason of the fire is relevant but not essential to establish the actor’s intent to defraud the insurer. Wisconsin State Statue 943.04
Whoever with intent to defraud a financial institution knowingly overvalues or makes a false statement concerning any land, security, or other property for the purpose of influencing the financial institution to take or defer any action in connection with a loan or loan application. Wisconsin State Statue 943.83
Contact the lender and request a copy of your loan application that the company has on file. After receiving the application compare with your copy of the application, if the applications appear different concerning the loan details then contact the Milwaukee Police Department district station where you reside.
Obtains title to property of another person by intentionally deceiving the person with false representation that is known to be false, made with intent to defraud, and which does defraud the person to whom it is made. “False representation” includes a promise made with intent not to perform it if it is part of a false and fraudulent scheme. Wisconsin State Statue 943.20(1)(d)
Milwaukee County – Register of Deeds office has an online alert service that alters subscribers (via email or phone contact) each time a document is recorded with their name that you can subscribe to at http://www.ptla.org/national-consumer-law-center
You will need to compose a request letter requesting a complete copy of the loan documents related to your property from the mortgage lender, and then mail the letter by certified mail to the mortgage company. See sample request letter at http://www.consumerfinance.gov/mortgagehelp/. Contacting your bank, the mortgage company, or lending institution in a timely fashion may help your cause.
Contact the Milwaukee Police Department district station where you reside.
What is rent assistance fraud?
Any person who with intent secures public assistance for him/herself or for some other person willfully makes any false representation. Wisconsin State Statute 49.12(1)
Whoever with intent to deprive or withhold from the owner from the owner thereof the control of the trade secret, or with intent to appropriate a trade secret to his or her own use or the use of another not the owner, and without authority of the owner. Wisconsin State Statute 943.205(1)
My employee stole a copy of the company blueprints regarding a boat design and is now offering to sale the blueprints to our competitors.
In the event of a similar situation, you should contact your district station.
Someone intentionally obtains services with the intent to deprive the utilities company of payment.
Generally, utility companies will file a police report (i.e. We-Energies, Times Warner Cable etc…).
Whoever transmits or causes to be transmitted electrically, electro magnetically, or by light any signal, writing, image, sound, or data for the purpose of committing a financial. Wisconsin State Statue 943.90