Your Quick Guide to Assessment and Prosecution

One of the United States government's main concerns is benefit fraud committed by illegal aliens who wish to gain prohibited access into the United States as a means to obtaining government benefits fraudulently. These benefits can include: US citizenship, a visa, and political asylum. In this case, the ICE (the Immigration Customs and Enforcement Force) may send out a team of fraud investigators to collect findings in a benefit fraud investigation. In this specific area of government fraud, benefit fraud investigators will most likely examine said evidence to see if it is in fact counterfeit. Another form of fraud committed against the government includes criminals taking advantage of disability and unemployment benefits when they are not actually, in fact, entitled to them. Fraud investigators will conduct extensive research into criminal backgrounds in all areas of benefit fraud by investigating documents, applications, criminal history, and various other types of background checks to determine if the suspect is guilty. They may even begin surveillance of the person(s) in question using high tech equipment, including still photography cameras, video cameras, and even wires and microphones to monitor activity and conversations. If a benefit fraud investigation brings about the need for a seizure of evidence, then, depending on the investigator's findings, a warrant for search and seizure of evidence may be issued. Once a benefit fraud investigation is conducted and there is a substantial amount of evidence linking the suspect to the government fraud, a fraud investigator may report his findings to higher authorities. The suspect may then be prosecuted in federal court. Fraud attorneys may be needed to help prosecute, and in the case of fraud committed against the government, a qui tam lawyers group may be able to assist an individual wishing to blow the whistle on these illegal fraud activities. Prosecution may strive for a variety of penalties and, depends on the crime itself, which may vary from fines, to jail time, or even deportation. In some cases, it is reported that many people will attempt to pay hefty fines in order to avoid prosecution. This becomes especially evident once the findings are revealed from a benefit fraud investigation or by benefit fraud investigators.