When a person has become a victim of fraud, he can file a report with the appropriate authority in his jurisdiction to begin a process of investigation and possibly prosecution; this report is often referred to as a fraud claim. A person can also file a claim if he has not been victimized but has information pertaining to a case of fraud. People file fraud claims for many different types of reasons. For example, claims might be filed in relation to credit card, computer, welfare, insurance, or securities fraud situations. The process by which a person must file a fraud claim, however, may differ depending on the type of fraud involved and the jurisdiction in which it took place.
Fraud claims are documents people file to report fraudulent activity. For example, if a person has become a victim of Internet or credit card fraud, he can file this type of claim. A person may also file this type of document if he has information about a case of welfare or insurance fraud. Businesses can file fraud claims as well. For example, a business might file this type of report if one of its employees is suspected of committing payroll fraud.
People typically file fraud claims with some type of authority in their jurisdiction. An individual may, for example, file this type of report with law enforcement officials. In some cases, however, another type of authority is responsible for accepting and processing fraud claims. The authority charged with accepting these reports typically depends on the jurisdiction in question.
Often, there are special hotlines available for people who want to report welfare or insurance fraud. A securities and exchange authority often accepts fraud claims that involve securities and brokers. When someone wants to report Internet fraud in some jurisdictions, he usually can do so through a complaint center maintained specifically for the purpose of dealing with Internet crimes.
Sometimes a person will file a fraud claim with more than one organization. For example, he might choose to file a report with his local police department as well as the authority in charge of investigating Internet fraud reports. He could even file a claim with his banking institution or credit card company. For example, if a person is victimized by credit card fraud, he will likely need to report it to local law enforcement officials as well as his credit card company and possibly consumer credit bureaus in his area.
