Deceiving another person over the phone in order to get monetary benefit is called telemarketing fraud. It could include misrepresentation of facts of false advertising of a product. Telemarketing scams are very common in the United States and there are laws in place to prosecute anyone who is involved. Some examples of telemarketing fraud are fake lottery phone calls or phone calls misleading the victim into thinking they will receive something in exchange for their personal information.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) deals with telemarketing fraud and makes sure that anyone found guilty is charged accordingly. The commission investigates all complaints made and starts proceedings against those involved. The commission’s decision can be appealed in any United States court.
Each state has its own laws to deal with telemarketing fraud as well, thus the exact sentencing depends on the different statutes. However, most telemarketing fraud schemes are conducted in a manner that includes crossing state lines. Thus the Federal Trade Commission has the most power because several states could be involved.
Facing criminal charges in telemarketing fraud cases can be tricky. But you should remember that you are innocent till proven guilty in the court of law. You have constitutional rights and you might need a defense attorney to help you fight the charges. The attorney will give you advice according to the facts of your case and try to get you exonerated. But even if you lose the case brought forward by the FTC, your attorney can still file an appeal in another U.S court.