Illinois Chapter 720 ILCS 5/17: Deception and Fraud
Chapter 720 ILCS 5/17 of the Illinois Revised Statutes: Criminal Offenses defines what counts as fraud in Illinois, and also makes other deceptive practices illegal. Generally speaking, these crimes involve pretending to be someone you’re not for a benefit. These crimes are similar to theft, and range from misdemeanors to felonies.
What Chapter 5/17 Covers
- Using deception to trick someone out of their money
- Pretending to be a police officer or veteran
- Making fake stock certificates
- Promoting pyramid schemes
Below, you can use the listed links to read breakdowns of the individual laws in plain English.
Chapter 5/17 Statutes Explained
- 720 ILCS 5/17-1 – Deceptive Practices
- 720 ILCS 5/17-2(a) – Impersonating a Member of Police, Fraternal, or Veteran Group
- 720 ILCS 5/17-2(b)(2) – False Representation as a Public Officer or Employee (or Federal Official)
- 720 ILCS 5/17-2(b)(3) – False Personation of a Peace Officer
- 720 ILCS 5/17-2(b)(4) – False Personation of a Peace Officer While Armed
- 720 ILCS 5/17-2(b)(7) – False Personation of a Parent or Legal Guardian
- 720 ILCS 5/17-2(b)(8) – False Personation of a Firefighter
- 720 ILCS 5/17-2(b)(10) – Aggravated False Personation of a Firefighter
- 720 ILCS 5/17-2(b)(11) – False Personation of an Emergency Management or Red Cross Worker
- 720 ILCS 5/17-2(b)(12) – Aggravated False Personation of an Emergency Management or Red Cross Worker
- 720 ILCS 5/17-2(d) – Unlawful Use of False Law Enforcement Badges
- 720 ILCS 5/17-3 – Forgery
- 720 ILCS 5/17-5 – Deceptive Collection Practices
- 720 ILCS 5/17-5.7 – Deceptive Advertising
- 720 ILCS 5/17-6 – State Benefits Fraud
- 720 ILCS 5/17-6.3(c) – WIC Fraud (Administrative Malfeasance)
- 720 ILCS 5/17-6.3(d) – WIC fraud (Unauthorized Possession of Identification)
- 720 ILCS 5/17-6.5 – Persons Under Deportation Order; Ineligibility for Benefits
- 720 ILCS 5/17-8.3 – False Information on an Application for Employment With Certain Public or Private Agencies; Use of False Academic Degree
- 720 ILCS 5/17-8.5 – Fraud on a Governmental Entity
- 720 ILCS 5/17-9 – Public Aid Wire and Mail Fraud
- 720 ILCS 5/17-10.3 – Deception Relating to Certification of Disadvantaged Business Enterprises
- 720 ILCS 5/17-10.5(a)(1) – Insurance Fraud
- 720 ILCS 5/17-10.5(a)(2) – Health Care Benefits Fraud
- 720 ILCS 5/17-10.5(b)(1) – Aggravated Insurance Fraud
- 720 ILCS 5/17-10.5(b)(2) – Organizer of an Aggravated Insurance Fraud Conspiracy
- 720 ILCS 5/17-10.5(c) – Conspiracy to Commit Insurance Fraud
- 720 ILCS 5/17-11 – Odometer Fraud
- 720 ILCS 5/17-11 – Hour Meter Fraud
- 720 ILCS 5/17-11.2 – Airbag Fraud
- 720 ILCS 5/17-11.5 – Tampering With a Security, Fire, or Life Safety System
- 720 ILCS 5/17-13(c) – Fraudulent Land Sales
- 720 ILCS 5/17-13(b) – Acknowledgment of Fraudulent Conveyance
- 720 ILCS 5/17-17 – Fraud in Stock Transactions
- 720 ILCS 5/17-20 – Obstructing Gas, Water, or Electric Current Meters
- 720 ILCS 5/17-21 – Obstructing Service Meters
- 720 ILCS 5/17-24 – Mail Fraud and Wire Fraud
- 720 ILCS 5/17-26 – Misconduct by a Corporate Official
- 720 ILCS 5/17-27 – Fraud on Creditors
- 720 ILCS 5/17-30(a) – Unlawful Sale of Household Appliances with Defaced Serial Numbers
- 720 ILCS 5/17-30(b) – Defacing Identification Marks On Construction Equipment
- 720 ILCS 5/17-31 – False Statement to Procure Credit or Debit Card
- 720 ILCS 5/17-32 – Possession of Another’s Credit, Debit, or Identification Card
- 720 ILCS 5/17-33 – Possession of Lost or Mislaid Credit or Debit Card
- 720 ILCS 5/17-34 – Sale of a Credit or Debit Card
- 720 ILCS 5/17-35 – Use of Credit or Debit Card as Security for Debt
- 720 ILCS 5/17-36 – Use of Counterfeited, Forged, Expired, Revoked, or Unissued Credit or Debit Card
- 720 ILCS 5/17-39 – Receipt of Goods or Services
- 720 ILCS 5/17-45 – Payment of Charges Without Furnishing Item of Value (Credit Card Fraud)
- 720 ILCS 5/17-50 – Computer Fraud
- 720 ILCS 5/17-51 – Computer Tampering
- 720 ILCS 5/17-52 – Aggravated Computer Tampering
- 720 ILCS 5/17-56 – Financial Exploitation of an Elderly Person or a Person with a Disability
- 720 ILCS 5/17-57 – Defrauding Drug And Alcohol Screening Tests
- 720 ILCS 5/17-58 – Fraudulent Production of Infant
- 720 ILCS 5/17-59 – Criminal Usury
- 720 ILCS 5/17-60 – Promotion of Pyramid Sales Schemes
- 720 ILCS 5/17-62 – Unlawful Possession of Device for Manufacturing a False Universal Price Code Label
Up Against Fraud Charges in Illinois?
Don’t wait to hire an attorney – the prosecution is already building a case against you. With Combs Waterkotte, you’re getting a powerful team of experienced defense attorneys on your side. Contact us online or call (314) 900-HELP for a free case review, any time of day or night.
Chapter 720 ILCS 5/17-0.5 Definitions
This section explains key words used in this part of the law about fraud and computer crimes.
“Altered credit card or debit card” means a credit or debit card that has been changed in some way, like adding or removing writing, but not just by the owner’s signature.
“Cardholder” means the person or group named on a credit or debit card who got it from the company that made it.
“Computer” means a machine that takes in, works with, saves, finds, or shows information, including things like online storage and phones hooked up to it.
“Computer network” means a bunch of computers and other machines far apart that can share information through wires or signals.
“Computer program” or “program” means a list of secret codes that tell a computer what to do with information and give back the results.
“Computer services” means time on a computer or help like processing data, internet, email, messages, or stored info.
“Counterfeit” means making a fake credit or debit card without permission from the company that should have made it.
“Credit card” means any card or tool used to buy stuff or get money on credit, where the company promises to pay later.
“Data” means any kind of information or instructions saved or sent by a computer, like printouts or files on disks, and it’s treated like property.
“Debit card” means a card used to take money directly from your bank account to pay for things; if it also gives credit, it’s not a debit card when used that way.
“Document” means any paper, picture, or image made by hand, computer, or machine.
“Electronic fund transfer terminal” means a machine like an ATM that can take money out of your account, show balances, move money, take payments, give cash advances, accept deposits, check checks, or send money to businesses.
“Electronic funds transfer system” or “EFT System” means a setup that moves money electronically from one account to another.
“Electronic mail service provider” means a company that helps send or receive emails and lets users send or get them.
“Expired credit card or debit card” means a card that’s no longer good because the date on it has passed.
“False academic degree” means a fake paper like a diploma saying you finished school when you really didn’t.
“False claim” means a wrong, missing, or tricky statement made to an insurance company to get money or a policy, hiding important facts.
“Financial institution” means a bank, credit union, or any place that holds money or savings.
“Governmental entity” means any part of state or local government, like offices, boards, schools, or cities.
“Incomplete credit card or debit card” means a card missing required info except the owner’s signature, like not stamped or printed yet.
“Institution of higher learning” means a college or university allowed to give degrees, in Illinois or anywhere in the US.
“Insurance company” means any business that sells insurance or health plans.
“Issuer” means the bank or company that gives out a credit or debit card.
“Merchant” has the meaning given in another part of this law.
“Person” means any person, company, government, group, or business.
“Receives” or “receiving” means getting hold of or control over something.
“Record of charge form” means a paper sent to the card company to get paid back for what the cardholder bought.
“Revoked credit card or debit card” means a card that the issuer said can’t be used anymore.
“Sale” means giving something in trade for money or value.
“Scheme or artifice to defraud” means a plan to trick someone out of their right to honest work.
“Self-insured entity” means a business or group that saves its own money to pay for losses instead of buying insurance.
“Social networking website” means a site where people have profiles with names, photos, info, friends’ links, and can post messages or emails.
“Statement” means any claim or note, like bills, letters, medical records, or computer files about money, loss, or injury.
“Universal Price Code Label” means a barcode with numbers that machines can read.
“With intent to defraud” means knowingly trying to trick someone to make money or cause loss, even if no one loses money.
Contact us online or call (314) 900-HELP to talk with a Southern Illinois criminal defense lawyer.
