Specialized Pursuit and Internet Fraud Case Defense

Phishing is one of the most common and dangerous forms of internet fraud. In this method, the fraudster sends a text message, email, or fake link designed to resemble an official bank, postal service, or government portal, tricking the user into entering their bank card details, second password, or one-time verification code. Many of these messages carry urgent-sounding headlines — a prize notification, a tax refund, or an account suspension warning — to pressure the victim into acting quickly. As soon as the information is entered on the fake page, the fraudster immediately withdraws funds or makes online purchases. Checking the exact website address, never clicking unfamiliar links, and calling the bank's official number directly are among the most effective preventive measures.

Fake online stores are another common channel for internet fraud. These stores typically lure customers with tempting prices and heavy social media advertising, convincing them to pay online — only for no product to ever arrive, and for no refund to be possible through the payment gateway. Some of these stores even display a fake or copied electronic trust seal to build false credibility. Checking the domain's history, reading reviews from independent sources, and avoiding payments to personal accounts instead of an official bank gateway can significantly reduce the risk of falling victim.

Investment and cryptocurrency scams on social media platforms such as Instagram and Telegram have also grown sharply in recent years. Fraudsters lure users with promises of large, guaranteed returns, convincing them to transfer funds to a digital wallet or intermediary account. Many of these schemes rely on a network of intermediary accounts designed to move and obscure the trail of the money, which can only be traced through prompt action and cooperation with the FATA Police and judicial authorities. Delaying a complaint in these cases usually means losing any real chance of recovering the funds.

Under Iranian law, internet fraud may be prosecuted either as computer fraud under the Computer Crimes Law, or as traditional fraud under the Law on Intensifying Punishment of Perpetrators of Bribery, Embezzlement, and Fraud, depending on how the offense was committed. The key distinction lies in the method used: in computer fraud, the perpetrator fraudulently obtains property or data belonging to another person by entering, altering, deleting, or blocking data, or by disrupting a computer system — without necessarily deceiving the victim through direct verbal misrepresentation.

Under the Computer Crimes Law, computer fraud carries a penalty of one to three years' imprisonment plus a fine equal to the value of the property obtained. However, if the internet fraud involved directly deceiving the victim — for example, selling a nonexistent product or making false investment promises — the applicable penalty under the Law on Intensifying Punishment ranges from one to seven years' imprisonment, a fine equal to the amount taken, and an order to return the property to the complainant. Where the fraud was committed on a large or organized scale, and the amount involved exceeds the statutory threshold, harsher penalties may apply, along with ineligibility for a suspended sentence.

In addition to the primary penalty, many internet fraud cases involve related charges such as unauthorized access to data, misrepresentation, or use of a false identity — each carrying its own independent penalty that may be combined with the main fraud charge under the rules on concurrent offenses. If the accused used their professional position or access (such as a bank or tech company employee) to commit the fraud, this is treated as an aggravating factor. Correctly identifying the applicable criminal charge in each case plays a major role in shaping the right defense or complaint strategy.

The first step in pursuing an internet fraud case is filing a complaint with the Cyber Police (FATA). The complainant can file through the FATA Police online portal or in person at a FATA office in their place of residence or where the offense occurred. Alongside this, filing a complaint with the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor's Office is also essential, since FATA acts as a judicial officer and the case is ultimately pursued under the direction of a judicial authority. The shorter the gap between the fraud occurring and the complaint being filed, the greater the chance of tracing and freezing the funds before they are fully transferred or withdrawn.

Precise documentation is the backbone of any internet fraud complaint. Full screenshots of conversations, the advertisement or sales page, the payment receipt and bank transaction reference number, the destination card or account number, the other party's social media page or username, and, if available, their phone number or messaging-app ID are among the most important pieces of evidence to gather and attach to the complaint as quickly as possible. It is strongly advisable to back up all pages and conversations before taking any other action, since fraudsters typically delete or deactivate their account or page immediately after receiving the funds.

The written complaint should include a chronological account of events, the exact amount lost, the other party's identifying details (if known), and an explicit request to freeze the account and trace the transaction. FATA specialists cross-check with the Central Bank and the relevant commercial banks to trace the flow of funds and, where necessary, request a judicial order for the temporary freezing of the destination account. Having a specialized lawyer assist in drafting the complaint helps avoid procedural errors that could slow down the process.

In internet fraud cases, time is the single most decisive factor in recovering stolen funds. Within minutes of a deposit reaching the fraudster's account, the money can be transferred to multiple other accounts or withdrawn as cash. For this reason, victims should request an immediate freeze on the destination account as soon as they file their complaint, without delay. Some banks allow a temporary account freeze even before a formal judicial order is issued, based solely on an initial FATA Police report — a step that can be decisive in preventing the funds from being fully withdrawn.

Freezing the accused's bank account is typically carried out through a judicial order and formal correspondence with the Central Bank or the relevant commercial bank. At this stage, tracing bank transactions and identifying the ultimate owner(s) of intermediary accounts is critical, since fraudsters in many cases use rented accounts or intermediaries — who are sometimes themselves fraud victims — to receive and move the money. A specialized lawyer can speed up this tracing and freezing process by preparing precise inquiry requests and maintaining continuous follow-up with the judicial authority and the Central Bank.

Once the accused's account balance is frozen, the victim can pursue recovery either through a restitution request within the criminal case or through a separate civil claim. If the frozen balance is less than the amount of the fraud, it is also possible to seize the accused's other assets — such as property, vehicles, or other bank deposits — through the prosecutor's office or the enforcement of judgments. Pursuing both the criminal track (prosecution and punishment of the accused) and the civil track (fund recovery) simultaneously produces more effective results for internet fraud victims.

Once the complaint is registered, the case is referred to an investigating branch within the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor's Office. At this stage, the investigating judge or assistant prosecutor summons the parties, takes their statements, cross-checks with the banks, and, where necessary, refers the case to an IT expert for technical review. Technical expertise plays a particularly important role in computer fraud cases, since proving how the data was accessed, tracing the transaction path, and identifying the real person behind an account or phone number often requires specialized technical analysis.

If sufficient evidence exists, the investigating judge issues an indictment order, and the case is forwarded to the criminal court along with the prosecutor's formal charge sheet. After holding a hearing and reviewing statements from the parties, their lawyers, and any witnesses, the court issues its verdict. The time required to resolve internet fraud cases varies depending on the technical complexity, the number of defendants, and the volume of transactions under review — but precise filing, thorough documentation, and continuous follow-up can meaningfully shorten the process.

If a conviction is issued, either party may file an appeal within the statutory deadline. Once the verdict becomes final, the judgment enforcement unit proceeds to collect the fine, order restitution, and carry out the prison sentence. If the convicted party lacks the financial means to pay, the victim may also request installment payments or pursue civil enforcement to seize other assets. Having a lawyer present throughout every stage of this process helps protect the legal rights of both the complainant and the accused.

Alongside genuine fraud victims, another group of people find themselves wrongly accused of computer fraud — often as a result of their identity or bank information being misused by someone else. A common scenario involves people who rented or sold their bank card or account to a stranger for a small fee, without knowing it would later be misused. In such cases, the mere fact that stolen funds passed through a person's account is not, by itself, conclusive proof of criminal intent — proving the absence of knowledge about the illicit origin of the funds becomes the central pillar of the defense.

A specialized lawyer in these cases carefully examines the transaction trail, the timing and location of each transaction, the accused's communication history with the actual fraudster, and evidence showing the client's lack of awareness, in order to challenge the legal elements of the fraud charge — particularly criminal intent and direct participation in the deception. In some cases, identifying the actual person who rented out or controlled the account to the judicial authority, and proving their role in the fraud chain, can completely change the direction of the case. Staying silent or answering questions without legal advice during initial interrogation is one of the most common mistakes that makes things harder for innocent defendants.

Whether you are a complainant seeking to recover your funds and see the fraudster punished, or a defendant seeking to prove your innocence, the technical complexity of internet and computer fraud cases makes it essential to work with a lawyer who understands both the Computer Crimes Law and the practical procedures of the FATA Police and specialized prosecutor's offices. Acting quickly to gather evidence, correctly drafting the complaint or defense brief, and consistently following up with the judicial authorities is often the real difference between successfully recovering your funds or being acquitted, and enduring prolonged proceedings that erode your legal rights.