Title 18Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-73

§1344 Bank fraud

Title 18 › Part PART I— - CRIMES › Chapter CHAPTER 63— - MAIL FRAUD AND OTHER FRAUD OFFENSES › § 1344

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Illegal to knowingly scheme to cheat a financial institution or get its money or property by lies or false promises.

Full Legal Text

Title 18, §1344

Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Whoever knowingly executes, or attempts to execute, a scheme or artifice—
(1)to defraud a financial institution; or
(2)to obtain any of the moneys, funds, credits, assets, securities, or other property owned by, or under the custody or control of, a financial institution, by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, representations, or promises;

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1990—Pub. L. 101–647 substituted “30” for “20” before “years”. 1989—Pub. L. 101–73 amended section generally, restating former subsec. (a) and striking out former subsec. (b) which defined “federally chartered or insured financial institution”. Prior to amendment, subsec. (a) read as follows: “Whoever knowingly executes, or attempts to execute, a scheme or artifice— “(1) to defraud a federally chartered or insured financial institution; or “(2) to obtain any of the moneys, funds, credits, assets, securities or other property owned by or under the custody or control of a federally chartered or insured financial institution by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, representations, or promises, shall be fined not more than $10,000, or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

18 U.S.C. § 1344

Title 18Crimes and Criminal Procedure

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73