Title 18 › PART I — CRIMES › CHAPTER 63 — MAIL FRAUD AND OTHER FRAUD OFFENSES › § 1343
It makes it a crime to send or cause to be sent messages, signals, pictures, or sounds by wire, radio, or TV across state or country lines to carry out a plan to cheat people out of money or property. The basic punishment is a fine or up to 20 years in prison. If the fraud is tied to a presidentially declared major disaster or emergency, or it affects a financial institution, the punishment can be up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000.
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Crimes and Criminal Procedure, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Legislative History
Reference
Citation
18 U.S.C. § 1343
Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102