Is this illegal?

AgentZero

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Ok i'm guessing some people on the forum use this technique, they use paypal accounts (which they purchased and created with fake name, etc) and send money to it from affiliate networks who send via paypal. Can you be illegally convicted (Country-US) for using a paypal acct with fake names, address, etc (wouldn't this be considered identity theft, but if the paypal acct is in a different country, how could you be convicted? I would think this would be against Paypals TOS, instead of being illegal through the US law framwork?
 
That could be considered wire fraud. I don't know why you would want to have paypal accounts with false information unless you plan on avoiding taxes or are doing something else illegal. Then you're just compounding your problems.
 
He's asking most likely because he wants to commit affiliate fraud or do something shady and wants a b.s. account banned rather than having his real data on the direct track known frauder list.
 
Good, I hope he does it and goes to fed prison for being a douchebag. :)
 
Actually, I think the guy is trying to figure out now to be legal but has language issues.
 
All things considered, false bank info is wire fraud, money through the mail is mail fraud
each count is a 1-5 year jail sentence (US). If paypal detects this on any paypal account- owned by someone located in any country -they will freeze the money and you are in deep crap.

Suggestion, do it right, if you are in a country that monitors all bank transactions-
work something out with a relative and stay out of jail.
 
Actually, I think the guy is trying to figure out now to be legal but has language issues.

That's what you got out of that? LOL. My understanding was that he was asking if it was OK to create paypal accounts with false information to receive payments from affiliate networks.
 
It is not illegal depending on how you proceed with it. If the affiliate company never asks you confirm whether you are in the US or not. It is just black hat.

Plus you have to remember to include your tax dues, on what you make from that account, maybe list it as other income.

It is not illegal to earn money under an alias, the tax man only gets angry when you do not pay all your dues. Also, just don't lie to the government.
 
No, i have multiple epn accounts right (so i dont have just one making $2000 a day which will get banned under the current climate) since u cant use the same paypal account for different epn accounts i need to add a new paypal account to it. I have already used paypal accounts from people i know, now i need brand new ones.
 
The only way i can see is buying paypal accounts and sending money to them then sending it back to my actual paypal account.
 
He's asking most likely because he wants to commit affiliate fraud or do something shady and wants a b.s. account banned rather than having his real data on the direct track known frauder list.

Also isn't affiliate fraud blackhat (going against TOS) ?? Are u in the right forum, maybe u have mistaken this for digitalpoint.....:eek:
 
Also isn't affiliate fraud blackhat (going against TOS) ?? Are u in the right forum, maybe u have mistaken this for digitalpoint.....:eek:
No it's not, going against the TOS would be called breaking the TOS :eek: oh and any four year old can pull off having multiple paypal accounts have you mistaken this for digitalpoint :p
 
I have had many accounts for a long time. Normally, I never let much money stay in the account. Once it got to around a $1000, I would take most of it out. Well, I was selling like crazy and decided that in my oldest account I would accumulate enough to purchase a bike.

Guess what? It was 'limited' for unusual activity. The reason they deemed it unusual? I let money build up in it. That is not normal for my account.

The moral: If you can't do without it for six months, take it out.
 
Can you please define affiliate fraud?
 
Is fraud not defined as obtaining money by deception or something like that. If that is not the definition, I would guess that obtaining money by deception is probably illegal anyway. But I am no lawyer.
 
I think BC has the right idea as long as do not defraud anyone while using the other names you should be fine (as far as Fed & State would be concerned). And, assuming you didn't create or obtain any false Government ID's and you keep detailed records for IRS and pay what you have to, you should be covered.

eBay & CPA's would probably hold your money and terminate you if/when they found out, but as long as you had sent them legitimate leads you haven't done anything criminal. But, just getting out of bed and living your life you'll break some laws. So if they want you bad enough they will use any one of the above mentioned "crimes" to get you.

Even if you did everything above board and perfectly legal you would still be viewed as being "suspicious" if you had multiple identities. :sombrero: That's life on the BlackHat edge I suppose.
 
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