The use of electronic communications—including email, phone, internet, or wire transfers—to carry out a scheme to defraud. In the United States, wire fraud is a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. § 1343 carrying penalties of up to 20 years imprisonment (30 years if targeting a financial institution). Wire fraud is one of the most commonly prosecuted financial crimes and often accompanies other offenses such as business email compromise and investment fraud.