Frauds and possible criteria for their forensic classification

Introduction: the analysis of statistical data indicates both a steady increase in fraud, their share in the overall structure of crime, and a rapid decrease in the percentage of solved crimes of the type in question. From a forensic point of view, new types and methods of fraudsters are emerging, for which, unfortunately, law enforcement officers are not ready. There are also no scientifically developed methods of disclosing and investigating certain types of fraud. The author of the article expressed the idea of the need to develop a full-structured basic forensic methodology for pre-trial proceedings and trial fraud, the model elements of which can further serve as the basis for the development of private methods for investigating specific types of fraud. At the same time, in order to develop such a basic concept, it is necessary to carry out the classification of fraud, the criteria of which this article is devoted to. Materials and Methods: The methodological basis of the research was the method of materialistic dialectics, as a general method of scientific cognition of a universal nature. Also, private scientific research methods were used: synthesis, analysis, comparison, generalization and description. The results of the study: the author has identified the main schemes for committing theft of someone else’s property or the right to someone else’s property by deception or abuse of trust, each of which defines the main forensically significant criteria for the classification of fraud. Findings and Conclusions: on the pages of the article, possible forensic properties and signs of fraud are proposed, which can be used, both separately and in aggregate, in the formation of private forensic methods for investigating certain types of fraud, as well as serve as the basis for creating an effective full-structured forensic method of pre-trial proceedings and fraud litigation in general.