ILCS » Chapter 720 · Act 5
Illinois Compiled Statutes

720 ILCS 5/17-24 (2026)

Mail fraud and wire fraud

✓ current as of May 2026
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(720 ILCS 5/17-24)
    Sec. 17-24. Mail fraud and wire fraud.
    (a) Mail fraud. A person commits mail fraud when he or she:
        (1) devises or intends to devise any scheme or
    
artifice to defraud, or to obtain money or property by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, representations, or promises, or to sell, dispose of, loan, exchange, alter, give away, distribute, supply, or furnish or procure for unlawful use any counterfeit obligation, security, or other article, or anything represented to be or intimated or held out to be such a counterfeit or spurious article; and
        (2) with the intent to execute such scheme or
    
artifice or to attempt to do so, does any of the following:
            (A) Places in any post office or authorized
        
depository for mail matter within this State any matter or thing to be delivered by the United States Postal Service, according to the direction on the matter or thing.
            (B) Deposits or causes to be deposited in this
        
State any matter or thing to be sent or delivered by mail or by private or commercial carrier, according to the direction on the matter or thing.
            (C) Takes or receives from mail or from a private
        
or commercial carrier any such matter or thing at the place at which it is directed to be delivered by the person to whom it is addressed.
            (D) Knowingly causes any such matter or thing to
        
be delivered by mail or by private or commercial carrier, according to the direction on the matter or thing.
    (b) Wire fraud. A person commits wire fraud when he or she:
        (1) devises or intends to devise a scheme or artifice
    
to defraud or to obtain money or property by means of false pretenses, representations, or promises; and
        (2) for the purpose of executing the scheme or
    
artifice, transmits or causes to be transmitted any writings, signals, pictures, sounds, or electronic or electric impulses by means of wire, radio, or television communications:
            (A) from within this State; or
            (B) so that the transmission is received by a
        
person within this State; or
            (C) so that the transmission may be accessed by a
        
person within this State.
    (c) Jurisdiction.
        (1) Mail fraud using a government or private carrier
    
occurs in the county in which mail or other matter is deposited with the United States Postal Service or a private commercial carrier for delivery, if deposited with the United States Postal Service or a private or commercial carrier within this State, and the county in which a person within this State receives the mail or other matter from the United States Postal Service or a private or commercial carrier.
        (2) Wire fraud occurs in the county from which a
    
transmission is sent, if the transmission is sent from within this State, the county in which a person within this State receives the transmission, and the county in which a person who is within this State is located when the person accesses a transmission.
    (d) Sentence. A violation of this Section is a Class 3 felony.
    The period of limitations for prosecution of any offense defined in this Section begins at the time when the last act in furtherance of the scheme or artifice is committed.
(Source: P.A. 96-1000, eff. 7-2-10; 96-1551, eff. 7-1-11.)

    
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 7 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 2013–2024 · leading case: O'Malley v. Adams, 2023 IL App (5th) 210381 (Ill. App. Ct. 2023).
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O'Malley v. Adams, 2023 IL App (5th) 210381 (Ill. App. Ct. 2023). · cites it 3× “The Prather Trust brought counts against Bridgeview for forgery under section 17-3 of the Criminal Code of 2012 (Criminal Code) (720 ILCS 5/17-3 (West 2020)) (count X), mail and wire fraud under section 17-24 of the Criminal Code (720 ILCS 5/17-24 (West 2020)) (count XI),…”
People v. Buckner, 2013 IL App (2d) 130083 (Ill. App. Ct. 2013). · cites it 3× “Buckner, pleaded guilty to two counts of insurance fraud (720 ILCS 5/46-1(a) (West 2008)) and one count of wire fraud (720 ILCS 5/17-24(a)(1)(A) (West 2008)). The circuit court of Du Page County sentenced her to eight years’ imprisonment.”
People v. Buckner, 2013 IL App (2d) 130083 (Ill. App. Ct. 2013). · cites it 3× “Buckner, pleaded guilty to two counts of insurance fraud (720 ILCS 5/46-1(a) (West 2008)) and one count of wire fraud (720 ILCS 5/17-24(a)(1)(A) (West 2008)). The circuit court of Du Page County sentenced her to eight years’ imprisonment.”
ICD Publications, Inc. v. Gittlitz, 2014 IL App (1st) 133277 (Ill. App. Ct. 2015). “See 720 ILCS 5/17-24(b)(1) (West 2010). That plea specified that between October 2001 and June 2007, Gittlitz “submitted by mail personal expense reports for reimbursement *** knowing such expense reports to be fraudulent” and that he received reimbursement when he “knew these…”
People v. Radojcic, 2013 IL 114197 (Ill. 2013). · cites it 2× “defendants with the following crimes: continuing financial crimes enterprise (720 ILCS 5/16H-50 (West 2008)); conspiracy to commit a financial crime (720 ILCS 5/16H-45 (West 2008)); financial institution fraud (720 ILCS 5/16H-25 (West 2008)); theft (720 ILCS 5/16-1 (West 2008));…”
People v. Radojcic, 2013 IL 114197 (Ill. 2013). “inancial crimes enterprise (720 ILCS 5/16H-50 (West 2008)); conspiracy to commit a financial crime (720 ILCS 5/16H-45 (West 2008)); financial institution fraud (720 ILCS 5/16H-25 (West 2008)); theft (720 ILCS 5/16-1 (West 2008)); money laundering (720 ILCS 5/29B-1 (West 2008));…”
Pacha v. Copart Inc., 2024 IL App (4th) 240625-U (Ill. App. Ct. 2024). “[Text of 720 ILCS 5/17-24(a) (West 2022)] Count XXV—Illegal Dumping (CoPart Inc.”
— 720 ILCS 5/17-24(a) — 2 cases
People v. Radojcic, 2013 IL 114197 (Ill. 2013). “defendants with the following crimes: continuing financial crimes enterprise (720 ILCS 5/16H-50 (West 2008)); conspiracy to commit a financial crime (720 ILCS 5/16H-45 (West 2008)); financial institution fraud (720 ILCS 5/16H-25 (West 2008)); theft (720 ILCS 5/16-1 (West 2008));…”
Pacha v. Copart Inc., 2024 IL App (4th) 240625-U (Ill. App. Ct. 2024). “[Text of 720 ILCS 5/17-24(a) (West 2022)] Count XXV—Illegal Dumping (CoPart Inc.”
— 720 ILCS 5/17-24(a)(1)(A) — 2 cases
People v. Buckner, 2013 IL App (2d) 130083 (Ill. App. Ct. 2013). “Buckner, pleaded guilty to two counts of insurance fraud (720 ILCS 5/46-1(a) (West 2008)) and one count of wire fraud (720 ILCS 5/17-24(a)(1)(A) (West 2008)). The circuit court of Du Page County sentenced her to eight years’ imprisonment.”
People v. Buckner, 2013 IL App (2d) 130083 (Ill. App. Ct. 2013). “Buckner, pleaded guilty to two counts of insurance fraud (720 ILCS 5/46-1(a) (West 2008)) and one count of wire fraud (720 ILCS 5/17-24(a)(1)(A) (West 2008)). The circuit court of Du Page County sentenced her to eight years’ imprisonment.”
— 720 ILCS 5/17-24(b) — 2 cases
People v. Radojcic, 2013 IL 114197 (Ill. 2013). “inancial crimes enterprise (720 ILCS 5/16H-50 (West 2008)); conspiracy to commit a financial crime (720 ILCS 5/16H-45 (West 2008)); financial institution fraud (720 ILCS 5/16H-25 (West 2008)); theft (720 ILCS 5/16-1 (West 2008)); money laundering (720 ILCS 5/29B-1 (West 2008));…”
People v. Radojcic, 2013 IL 114197 (Ill. 2013). “defendants with the following crimes: continuing financial crimes enterprise (720 ILCS 5/16H-50 (West 2008)); conspiracy to commit a financial crime (720 ILCS 5/16H-45 (West 2008)); financial institution fraud (720 ILCS 5/16H-25 (West 2008)); theft (720 ILCS 5/16-1 (West 2008));…”
— 720 ILCS 5/17-24(b)(1) — 3 cases
ICD Publications, Inc. v. Gittlitz, 2014 IL App (1st) 133277 (Ill. App. Ct. 2015). “See 720 ILCS 5/17-24(b)(1) (West 2010). That plea specified that between October 2001 and June 2007, Gittlitz “submitted by mail personal expense reports for reimbursement *** knowing such expense reports to be fraudulent” and that he received reimbursement when he “knew these…”
People v. Buckner, 2013 IL App (2d) 130083 (Ill. App. Ct. 2013). “Buckner, pleaded guilty to two counts of insurance fraud (720 ILCS 5/46-1(a) (West 2008)) and one count of wire fraud (720 ILCS 5/17-24(a)(1)(A) (West 2008)). The circuit court of Du Page County sentenced her to eight years’ imprisonment.”
People v. Buckner, 2013 IL App (2d) 130083 (Ill. App. Ct. 2013). “Buckner, pleaded guilty to two counts of insurance fraud (720 ILCS 5/46-1(a) (West 2008)) and one count of wire fraud (720 ILCS 5/17-24(a)(1)(A) (West 2008)). The circuit court of Du Page County sentenced her to eight years’ imprisonment.”
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