Fraud Cases in Iran: Complaints and Defence

Fraud is defined in Article 1 of the Law on Intensifying Penalties for Bribery, Embezzlement and Fraud (1988): obtaining another person’s property by deceiving them through fraudulent means—fake companies, false authority, false hopes, fabricated names or titles. The deception must come before, and cause, the transfer of property, and there must be intent.

A party who simply fails to perform a contract, without prior fraudulent manoeuvres, usually faces a civil claim rather than a criminal one. Drawing this line correctly at the start saves months and keeps asset-freezing options open.

The complaint is filed through a judicial e-services office and investigated by the prosecutor’s office, which may order bail, bank enquiries and a travel ban before indicting the accused. The victim can claim the return of the property and damages in the same case.

Simple fraud carries one to seven years’ imprisonment, a fine equal to the property obtained and an order to return it; aggravated forms are punished more severely. Since the 2020 sentencing reform, fraud below the statutory amount is compoundable.

Defences usually target a missing element: no deceptive act, a purely civil relationship, no intent or the complainant’s knowledge of the facts. Shahin Group drafts evidence-based complaints and protective requests for victims and provides technical defence for the accused from the first interview.