Published 2026 | TIKC NewsWire
Two of the most powerful tools federal prosecutors have are also two of the simplest to trigger. They are called wire fraud and mail fraud, found at 18 U.S.C. 1341 and 1343. The idea is short: if you take part in a scheme to cheat someone, and you use the mail or any electronic communication to carry it out, that use alone can be the crime. Email, a text, a wire transfer, an upload to a government portal, all of it counts as a wire. In a business that runs on email and online systems, every message you send in a bad deal can become evidence.
Why these charges are everywhere
Prosecutors reach for wire and mail fraud so often because almost nothing happens in modern contracting without a wire. You submit proposals online. You email invoices. You send certifications through a portal. If any of that is part of a scheme to defraud, the government does not have to prove a complicated statute. It can point to the messages. That is why a fraud that might feel like just paperwork becomes a serious federal case the moment it travels over a wire, which is nearly always.
How it shows up in government contracting
Picture a contractor who emails an invoice for work that was never done, or uploads a certification they know is false, or sends a partner a message coordinating a fake bid. Each of those communications can be a separate count of wire fraud. The same conduct often overlaps with a false statement and, where a public official’s duty is involved, with depriving the government of honest services. One dishonest deal, carried out over email, can stack into many charges.
Your messages tell the story
Here is the uncomfortable truth. The same emails that run your business also create a record of exactly what you knew and when. If you ever shade the truth in a message, that message does not disappear. It sits in an inbox, ready to be read back to you. The flip side is a gift: if you keep your communications honest, that same record protects you. The people who sign and send on your behalf carry real exposure too, which is the reality of how fraud cases get reported and built. Write every message as if it will be read aloud one day.
What to do now
- Write clean. Never put anything in an email or text you would not want read back in a courtroom.
- Send only true claims. Do not email an invoice or upload a certification you know is false.
- Watch coordinated messages. Be careful of emails that arrange prices or bids with other firms.
- Train your team. Make sure staff know that a careless message in a bad deal is a federal risk.
- Keep honest records. Let your message trail show a business that tells the truth.
You cannot run a contracting business without email and portals, and you should not try. Just let every message be one you would stand behind. Keep your word true in writing, send only what is real, and the same record that could sink a cheater becomes the proof that you played it straight. Brick by brick.
FAQ
What are wire and mail fraud?
Under 18 U.S.C. 1341 and 1343, they are crimes that occur when someone uses the mail or an electronic communication to carry out a scheme to defraud. The use of the wire or mail is itself part of the offense.
Why do prosecutors use them so much?
Because almost all modern contracting uses email, portals, and wires. If a scheme travels over any of those, prosecutors can point to the messages rather than prove a complex statute.
How does this happen in contracting?
Emailing a false invoice, uploading a false certification, or messaging a partner to coordinate a fake bid can each be a count of wire fraud, often alongside other charges.
How do I protect my business?
Keep every message honest, never send a claim or certification you know is false, avoid coordinating prices or bids with competitors, and train your team on the risk.
Sources
18 U.S.C. 1341. Frauds and swindles. (2026).
18 U.S.C. 1343. Fraud by wire, radio, or television. (2026).
This article is general information, not legal advice.
About the Author
Melanie Patterson
Founder and CEO of Team Integrity Knowledge Center and creator of GovCon iSource. Former nurse turned entrepreneur with over 10 years guiding small, women-owned, and minority-owned businesses to over $10 million in government awards. Build, grow, scale, brick by brick. Contact
