Fraud Lawyers Worldwide.

The main difference is the burden of proof and the punishment. Criminal fraud is prosecuted by the government to punish the wrongdoer, often resulting in prison time. They must prove guilt "beyond a reasonable doubt," which is a very high bar. Civil fraud is a lawsuit brought by a victim to recover lost money. In these cases, you only need to prove liability on the "balance of probabilities" (UK) or by a "preponderance of the evidence" (US). This makes it easier to win a civil case than a criminal one.