Credit Card Fraud Punishment

Credit card fraud punishment depends on several factors including the state in which it occurs and if the perpetrator has any previous criminal charges. The amount of money involved in the fraud may also have bearing on the severity of the punishment.

Learn about the laws protecting credit card consumers.

Credit card fraud exists in many different forms. Any time a credit card is used by someone other than the authorized cardholder, without the cardholder's knowledge and permission, it can be considered credit card fraud. As with other forms of criminal activity, there is a wide spectrum that this crime can cover. A teen using his grandparent's credit card number to buy games online is committing credit card fraud if he is doing so without permission from the grandparent just like a professional identity thief who utilizes dozens of people's credit card numbers is committing credit card fraud.

The punishment for committing credit card fraud can hinge on a wide variety of factors:

Sometimes the amount of money taken while committing credit card fraud can have a bearing on the punishment received. Obviously, there are different punishments for offenders who use someone else's credit card number to make a single purchase than there are for people who steal complete listings of credit card numbers from a place of work and use the numbers to make many expensive purchases.

The criminal's previous conviction history, if any, will come into play when prosecuted for credit card fraud. A person who commits credit card fraud for the first time, without any prior history of criminal activity, may wind up with fines and probation. On the other hand, a person with a checkered history of committing credit card fraud who winds up in front of a judge may wind up getting incarcerated.

States have varying laws when it comes to credit card fraud, so the location in which the fraud occurs can have an influence on the eventual punishment. Credit card fraud that spans international borders may result in different punishment than credit card fraud that occurs in the same state in which the cardholder resides. Other location factors may include:

• Was a computer, or the Internet, utilized to commit the fraud?
• Was the U.S. Postal Service utilized to commit the fraud?
• Was the credit card fraud used to finance another form of criminal activity?

When other factors come into play with credit card fraud, the punishment has the potential to get more severe.

Punishment for credit card fraud will vary based on the factors listed above as well as any other factors influencing the situation. People who use credit card numbers fraudulently – and who are caught and found guilty of credit card fraud - can expect to encounter one or more of the following punishments:

• Monetary fees
• Community service hours
• Probation
• Incarceration

Depending on the situation, other forms of credit card fraud punishment may be required. For example, a young, first-time offender may be required by a judge to write a letter of apology to the cardholder in addition to whatever other punishment is deemed appropriate.

Since there are so many different forms of credit card fraud, there is a wide variety of potential punishments that may be encountered by people committing this crime. For more information regarding credit card fraud, visit the website for the Federal Trade Commission.

If you are facing punishment as a result of committing credit card fraud, speak to an attorney who will be able to give you a more accurate idea of what punishment you may be facing based on your particular case.

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