3 Ways You Can Be Charged With Credit Card Fraud
Posted on: 8 July 2019
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When most people think of criminal charges, they think of things like theft, assault, or drug crimes. However, there are some crimes that are considered just as bad in the eyes of the court system, and you can find yourself with some pretty serious charges and penalties. Credit card fraud is one of those criminal charges. Even though most people will never do anything illegal with a credit card that would lead to facing fraud charges, getting caught up in these kinds of charges is far easier than you may realize.
You open a credit card in someone's name other than your own.
One of the most common forms of credit card fraud that can land you with criminal charges is if you open and use a credit card in someone's name other than your own. This is a lot easier to do and get yourself in trouble with than what most people actually realize. For example, it would be illegal if you obtained a credit card in your parent's name, ex-spouses' name, or in your boss's name.
You accept payment from someone else with a credit card and you know the card was obtained illegally.
If you are a business owner who accepts credit card payments, you also have to be careful about who you do business with. If you accept payment from someone with a credit card and that card is not theirs, you have to make sure the card was legally obtained. If you knowingly accept a payment from someone who has an illegally obtained card, you could be facing criminal charges yourself for taking part in their illegal actions.
You use a credit card to pay for something even though you know the funds are not available.
If you knowingly use a card and you are aware that it is not going to stand good for the charges you agreed to pay for, you can also be charged with using a credit card in a fraudulent manner. In today's digital world, most business owners have card readers, so this kind of crime is a rare thing since business owners know immediately if a card is rejected. However, if you use your card information to pay for something and the card is not instantly read, you could easily walk away with goods or having taken part in a service that you did not pay for.
If you find yourself in legal trouble due to credit card fraud, contact a criminal defense attorney.