Credit card fraud occurs when a person uses a stolen, lost, counterfeit, or invalid credit or debit card to make a purchase or receive cash. An estimated 25 million Americans fall victim to credit card fraud each year. Because this type of fraud has become so prevalent in the U.S., many laws have been enacted to impose harsh penalties for committing credit card fraud. The following table lists some of the penalties for credit card fraud that exist under Maryland law:
|
Crimes |
Value of Property or Services |
Type of Charge |
Maximum Fine |
Maximum Jail Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Making a False Statement of Identity to Procure a Credit Card |
N/A |
Misdemeanor |
$500 |
18 months |
|
Credit Card Theft |
N/A |
Misdemeanor |
$500 |
18 months |
|
Credit Card Counterfeiting |
N/A |
Felony |
$1,000 |
25 yearss |
|
Possessing Incomplete Credit Cards or Counterfeiting Machine/ Apparatus |
N/A |
Felony |
$1,000 |
25 yearss |
|
Using a Stolen or Counterfeit Credit Card |
More than $500 |
Felony |
$1,000 |
25 yearss |
|
$100 to $500 |
Misdemeanor |
$500 |
18 months |
|
|
Less than $100 |
Misdemeanor |
$500 |
90 days |
|
|
Knowingly Providing Goods or Services to Person Using Stolen/Counterfeit Credit Card |
More than $500 |
Felony |
$1,000 |
25 yearss |
|
$100 to $500 |
Misdemeanor |
$500 |
18 months |
|
|
Less than $100 |
Misdemeanor |
$500 |
90 days |
|
|
Receiving Property Known to Have Been Obtained with Stolen/Counterfeit Credit Card |
More than $500 |
Felony |
$1,000 |
25 yearss |
|
$100 to $500 |
Misdemeanor |
$500 |
18 months |
|
|
Less than $100 |
Misdemeanor |
$500 |
90 days |
|
|
Providing the Number or Code of a Telephone Card |
Any |
Misdemeanor |
$500 |
12 months |
For more information on Credit Card Fraud, a free initial consultation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you are seeking talk Arnold F. Phillips by calling (301) 387-2800 today.