Federal Credit Card Fraud Houston Attorney

Federal credit card fraud [U.S. Codes 18 USC &sec; 1029 ] is the allegation that one knowingly and fraudulently obtains, uses, or forges identity for someone else’s credit information. As well, covered under credit card fraud is attempting to use one’s own credit card knowing that it is expired or revoked and selling goods or services knowing that the credit card used is not authorized or was obtained illegally. Finally, covered under Federal law is production and / or distribution of fraudulent credit cards.

Federal law defines credits cards and other items that provide access to financial institutions, such as debits cards, as “access devices.” Federal credit card fraud covers the organized criminal creation and trafficking of access devices. Like federal counterfeiting, one may be charged by the federal government for using a fraudulent access device even if one is not the creator of the device.

Federal Credit Card Fraud Details

A person may be charged with federal credit card fraud if:

• Creating, using, or trafficking fraudulent “Access Devices”
• Using a fraudulent access device obtaining anything of value equaling $1000 or more within a year period
• Possessing 15 or more fraudulent access devices – whether or not one created them or used them
• Being in possession of equipment used to create counterfeit access devices, irrespective of whether the equipment is used

Penalties for credit card fraud can vary greatly in relation to the specifics of the case, e.g. whether interstate commerce is involved. However, in almost all cases punishments include both heavy fines and jail time.