If you or a loved one has been charged with credit card fraud in Los Angeles or elsewhere in the State of California, you should immediately contact an experienced Los Angeles Credit Card Fraud Attorney at The H Law Group to defend you and keep you from going to prison for a very long period of time. California and Los Angeles are a hotspot for credit card fraud, so law enforcement agencies investigate and prosecute this crime vigorously to reduce the financial losses to financial institutions.
Typically, the prosecution brings credit card fraud under the following California Penal Code Sections: 484e PC, 484f PC, 484g PC, 484h PC, 484i, and 484j PC. These code sections make it unlawful to commit fraud through the use of a credit card, debit card, or access card. You should not take criminal charges under any of these criminal code sections lightly as a conviction carries a maximum penalty of up to three years in county jail.
So, if you have been charged with any of the criminal charges listed above, you should promptly contact an experienced Los Angeles Credit Card Fraud Lawyer to represent you and keep you from going to jail for a very long period of time. Our attorneys have the knowledge and experience necessary to best represent you and achieve the best possible outcome for you. Schedule your free consultation today by filling out the contact form below or by calling us at 1 (213) 370-0404.
Penal Code 484e PC makes it a crime for a person to fraudulently possess, sell, or transfer a credit card or credit card information without the card holder’s consent to do. For example, if a customer gives you his credit card information to pay for services, and you keep his credit card information to use it for your own purchase or to sell it to someone else, you can be charged with and convicted of credit card in violation of Penal Code Section 484e PC.
Penal Code 484f PC makes it a crime for a person to alter or create a credit card, debit card, or access card for a fraudulent use. This also includes signing a card holder’s name onto a receipt for a fraudulent purpose can result in the person being convicted of credit card fraud in violation of 484f PC.
This code section makes it a crime for a person to use a credit card, debit card, or access card to fraudulently obtain money, goods, or services, or anything else of value while knowing that the credit card or card information was obtained or retained unlawfully, or the defendant is using a credit card that he knows is forged, has expired, or has been revoked.
This code section makes it a crime for a person or retailer to fraudulently give money or sell goods or services to a person who he knows is stolen, forged, expired, or revoked. For example, if a credit card thief goes to a supermarket and uses a card that the supermarket owner knows is stolen, the supermarket owner (retailer) can be charged with credit card fraud in violation of penal code section 484h.
This code section makes it a crime for a person to fraudulently make, alter, change, or modify a credit card, debit card, or other access cards. This includes modifying the physical appearance of the card or modifying information encoded onto the magnetic stripe of the credit card. Also, this code section makes it illegal to possess, sell, or transfer equipment that’s used for counterfeiting credit cards.
This code section makes it unlawful for a person to publish the number or code of a credit card, debit card, access card, PIN number, or computer password with knowledge or reason to believe that such information will be used for a fraudulent purpose.
Attempting to use or actually using a credit card or credit card information for a fraudulent purpose will violate a variety of credit card fraud laws. That said, one common thing that the prosecution must prove to convict an individual of credit card fraud is that the defendant must have had the intent to commit fraud. This can be difficult to show in some situations.
If you have been charged with violating any of these penal code sections, you should promptly contact an experienced Los Angeles Credit Card Fraud Attorney to represent you and keep you from going to jail for a very long period of time. Our attorneys are experienced, so they will do all that they can to mitigate the potential consequences that you face.
If the prosecution convicts a person of credit card fraud in Los Angeles or elsewhere in the State of California, the person faces the following potential consequences:
Penal Code 484e PC – This code section can be charged as either a felony or a misdemeanor. If convicted of a misdemeanor violation, the defendant faces up to 12 months in county jail. However, if convicted of felony grand theft, the defendant faces sixteen months, two years, or three years in California State Prison.
Penal Code 484f PC – This crime is a wobbler, meaning the prosecution has the discretion to charge it as either a felony or a misdemeanor. If convicted of a misdemeanor, the defendant faces up to twelve months in county jail. However, if convicted of a felony violation of this code section, the defendant faces up to three years in California State Prison.
Penal Code 484g PC – This crime is a wobbler, meaning the prosecutor has the discretion to charge it as either a misdemeanor or a felony depending on the value of money, property, or services that are fraudulently obtained. If the value of the property, money, or services is $950 or less, misdemeanor charges are brought against the defendant. If convicted of a misdemeanor, the defendant faces up to twelve months in county jail. However, if the value of the fraud exceeds $950, the prosecution can bring either misdemeanor grand theft charges or felony grand theft charges. If convicted of felony grand theft, the defendant faces up to three years in California State Prison.
Penal Code 484h PC – If the value of the money, goods, or services fraudulently sold is $950 or less, misdemeanor charges are brought against the defendant. If convicted of a misdemeanor, the defendant faces up to twelve months in county jail. However, if the value of the fraud exceeds $950, the prosecution can bring either misdemeanor grand theft charges or felony grand theft charges. If convicted of felony grand theft, the defendant faces up to three years in California State Prison.
Penal Code 484i PC – A violation of this code section can result in a maximum jail sentence of up to six months, as well as a fine of up to $1000. However, if a person is convicted of trafficking in credit card counterfeiting equipment, the defendant can be sentenced to sixteen months, two years, or three years in California State Prison, as well as a fine of up to $1000.
Penal Code 484j PC – A conviction of this code section can result in a maximum jail sentence of up to six months, as well as payment of a fine of up to $1000.
If you have been charged with credit card fraud in LA or elsewhere in California, there are a number of defenses that your attorney can make to defend you to keep you out of jail. Here are some of the defenses that your attorney may make to defend you:
Note: These are not all of the defenses that may apply to your case. The only way to know all of the applicable defenses is to contact a credit card defense attorney and have them go over the facts of your case to determine the applicable defenses.
If you or a loved one has been charged with or is being investigated for committing credit card fraud, you should immediately contact an experienced Los Angeles Fraud Attorney at The H Law Group to defend you. Our attorneys have represented countless individuals charged with fraud, so they have the knowledge and experience necessary to best defend you and achieve a favorable outcome for you. Hire the attorneys at The H Law Group, and rest assured that your future is in great hands. Schedule your free consultation today by filling out the contact form below or by calling us at 1 (213) 370-0404.
