Credit Card Crimes in Connecticut

 Posted on July 18, 2018 in White Collar Crimes

We hear stories about credit card breaches all the time. That’s why more than two-thirds of consumers are concerned about fraud. You should also be concerned if you are charged with committing a credit card crime, because these are serious offenses in Connecticut. Here are two examples:

• Credit card theft and fraud. Anyone who takes another person’s credit card without their consent with the intent to use or sell it is guilty of credit card theft. Offenders can spend up to five years in jail and pay a $5,000 fine. Anyone who obtains a credit card as security for debt with the intent to defraud is also subject to these penalties; and
• Illegal use of credit card. Anyone who uses a credit card knowing it is forged, expired, or revoked, or who pretends to be the holder of a credit card that hasn’t actually been issued, is guilty of illegal use of a credit card. This is a misdemeanor if the value of goods obtained with the card doesn’t exceed $500. Offenders can spend up to five years in jail and pay a $5,000 fine.

The difference between credit card theft and illegal use of a credit card is that the first punishes people who illegally obtain credit cards, and the other punishes people who illegally use credit cards.

Contact an experienced criminal defense attorney if you’re arrested for these offenses or any type of credit card-related crime.

Examples of Credit Card Crimes

In April 2017, three men were arrested after they allegedly tried to use fraudulent credit cards in a Fairfield convenience store, where they tried to buy more than $500 worth of stuff. An employee notified police of the transaction. The men were arrested on various charges, including third-degree identity theft and forgery and conspiracy to commit credit card fraud.

In February 2018, Trumbull police charged a 26-year-old postal worker with third-degree forgery and identity theft, illegal use of a credit card, and other credit card fraud offenses. Police began investigating in July 2017 after the worker allegedly used a credit card in someone else’s name several times.

Fairfield police arrested a 50-year-old woman in February 2018 after she embezzled substantial sums from her employer and committed credit card fraud. Investigators discovered that she began opening credit card accounts in 2010 and used money from her employer to pay for the transactions. She was charged with second-degree larceny, first-degree identity theft, and first-degree computer crimes.

Reach Out to Us for Help Today

Contact the experienced Fairfield criminal defense attorneys at the Law Offices of Daniel P. Weiner today for a free consultation if you are charged with a credit card crime like fraud or forgery. We will mount an effective defense on your behalf and help clear you of all charges or secure the lightest sentence possible.

Sources:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/robertharrow/2018/04/20/is-your-credit-card-less-secure-than-ever-before/#5b7646b65c8d

https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_952.htm#sec_53a-128a

https://www.fairfieldcitizenonline.com/news/article/Former-employee-allegedly-stole-over-50k-from-12717413.php

https://patch.com/connecticut/trumbull/postal-worker-commits-credit-card-fraud-trumbull-pd

https://patch.com/connecticut/fairfield/trio-busted-credit-card-fraud-charges-report