Miami Credit Card Fraud Lawyer
Credit card fraud is a broad term that refers to many different actions involving the use of credit cards to make fraudulent purchases. Generally, credit card fraud involves the use of identity theft, such as stealing another individual’s personal information to open a credit card account or impersonating a bank as part of a phishing operation to obtain credit card numbers. Despite its name, acts of fraud involving debit cards and gift cards are also considered to be credit card fraud. Fraud is a form of theft. As such, it is a criminal offense and it carries steep penalties for convicted individuals. These penalties include substantial fines and jail time and depend on the amount of money stolen through the act of fraud. If you are facing a credit card fraud charge, work with our team of experienced Miami credit card fraud lawyers to defend your case.
Examples of Credit Card Fraud
Credit card fraud can involve the theft of victims’ identities to use their credit cards, to obtain new credit cards, and to sell their credit cards and account information for a profit. Not all acts of credit card theft target victims’ personal information, though. Below are a few examples of credit card fraud that touch on the various ways it can occur:
- Credit card skimming. In this fairly common type of credit card fraud, a skimming device is installed in a credit card reader or ATM to record the data encrypted on the cards used in the machine. The data can then be collected and used as the offender chooses;
- Draining gift cards. An offender may record the card numbers of unsold gift cards in stores, then call the card providers once these cards are purchased to determine how much money has been put onto each card. By having the number of a gift card, the individual has remote access to the funds contained on the card;
- Embezzling money from a corporate credit or debit card. When an employee is trusted to make purchases for his or her company, he or she is only permitted to make authorized purchases. Making personal purchases or overcharging a company card for personal gain is an act of credit card fraud; and
- Misrepresenting oneself to a bank or credit provider in an attempt to open a credit card account. This can be falsified information about oneself or the use of a stolen identity in an effort to open an account in the victim’s name.
Contact Our Experienced Miami Credit Card Fraud Lawyers
If you have been charged with credit card fraud, be proactive and start working with an experienced criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible to develop a strong defense strategy for your case. The right defense strategy can mean the difference between being convicted of your charge and having the charge reduced or even completely dropped. Contact Ratzan & Faccidomo, LLC today to schedule your initial consultation with our team of experienced Miami credit card fraud lawyers.
