Credit Card Fraud Lawyer Manassas VA

Being convicted of fraud in Virginia is a serious charge. As a credit card fraud lawyer Manassas VA, I can fight your case in court and defend your legal rights.

read below how to fight criminal fraud in virginia courts

Essentially, Virginia criminalizes the illegitimate use of credit cards and credit card information and fake credit cards when they are used to gain some benefit.

Credit card crimes are highly penalized because they affect so many people and have a tremendous impact on the livelihoods of others.

Depending on the amount of value gained through the illicit use of credit cards and their related information, the crime can be treated as grand or petit larceny.

If you are facing credit card fraud charges in Manassas, Virginia, call the credit card fraud lawyers Manassas VA at American Lawyers Group.

What is Credit Card Fraud?

Virginia’s credit card fraud laws are codified in §18.2-195 and §18.2-195.1. 

Under §18.2-195, credit card fraud can be established in several ways. 

Firstly, it is credit card fraud for someone to knowingly use an expired, revoked, or stolen credit card to defraud someone and gain something of value. 

That something of value can be money, goods, or services.  

Additionally, credit card fraud occurs when someone knowingly uses the credit card of another to defraud and gain something of value. 

This use must also be without the consent of the true owner of the credit card. 

So, you cannot be convicted of this for using your friend’s credit card with his or her permission.

Next, you can be convicted of credit card fraud for using a credit card or the number on the credit card as collateral for a debt.

In addition, §18.2-195 criminalizes the use of a credit card to withdraw more money than the credit limit of the credit card.

All of these forms of credit card fraud have been from the buyer side of transactions. 

Credit card fraud can also occur from the merchant or seller side of a deal as well.

It is credit card fraud to knowingly give goods or services to someone when you know they are offering a stolen, revoked, or expired credit card. 

It is also credit card fraud to accept a perfectly good credit card and say you provided the goods or services bought when you actually did not. 

Lastly, it is credit card fraud to charge someone for more than they authorized for a transaction.

What Are Other Credit Card Crimes?

Virginia criminalizes credit card theft under §18.2-192.  Essentially, credit card theft is when you obtain possession of someone else’s credit card without their consent.

Additionally, if you use a credit card you found that is not yours, that is credit card theft.  Virginia also considers the buying or selling of other people’s credit cards to be credit card theft. 

Credit card theft is punished as grand larceny if the value of the goods or services gained through the use of a stolen credit card is more than $1,000.

Another crime focused on credit cards is credit card forgery.  §18.2-193 explains what credit card forgery is. 

Essentially, credit card forgery is when someone makes a credit card with the intent to defraud another, but signing a credit card of another is also a forgery. 

Lastly, credit card forgery occurs when you withdraw cash using an illegitimate credit card knowingly or make a real credit card with the name of another person.

Penalties for Credit Card Crimes

Virginia punishes most credit card-related crimes based on the value of what was acquired through the illegal use of credit cards and the information associated with them. 

Under §18.2-195, a conviction is a class 1 misdemeanor if the value gained illegally is less than $1,000.  However, if the value is more than $1,000 the crime becomes a class 6 felony. 

Class 1 misdemeanors carry up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $2,500.  In contrast, a class 6 felony carries anywhere from 1 to 5 years in jail and a fine of $2,500.

Why You Need a Manassas Credit Card Fraud Lawyer?

Credit card fraud is a growing crime, so states are cracking down on it. 

Credit card fraud laws and the related credit card crime laws cover a wide array of activities ranging from making fake credit cards to finding credit cards that have been lost. 

If you are facing credit card crime charges, you could be looking at years in jail and possibly thousands of dollars in fines.

You need the skilled defense attorneys at American Lawyers Group who can represent you in the potential life-altering trial and defend against such charges.