If you use or attempt to use a credit card or debit card that you are not authorized to use, you could be charged with fraud in Muskogee, Oklahoma.
The laws against unauthorized use of a credit card in Oklahoma includes using someone else’s cards without their permission online or over the phone. The laws also include attempting to use revoked or cancelled cards and false or counterfeit cards.
How Serious is Unauthorized Use of a Credit Card in Oklahoma?
Generally, unauthorized use of a credit card in Oklahoma is a misdemeanor crime.
If the use entails a transaction that involves $500 or less, the crime is punishable by a fine of up to $500 and up to 30 days in jail. Okla. Stat. tit. 21 § 1550
For amounts over $500, the fine is between $500 and $1,000 and up to a year in jail.
Felony Charges are Possible
The Oklahoma Credit Card Act is one tool in the state’s arsenal to fight against credit card theft. Violation of the Oklahoma Credit Card Act can be charged as a felony crime; if you are found guilty, you may serve up to seven years in prison and pay a fine of up to $3,000.
If you take a credit card from someone, or are caught with a credit card that doesn’t belong to you and that you are not authorized to use, you could be in violation of the laws against unauthorized use of a credit card in Oklahoma. While there are some differences between possession and use, in Oklahoma, mere possession of a signed or unsigned credit card belonging to another can carry a fine and jail time if you are not authorized to use it.
The differences between the lesser crime and the greater crime seem somewhat ambiguous, but those ambiguities allow the imposition of a felony charge if a district attorney feels it may be warranted. If you are caught trying to use stolen credit cards to charge thousands of dollars of goods or services, the charge will likely be a felony offense.
Low-cost Consultation: Muskogee Criminal Defense Lawyer
Credit card fraud is rampant and states are becoming much more stringent in their application of the law. These laws can be complicated in their application to the facts of your case.
If you are being investigated or have already been charged with unauthorized use of a credit card in Oklahoma, contact an experienced Muskogee criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible to protect your legal rights.
Call Wirth Law Office – Muskogee today at (918) 932-3778 or toll free at 1-888-Wirth-Law (1-888-947-8452).
