All types of fraud involving credit cards or debit cards can result in serious criminal charges. If you have been charged with credit card fraud in Orange County, the prosecution must prove that you intended to deceive the alleged victim.
Here are a few examples of credit card fraud:
- Using a stolen credit card or debit card to receive money, goods, or services
- Using someone else’s credit card without consent
- Using your own credit card with full knowledge that it has been revoked
Defending yourself against credit card fraud charges can be challenging. Your defense attorney may argue that you didn’t intend to commit the fraud. There are a number of questions that might mitigate the charge. Did the charges result from a misunderstanding? Did you have reason to believe that you could use the credit card? In some cases the defendant is simply the victim of mistaken identity. Credit card fraud cases rarely involve eyewitnesses, so it is easy for mistakes to be involved.
Credit card fraud in Orange County is punishable as forgery or grand theft which both carry a sentence of 16 months or two or three years in prison with a maximum fine of $10,000. If reduced to a misdemeanor, a credit card fraud conviction can still result in a one-year jail sentence and a $1,000 fine.
At the Law Offices of David A. Stein, we have a proven track record of successfully fighting fraud charges in Orange County. Our criminal defense lawyers offer free, confidential consultations at 949-445-0040 to anyone charged with fraud, theft, or forgery. Please contact us today to find out how we can help you.