Louisiana Credit Card Theft Lawyer

Credit Card Fraud Defense Attorney in Shreveport, Bossier City, Monroe, & Ruston, LA

Credit card fraud in Louisiana carries severe penalties, including up to 15 years in prison, fines up to $50,000, and potential hard labor. Louisiana law defines credit card fraud as any unauthorized use of credit card information, fraudulent acquisition of cards, skimming card data, or identity theft involving credit accounts. Penalties vary based on the type of fraud and dollar amount involved.

If you face credit card fraud charges in Shreveport, Bossier City, Monroe, Ruston, and Minden, the criminal defense team at the John D. & Eric G. Johnson Law Firm can provide experienced legal representation. Credit card fraud financially devastates the lives of millions every year, and in response, state and federal laws have taken a harsher approach in court against these crimes. Our firm handles all types of theft and fraud cases throughout north Louisiana.

What Are Louisiana Credit Card Fraud Laws?

The state of Louisiana has specific statutes regarding credit card fraud, with numerous conditions and stipulations for what qualifies as this crime. If you currently face allegations such as these, it’s imperative to seek counsel right away to protect your rights and ensure any investigations of your finances or online records are legal.

Provider Goods and Services Fraud

Under Louisiana Revised Statute 14:67.11, it’s illegal for a shop owner or store clerk to use your credit card information to process purchases you haven’t approved, or fail to give you the goods or services you paid for. An example of this would involve a waitress who changes your $5 tip to $50, or an online company that you ordered products from that never sent them.

Additional circumstances that are illegal under this statute include:

• Businesses that use a credit card after the owner has revoked its use
• A business knowingly using a forged or stolen card
• Requesting payment from a credit card company and/or cardholder for goods or services that were never ordered
• Demanding a copy of a transaction that the business or card owner was not an involved party in

Those found guilty of violating this statute face up to 15 years in prison and fines of up to $50,000, including the possibility of hard labor.

Fraudulent Acquisition

When a person purposely or unintentionally hands out false information to have a credit card issued to them, whether under their own identity or that of another person, Louisiana law views this as fraudulent acquisition.

Possible sentencing for this crime may include:

• Hard labor
• Up to ten years in prison
• Fines of up to $3,000

The court could hand down one or all of these penalties to those convicted of this type of credit card fraud.

Louisiana’s Anti-Skimming Act

It’s illegal to skim credit card data from others in Louisiana. Specifically, that’s when individuals or organizations use an electronic device or a purchase receipt to acquire the purchaser’s card information to either put it on a forged card or use it to make unauthorized purchases by other means.

Louisiana’s Anti-Skimming Act states it’s unlawful for any individual or entity to:

• Use electronic devices to obtain the credit card information encoded on the magnetic stripe without permission from the cardholder to defraud them.
• Use software and/or electronic equipment to put skimmed card data onto another card to use it for fraudulent purchases.

Those found guilty of violating this act face varying degrees of punishment dictated by the circumstances surrounding the case. Initially, sentencing for this form of credit card fraud faced imprisonment of up to five years and fines not exceeding $5,000, but could incur more severe penalties, such as:

• Those who use a scanning or re-encoder device could face up to 10 years in prison, hard labor, and/or fines of up to $10,000.
• Third or more offenders face the same amount of possible prison time and hard labor, but also have an increased fine range of up to $20,000.

Anyone guilty of skimming card data with the intent or actually defrauding another will also have to pay the victim restitution.

Credit Card Fraud Via Identity Theft

Identity theft is a common element of credit card fraud that involves purposely using, transferring, or even just the attempt to use the personal information of another to commit fraudulent purchases, receive services, or any other activity that is of value. This form of credit card fraud comes with varying degrees of punishment, which are dependent upon the amount of theft committed by the accused.

Identity theft-related credit card fraud convictions of:

• $300 or less will incur jail time of up to six months and fines of up to $500.
• More than $300 to under $500 has prison time of up to three years, fines of up to $3,000, and/or hard labor.
• $500 to $1,000 brings prison sentences of up to five years, no more than $5,000 in fines, and/or hard labor.
• Anything above $1,000 incurs jail time of up to ten years in prison, possible fines of up to $10,000, and/or hard labor.

Fighting for You When You Need It the Most

Schedule A Consultation

Contact a Louisiana Credit Card Fraud Defense Attorney

If you or someone you know is facing allegations or charges of credit card fraud in the state of Louisiana, it’s critically important to hire an experienced Louisiana credit card fraud defense attorney like Eric G. Johnson to represent you right away. Your legal counsel needs to get started before you have criminal charges filed against you. The state’s harsh penalties have the potential to cost you your freedom, future, and cripple your finances.

As a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Eric G. Johnson has demonstrated his more than 20 years of criminal defense experience and negotiating power with state and federal prosecutors. His proven abilities to bring a settlement in the courtroom have aided his clients in finding successful resolutions to their legal troubles. Contact us online or call 318-377-1555 for more information to begin taking steps to secure your rights during this challenging time.