Credit Card Fraud Defense in Dallas

Protecting You from Severe Possible Penalties

The state of Texas prosecutes fraud crimes to the fullest extent of the law. In Texas, credit card fraud is covered under Section 32.31. Credit Card or Debit Card Abuse.

Under §32.31(b), a person commits credit card fraud if with the intent to obtain a benefit fraudulently, he or she uses a credit or debit card with the knowledge that:

• The card, whether or not expired, was not issued to him or her and was not used with the cardholder's consent; or
• The card was expired or revoked or cancelled; or
• With the intent to acquire a benefit, he or she uses the fictitious card to receive a benefit in violation of this section, or steals the credit or debit card with knowledge that is stolen, receives a credit or debit card with the intent to use it or sell it; or
• He or she buys a credit or debit card from someone they know is not the issuer; or
• Not being the issuer, he or she sells the credit or debit card; or
• He or she induces the cardholder to pay for property or services for the actor's benefit for which the cardholder is financially unable to pay; or
• Not being the cardholder, and without the cardholder's consent, the actor possesses the card with the intent to use it; or
• The actor possesses two or more incomplete credit cards without the consent of the cardholder and intends to complete them without the cardholder's consent.

A person can also be guilty of credit card fraud if the actor has been authorized to furnish goods or services and charge them to a credit or debit card, but, with the intent to defraud the cardholder, fails to furnish goods or services that he said he furnished in writing to the cardholder.

An offense under §32.31 is a state jail felony, except it can be charged as a third degree felony if the offense was committed against an elderly individual as defined under Section 22.04. In Texas, a state jail felony is punishable by 180 days to 2 years in jail and a $10,000 fine. Fill out our free case evaluation to get your case defense started today so that you can hope to avoid serious consequences.

Obtaining Your Much-Needed Legal Defense

Looking for an attorney to defend you in a credit card fraud case in Dallas? Contact a Dallas criminal defense lawyer from the Knight Law Office. In order to be convicted of this crime, the prosecution will need to show that you had "intent" to defraud and that you meant to obtain a benefit fraudulently. When your future and your freedom are on the line, you need an aggressive defense attorney who will carefully review your case to unearth any holes in the prosecution's case that may exonerate you.