There are different punishments for different crimes/fraud, which is peculiar to the punishments for credit card fraud. Stay intact with us as we take you through credit card fraud and the punishment associated with it.
Credit cards have pretty much become the standard payment system around the world, while many companies have started issuing their own credit cards.
Several people own more than one credit card and it is really not unusual for someone to only carry around these cards and no cash whatsoever.
It’s faster to use a credit card than cash but the biggest misconception about credit cards is that they are more secure. However, credit card fraud is now responsible for the loss of billions of dollars every year despite the fact that there are punishments for credit card fraud.
The reason for this is because credit cards are always carried around by most people and it’s much easier to get away with.
Much more money can actually be made via card fraud and in fact it’s possible to do this completely from the comfort of your own home. Now, obviously we don’t condone engaging in illegal activities because you’re stealing money from people which is morally wrong.
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What Are The Punishments For Credit Card Fraud?
The punishment a person will face when he/she commits a credit card fraud depends on the jurisdiction in which the crime is committed. However, several jurisdictions have a few different types of punishments which depend on the laws that vary not only from country to country but also from region to region.
The punishments include monetary fines, community service, probation, prison sentences and many more other punishments.
The type of credit card punishments a person faces always depends on the seriousness of the crime, whether or not he has a record of credit card fraud and other criminal activities, or the amount of money he stole.
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Monetary fines
In some cases, the court will order the person convicted of credit card fraud to pay a fine. Although, this will also depend on the laws, jurisdictions and some can differ significantly depending on the circumstances of the case.
Most times this punishment comes alongside other minor punishments that are attached to it. Several thousands of dollars will be required to be paid as fines for fraud convictions.
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Probation
Sometimes a judge will put a person guilty of committing credit card fraud on probation, this is usually a period of time a person remains in a community instead of spending time in jail while being imprisoned.
However, if the convicted person is involved in other criminal activities during this time or if he fails to follow the court’s orders, the person might eventually have to go to prison.
In some other cases, a person is given a probation sentence by itself or the person gets sent to jail followed by a certain period of probation. Probation limits your freedom and might for more than 12 months and even longer.
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Community service
Community service is also another punishment given to a person who commits credit card fraud. When a person is ordered to perform community service, he or she is required to provide some services that benefit a group of people, an organization or a community.
The convicted person won’t be paid any funds for this act as this might only be his punishment or another type of punishment can be added in addition to this.
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Prison Sentences
The most common type of punishments for credit card frauds are prison sentences, the length of time he might serve in prison depends on the seriousness of his crime. More often, people receive longer prison sentences if they have a previous record of criminal activities in the past.
However, other punishments might also be added along with prison sentences.
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Incarceration
If someone gets caught and is convicted of credit card fraud, there are a high range of possibilities that the person would end up incarcerated in prison. None of the aforementioned credit card fraud punishments looks friendly at all, this is one of the reasons why we strictly advise our readers to desist from engaging in any kind of fraud.
This is solely because of the punishments that are given to people who are convicted of credit card fraud.
Do police Investigate Credit Card Theft?
Of course yes, police departments are responsible for investigating credit card fraud. All you need to do is report the case and the matter would be looked into as soon as possible.
How Do Fraudsters Defraud You Using Your Debit Card?
Do you know how easy it is for scammers to steal your card information? In this section we’re going to shed light on this topic also.
Credit card fraud can be accomplished through identity theft when fraudsters steal your information and then with that information they open accounts and do a bunch of fraud via your name.
All scammers need to pull this off is the card number, the expiration date, the name on the card and the cvv code or the card verification code.
Now it’s important to point out that it is actually extremely easy because in this day and age with all the information and data that we have floating out there, there’s so many points that you can get your information stolen.
Fake credit lines and bank accounts are open and used in your name phishing calls where they’re able to get
How To Protect Your Credit Card And Account From Fraud?
We would recommend you set account alerts on your debit and credit cards so anytime it is used, if you’re not the one, you will be notified immediately.
In addition to that you want to make a point to check your accounts regularly so if you notice any unauthorized transactions, you can report it to the bank immediately.
- Next when it comes to your identity you want to make sure you are checking your credit report on a regular basis. We recommend at least once a month so you don’t see any unauthorized accounts being opened or any account credit inquiries that were done within that time frame also.
- Please do not write your pin number or any of your personal information on your card or keep it in your wallet.
You are making it real easy for anyone who finds that to do whatever they want with your information.
- If you’re not planning to use your credit cards for any reason at the moment, this is something that I do, i highly recommend freezing your account.
- Lastly if you get any random calls claiming to be your bank or your job or your insurance company, any place that you do business with and they’re asking you for personal information. We highly recommend hanging up the phone, calling them back from a number that you trust and you know or if you have the ability to go in person and speak with a representative.
I recommend doing that because it is way very easy to give your information over the phone and once you do that, that’s the end. You might lose your money as you give out your credit card information.
Conclusion
Hopefully you have learnt the punishment for credit card fraud, if you have further questions concerning credit card frauds, how to prevent your card from fraudsters and more” kindly use the comment box below to reach out to us. You can also refer to our related articles for more information on credit cards.