Horseshoe Casino Credit Card Fraud Lawyer

Casino environments can often foster risky, sometimes illegal behavior. Between the gambling, alcohol, and bustling of individuals, credit card fraud is normally more prevalent inside a casino than in many other environments. Further, with technology today, it is getting increasingly easier to rob someone of their identity. With that said, if you have found yourself accused of credit card fraud, it is pertinent to contact a Horseshoe Casino credit card fraud lawyer immediately. A defense attorney can assist you by building a strong defense, and ensuring your rights are protected throughout the legal process.

Defining Credit Card Fraud

According to the State of Maryland, credit card fraud is possessing or obtaining an individual’s personal identification information. This includes the person’s name, address, banking numbers, or credit card numbers without their permission. Pretending to be another person, buying things on credit, and transferring property or money in a way that is defrauding a person is a severe crime. A Horseshoe casino credit card fraud lawyer can assist any individual involved in such a crime.

Fraud is common casino crime because of the ability to bring in a false identification, as well as the ability to bring in stolen money. If the actual fraud itself was committed outside the casino, such as stealing a credit card, cashing out, and gambling with that stolen money, the casino loses money. If that stolen money produces a win, which is then cashed out, the casino loses money twice. For that reason, these crimes are vetted and taken very seriously.

Penalties

Penalties for credit card fraud are much harsher than general theft. In credit card fraud, if an individual is accused of stealing information to obtain the goods and services via that credit card, anything valued over $500 is considered a felony. The maximum penalty for this is 15 years in prison and a $25,000 fine. Anything under $500 is considered a misdemeanor, which penalizes 18 months in jail, and a $5,000 fine.

This does not include restitution, which is the paying back of money taken or property by the accused individual to the person or company it rightfully belongs to. A knowledgeable Horseshoe Casino credit card fraud attorney can best help determine the extent of the charge. If convicted, an individual will have to pay back the entire amount they stole from the casino.

Skimming

Credit card skimming is a very unique, but not uncommon issue. Skimming is the ability to capture someone’s credit card through blutetooth, and has been around for a substantial amount of time. This is becoming harder recently, due to many cards being reissued with a smart chip in hopes of preventing such scams.

In skimming, a legitimate transaction takes place, and someone has a device either near or close by that can capture the information on the card either by scanning it through its own device, or from having the ability to capture the magnetic script in some fashion.

The most common way this occurs is by handing a card to someone that then scans it, but scans it to their own device unbeknownst to the individual. A counterfeit card is then produced and taken to an ATM, where an individual will take out cash withdrawals on that stolen account. They may then sell the stolen card on the internet. This is sometimes difficult to track, providing many issues for law enforcement investigating these cases.

Common Misconceptions

The common misconception about credit card fraud is that the alleged victim will immediately get funds back from the bank, and not have to go through a dispute process. It is simply not true, and an individual may not get everything back as quickly as they assumed. An extensive background check through an individual’s various accounts and social security number must be performed to ensure there was no further damage associated with the fraud.

The defendant also incurs many issues associated with a fraud charge. These individuals often do not realize the scope of their actions, or the toll it is going to take on their lifestyle moving forward. The adverse effects of such a charge can span multiple years.

Further Consequences

A credit card theft is a very serious offense. They may not always realize the negative impacts it can have both socially and financially after they had allegedly committed this crime. This crime produces penalties that are much harsher in smaller amounts than they would in general theft making it important a Horseshoe Casino credit card fraud lawyer is contacted.