Credit card fraud is the name given to an offence committed either against the holder of the card or the credit card company. The crime of fraud is committed in both cases, as they both involve an element of deception:
The card holder can be duped into providing their credit card details to a third party often passing themselves off as the credit card company, who then obtains the details from the unsuspecting cardholder to use to make purchases for their own benefit. This is a fairly common crime. We often see cautionary adverts not to divulge passwords and personal details to anyone, to prevent this from happening. It is considered serious because it is planned out by the person perpetrating the offence.
We acted for a client who was charged with multiple credit card frauds by stealing a credit card and then using it to make a number of purchases in various retail stores. The police caught him during a routine vehicle check to discover a number of sheets of paper with practice signatures of the cardholder on it. The police arrested our client and matched him to a number of unsolved credit card crime reports. During the trial we were able to persuade the court that the search of the vehicle was unlawful and that the evidence of the practised signatures was inadmissible. He was found not guilty of all charges.
Criminal Defence Solutions have saved many clients from fraud prosecutions as a result of advice given during the early stages of a fraud investigation. If you know the police are looking to speak to you contact us now. We will keep you right.
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We have also acted for clients who have been charged with a fraud against a credit card company. This is when a credit card is applied for with false details for the purpose of using the card to make purchases with no intention of paying the credit off. The fraud is completed when the card is issued even if it has not been used.
We acted for a client who completed a credit card application using details of her cousin, who was living with her at the time. When the credit card was issued, she intercepted it and used it to the full credit limit. Our client made some small repayments to avoid detection, but later let the payments fall into arrears. Her cousin discovered the crime during a credit check when she was applying for a loan. She managed to trace suspicion back to our client. Before the trial we were able to persuade the Fiscal to accept that while there was enough evidence to suspect our client of an involvement in the crime, there was insufficient evidence to secure a conviction. The Fiscal discontinued the proceedings against our client.
Generally these offences are difficult to prove as the identity of the suspect is uncorroborated. That is why the police try to secure an admission of guilt from the suspect during a police interview of a fraud investigation. It is imperative that anyone being investigated for this type of crime should seek urgent legal advice from a fraud solicitor experienced in defending such cases.
Do not delay, time is vital in order for us to properly examine the evidence against you, contact potential witnesses, ensure timelines are consistent with the evidence and investigate many other aspects in order to create your strongest legal defence.
Call our national helpline 0800 567 7810 now or our local numbers. Alternatively, complete a contact form or request a call back.