What is credit card fraud in Florida?

Florida's credit card offenses cover more than using a stolen card. They include obtaining a card by fraud, possessing a card belonging to another with intent to defraud, using a revoked or expired card, and forging or trafficking in card information.

Degree depends on the amount involved and the number of transactions within a defined period, which means multiple small unauthorized charges can aggregate into a felony.

Where these cases are contested: identification, since transactions are frequently attributed based on incomplete evidence; authorization, particularly between family members, spouses, and business partners where permission was genuine or ambiguous; and intent, where a person believed they had authority to use a card.

That authorization question comes up more than people expect. Shared household cards, business cards used after a relationship ends, and cards used with permission that was later disputed all produce these charges.

Because these are crimes of dishonesty, the employment consequences are significant regardless of sentence.