There are many subtle ways that credit card fraud can happen. Even if you have no intention to defraud someone, you could still wind up in a situation where a person is accusing you of this crime.
If a New Jersey court finds you guilty of credit card fraud, you could face up to 18 months in prison and have a permanent felony on your record. This is why it is important that you avoid mistakes that could get you in trouble.
Disputing a legitimate purchase
After you buy something, you might look at your bank statement and not recognize the charge. Perhaps you do not remember paying that price, or the vendor’s name might be different from how you know it. Your initial reaction might be to dispute the charge so that you get a chargeback. This mistake could get you in trouble with the law, so you should be sure that the charge was not legitimate before you dispute it.
Using someone else’s card
When someone allows you to use their credit card to make a purchase, you have to make sure that you trust the person. Many people regret purchases after the fact, and there is also the possibility that you mistakenly buy something that the card owner did not tell you to buy. If tensions escalate, the person may try to accuse you of using their card without permission.
It is important to remember that the only way that you can actually commit credit card fraud is by doing it on purpose. If you can prove that you did not mean to defraud anyone, you should be able to put the issue behind you.