WHAT IS UNLAWFUL USE OF A CREDIT CARD AND WHAT ARE THE CREDIT CARD FRAUD LAWS?
Under Illinois Law, (720 ILCS 250/8), a person commits the Illinois Criminal Offense of Unlawful Use of a Credit Card, or Credit Card Fraud, when they, with intent to defraud either the issuer, or a person providing money, goods, property, services or anything else of value, or any other person, uses for the purpose of obtaining money, goods, property, services or anything else of value a credit card or debit card: (1) obtained or retained in violation of the Illinois Credit Card and Debit Act; (2) obtained or used without the cardholder’s consent; (3) uses a credit card or debit card which they know is counterfeited, forged, expired, or revoked; or (4) obtains, or attempts to obtain, money, goods, property, services or anything else of value by representing, without the consent of the cardholder, that they are the holder of a specified card, or by representing that they are the holder of a card and such card has not in fact been issued.
