A new Florida bill will make it easier to put credit and debit card thieves in jail. State Rep. Steve Perman has introduced a bill that will make it a third-degree felony for people who who knowingly hold onto someone's credit card without their permission —with the exception of businesses and employees who unknowingly have the card for ordinary store transactions. Having a stolen card isn’t technically illegal now, as long as it can’t be proven that someone used, sold or transferred the card but soon enough people holding on to stolen cards could face up to a five-year prison sentence and a $5,000 maximum fine.
"A stolen credit card is only valued at the value of the plastic, like 3 or 4 cents," said Perman, D-Boca Raton, whose district includes parts of Martin and St. Lucie counties. "These rings that distribute stolen credit cards, some can have a thousand and only have $30 worth of stolen merchandise on them. So it's a misdemeanor."
With that high a level of burden of proof, it has been a laborious task for law enforcement to convict credit card lifters, said Tom Bakkedahl, chief assistant state attorney in Fort Pierce.
"Now, if we can catch them just holding the card, it's going to make our lives a lot easier," Bakkedahl said. "It sounds to me like it would be a great tool."
The language of the bill is very careful to protect people and businesses that don't know they're holding onto stolen goods and will make it easy for law enforcement to take down those heading up operations that steal cards, card numbers or falsify knock-off cards.
The bill hasn't headed to Gov. Rick Scott's desk for signature into law yet, but it's expected to get his approval and should go into effect next year.
As always, stay tuned to Credit Cards Professor for more credit card news and updates.
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