2018 District of Columbia Code
Title 22 - Criminal Offenses and Penalties.
Chapter 32 - Theft; Fraud; Stolen Property; Forgery; and Extortion.
Subchapter III - Fraud; Related Offenses.
§ 22–3223. Credit card fraud.

(a) For the purposes of this section, the term “credit card” means an instrument or device, whether known as a credit card, debit card, or by any other name, issued for use of the cardholder in obtaining or paying for property or services.

(b) A person commits the offense of credit card fraud if, with intent to defraud, that person obtains or pays for property or services by:

(1) Knowingly using a credit card, or the number or description thereof, which has been issued to another person without the consent of the person to whom it was issued;

(2) Knowingly using a credit card, or the number or description thereof, which has been revoked or cancelled;

(3) Knowingly using a falsified, mutilated, or altered credit card or number or description thereof;

(4) Representing that he or she is the holder of a credit card and the credit card had not in fact been issued; or

(5) Knowingly using for the employee’s or contractor’s own purposes a credit card, or the number on or description of the credit card, issued to or provided to an employee or contractor by or at the request of an employer for the employer’s purposes.

(c) A credit card is deemed cancelled or revoked when notice in writing thereof has been received by the named holder as shown on the credit card or by the records of the issuer.

(d)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, any person convicted of credit card fraud shall be fined not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01, imprisoned for not more than 180 days, or both.

(2) Any person convicted of credit card fraud shall be fined not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01, imprisoned for not more than 10 years, or both, if the value of the property or services obtained or paid for is $1,000 or more.

(Dec. 1, 1982, D.C. Law 4-164, § 123, 29 DCR 3976; Aug. 20, 1994, D.C. Law 10-151, § 113(d), 41 DCR 2608; Dec. 10, 2009, D.C. Law 18-88, § 214(f), 56 DCR 7413; June 11, 2013, D.C. Law 19-317, § 205(j), 60 DCR 2064.)

1981 Ed., § 22-3823.

This section is referenced in § 16-801 and § 22-3202.

D.C. Law 18-88 rewrote subsecs. (a), (b), and (d).

The 2013 amendment by D.C. Law 19-317 substituted “not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01” for “not more than $1,000” in (d)(1), and for “not more than $5,000” in (d)(2).

Aggregation of theft, fraud, and credit card fraud offenses, see § 22-3202.

For temporary amendment of section, see § 113(d) of the Omnibus Criminal Justice Reform Emergency Amendment Act of 1994 (D.C. Act 10-255, June 22, 1994, 41 DCR 4286).

For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 102(e) of Crime Bill Emergency Amendment Act of 2009 (D.C. Act 18-129, June 29, 2009, 56 DCR 5495).

For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 214(f) of Omnibus Public Safety and Justice Emergency Amendment Act of 2009 (D.C. Act 18-181, August 6, 2009, 56 DCR 6903).

For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 214(f) of Omnibus Public Safety and Justice Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2009 (D.C. Act 18-227, October 21, 2009, 56 DCR 8668).

For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 205(j) of the Criminal Fine Proportionality Emergency Act of 2013 (D.C. Act 20-45, April 1, 2013, 60 DCR 5400, 20 DCSTAT 1300).

Applicability of D.C. Law 19-317: Section 401 of D.C. Law 19-317 provided that the act shall apply only to offenses committed on or after June 11, 2013.