Toronto Credit Card Fraud Criminal Defence Lawyer
Credit Card Fraud is the general term used to describe the usage of debit or credit cards to fraudulently acquire legal tender or goods. It is closely tied to identity theft, as the two often go hand-in-hand. Credit card fraud is a very serious crime as it is often associated with organized crime, and happens on such a wide-scale in Canada as to have an impact on the economy. Persons who commit these types of fraud may find themselves being investigated by federal authorities, the RCMP, or CSIS.
Common types of debit & credit card fraud:
- Counterfeiting: the duplication of authentic credit cards for the purpose of fraud
- Providing false information to obtain credit cards through the mail
- Card Not Present: the unauthorized use of credit card information for fraud over the internet, phone or email
- Lost/Stolen: the unauthorized use credit cards after being lost or stolen
- The usage of equipment or software designed to steal credit card information, PIN#, etc.
- Identity Theft: the obtaining of financial & personal information of another individual for assuming their identity for fraudulent purposes
Regardless of the level of involvement in this type of fraud, every individual facing these charges will need to be represented by a highly qualified criminal defence lawyer with extensive experience in dealing with these allegations and to offer support during the investigation.
Penalties for Credit Card Fraud in Toronto
For a conviction of Credit Card Fraud, you could be looking at heavy fines, and upwards of 10 years in prison. This will also gain you a criminal record, limiting your ability to travel, find gainful employment, your freedom, and cause damage to your professional reputation.
The Criminal Code of Canada States regarding Credit Card Fraud:
342(1) Theft, forgery, etc., of credit card
342(1) Every one who:
(a) steals a credit card,
(b) forges or falsifies a credit card,
(c) has in his possession, uses or deals in any other way with a credit card that he knows was obtained
(i) by the commission in Canada of an offence, or
(ii) by an act or omission anywhere that, if it had occurred in Canada, would have constituted an offence, or
(d) uses a credit card that he knows has been revoked or cancelled
is guilty of:
(e) an indictable offence and is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years, or
(f) an offence punishable on summary conviction.
Have you been accused of or charged with Credit Card Fraud?
When Financial Institutions are Defrauded
When financial institutions have been defrauded, Federal agencies get involved. If you have been charged or are under investigation for credit card fraud, be aware that federal prosecutors will be unwilling to negotiate or compromise with you, as this type of fraud represents huge losses to banks, and the economy. Also credit fraud gets widespread media attention focused on exposing individuals involved in financial crimes.
If you have been charged with credit card fraud it is vital that you contact one of our criminal defence lawyers right away. Following your initial consultation, we will advise you on how best to move forward with your case, and inform you of what to say and not say to investigators. Our goal is to build an effective defense as well as carry our a plan to defend your rights and achieve a favourable outcome.
Our Toronto legal team of Bruce Karten & Stephen Hebscher offer 60+ years of extensive experience defending against fraud charges and will review the evidence surrounding your circumstances to determine how to best proceed with your case – seeking to have your credit card fraud charges dismissed, reduced, or withdrawn completely. See what our other clients are saying about us. We can help you too! Give us a call for your Free Consultation.
Client Testimonials
I appreciate the quick response. Stephen Hebscher gave me extremely good advice about my situation. I was being extorted by an employee of mine,and he helped me resolve the matter within days. Now I don¹t have this black cloud hanging over my head. I will highly suggest Stephen and The Criminal Law Team to anyone that needs the help of an experienced criminal lawyer! Thanks again!
M.A.
I came to Stephen Hebscher with a somewhat irregular case. Both my spouse and I had been mutually charged with domestic assault, a legal situation that neither of us had wished upon each other. While my spouse's lawyer had been content to seek mutually binding peace bonds, Stephen was able to get in front of the case and negotiate a withdrawal of both of our charges- the best possible outcome on BOTH sides of the table – once we successfully completing the PARs program. I remain entirely pleased with Stephen's competency, professionalism and accessibility, and would not hesitate to recommend him as a criminal defence lawyer. L.A.
Mr. Hebscher: I would like to thank you for your excellent representation of me in relation to the domestic assault charges that you worked so hard to have withdrawn. You have made a critical difference in my future and I am very happy with the outcome.
I also appreciate your hard work, and the extra time and effort you have put in to deal with all the other issues that came along. I thank you for being a phone call away (or email) even when you did not have to be.
I will gladly recommend your services to any of my friends or family should they ever need it. I am very grateful for what you have done.
M.B. Toronto
Dear Bruce Karten
I wanted to send a note to express my family’s gratitude for everything you have done for my brother. With his mental illness, and the serious charges that were laid against him that included arson and endangering life under the Criminal Code of Canada, we were terrified of what was going to happen to him. These charges could well have resulted in him being sentenced to jail for a period of 10 years or more.
I did not know what to expect when I made that first call to you, Bruce, but through the months it took to resolve this, your professionalism, knowledge and patience in explaining what you were planning to do in a way that we were able to understand, made us feel less anxious and more hopeful.
Thanks to you, his charges were substantially reduced and he received a sentence that allowed him to continue to receive the medical help he needs to recover and look to putting his life back together. Any period of jail would have been devastating to his chances of recovering from this devastating situation. We would recommend you, Bruce Karten, without hesitation, to anyone in need of an excellent criminal defense lawyer.
Thank you,
Shirley, T., Whitby, Ontario
Dear Mr. Hebscher: I wish to commend and thank you for your recent handling of my friend’s court case. Your compassionate and thorough scrutiny of the circumstances lead to a withdrawal verdict. Thank you so much. I was most impressed and should I ever be in a similar serious situation you will be the first person I call. Again, you represent all the good side of lawyers.
C.M.
Toronto, ON
Dear Mr. Hebscher: I would like to take this opportunity to thank you ever so much for your great professionalism and humane service to me at a time of profound confusion and in dire need of legal counsel. From my first introduction via telephone, your voice made me feel comfortable. Dealing with you from the beginning to end kept me reassured I was in good hands. The final outcome of my court case, which was “withdrawn” confirmed that I truly had a good lawyer on my side and it was your advocacy that convinced the crown. I would highly recommend you to anyone in need of an excellent criminal lawyer. Once again, I thank you and God bless.
M.J.
Toronto
Excellent news!
I am impressed especially after our meeting on Monday – I was resigned that something bad would befall me, so I am very blessed to have this outcome. I thank you for the hard work that you have put into this case, and the dedication on getting me this fantastic outcome!
I am so glad that we retained you as my lawyer! You have done an outstanding job and allowed me to now rebuild my life. Thank you, Bruce Karten.
Dave B. (Ajax, Ontario)
We were referred to Stephen Hebscher when our child was in need of legal representation. He was charged with sexual assault. As parents, we were quite frightened for our child but Mr. Hebscher was the calm voice of reason. We are very grateful to Mr. Hebscher for the excellent results he got for our child, as the charges were dropped.
J.N. (Toronto, Ontario)
Mr. Hebscher is a very professional lawyer who takes pride in his work and because of this the end result was the judge ruling me not guilty and I got my innocence and life back. My family and I would like to thank you again Stephen Hebscher for doing a wonderful job and also being a very supportive man.
Chris T. (Scarborough, Ontario)
I am happy to report that Bruce’s superior negotiation strategy and ability to present facts effectively helped convince the Crown to reduce his position. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Bruce for getting my charge withdrawn and keep my criminal record clean.
J.S (Toronto, Ontario)
I looked and found Barrister Stephen Hebscher I introduced myself and my case and after listening to all details he was able to ensure me that my case would go well. All charges against me have be thrown out and my life is back to normal.
Blair H. (North York)
Bruce ...The care and concern you showed us during our dealings certainly helped to reduce the stress we were under. I would recommend you without a second thought. Your winning record is a bonus as well. My husband and myself can't thank you enough for all you've done for our family.
Debi T. (Mississauga, Ontario)
Dear Mr. Hebscher...There are not enough words to express my appreciation for your...giving me your undivided attention at all times, work in my case with your heart and soul, that makes you "ONE OF A KIND" lawyer.
Ahmed A. (Brampton, Ontario)
Mr. Bruce Karten was able to help to extricate me from a very serious criminal case containing severe charges, including weapons –threat to use weapons, death threat, harassment,etc. He succeeded in winning my case. I was discharged; was able to keep my career, and no criminal record. This was a tremendous accomplishment, and I am very appreciative of that.
Nickolai V. (Toronto, Ontario)
Again, from the depth of our hearts we sincerely thank you very much for being my Counsel on this case. We now can say you are the BEST and we will surely recommend you to our friends and anybody here we know who needs the best Lawyer in Ontario. You have done an extremely good job and we are very happy with the outcome this morning.
Roman A. (Markham, Ontario)
Mr. Hebscher was the only lawyer who gave me hope and made me feel like I had a real fighting chance. I am extremely satisfied with the quick results that he delivered, and I am happy to say that he was able to convince the court to drop the charges against me and clear my name.
Tina M. (Toronto, Ontario)
