Bill > S2390

This bill amends existing laws related to gift cards to establish clearer definitions and penalties for fraud. It defines terms like "cardholder" (the person who owns or is authorized to use a gift card), "card issuer" (the company that provides the gift card), "closed-loop gift card" (a gift card usable at a single merchant or affiliated group), "open-loop gift card" (a gift card usable at multiple unaffiliated merchants), and "gift card redemption information" (details needed to access the card's value). Crucially, the bill makes it a crime, specifically larceny, to unlawfully acquire or possess a gift card or its redemption information with intent to defraud, with penalties varying based on the value of the gift card, and also criminalizes forgery of gift cards, with penalties mirroring existing forgery laws. The bill also clarifies that using a fraudulently obtained gift card or its information to obtain money, goods, or services is also considered larceny, with penalties escalating if the total value exceeds $1,500 within a six-month period.

Justice

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