Counterfeiting charges are not always just passing fake paper notes. It can include falsifying credit cards, gift cards, hotel keys and more. If you have been charged with counterfeiting, you are probably already aware that it is a federal offense. The problem with counterfeiting charges is that not only are those who actually commit these crimes charged, but innocent people can be caught up in these charges too.
Money passes hands in so many different ways that you could be given a counterfeit bill and not even be aware of it. If your coworker or friend asks if you have change for a $20, it is unlikely that you would refuse — or even consider –checking their bill for authenticity. Who would suspect that it might be illegal? Once it is in the circulation, a counterfeit bill can travel quickly from place to place, and maybe end up putting an innocent person under suspicion or even arrest.
Counterfeiting credit cards and gift cards is also very common. It is over a billion-dollar business in the United States, which is what has prompted the old magnetic strip credit cards to be replaced with chip-enabled cards. These cards are less easy to counterfeit. Gift cards have not yet converted from the old magnetic strips. This means that counterfeit gift cards will continue to be in circulation and maybe even more so since credit cards are now harder to replicate.
If you have been charged with counterfeiting, which goes hand-in-hand with fraud charges, you will need a strong defense. We can help you by investigating all of the evidence against you. Someone who passed counterfeit notes or other items, especially without intent to commit a crime, should not have to undergo the undue process of facing federal charges on their own