Pennsylvania Consolidated & Unconsolidated Statutes
Chapter 41 - Forgery and Fraudulent Practices
Section 4121 - Possession and use of unlawful devices


(a) Offense defined.--A person commits an offense if:
(1) The person, with the intent to defraud another person:
(i) uses a device to access, read, obtain, memorize or store, temporarily or permanently, information encoded on the computer chip, magnetic strip or stripe or other storage mechanism of a payment card or possesses a device capable of doing so; or
(ii) places information encoded on the computer chip, magnetic strip or stripe or other storage mechanism of a payment card onto the computer chip, magnetic strip or stripe or other storage mechanism of a different card or possesses a device capable of doing so.
(2) The person knowingly possesses, sells or delivers a device which is designed to read and store in the device's internal memory information encoded on a computer chip, magnetic strip or stripe or other storage mechanism of a payment card other than for the purpose of processing the information to facilitate a financial transaction.
(b) Grading.--
(1) A first offense under subsection (a) constitutes a felony of the third degree.
(2) A second or subsequent offense under subsection (a) constitutes a felony of the second degree.
(c) Definitions.--As used in this section, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Payment card." A credit card, a charge card, a debit card or another card which is issued to an authorized card user to purchase or obtain goods, services, money or another thing of value.
(June 28, 2018, P.L.425, No.60, eff. 60 days)

2018 Amendment. Act 60 added section 4121.

Structure Pennsylvania Consolidated & Unconsolidated Statutes

Pennsylvania Consolidated & Unconsolidated Statutes

Title 18 - CRIMES AND OFFENSES

Chapter 41 - Forgery and Fraudulent Practices

Extra - Chapter Notes

Section 4101 - Forgery

Section 4102 - Simulating objects of antiquity, rarity, etc

Section 4103 - Fraudulent destruction, removal or concealment of recordable instruments

Section 4104 - Tampering with records or identification

Section 4105 - Bad checks

Section 4106 - Access device fraud

Section 4106.1 - Unlawful device-making equipment

Section 4107 - Deceptive or fraudulent business practices

Section 4107.1 - Deception relating to kosher food products

Section 4107.2 - Deception relating to certification of minority business enterprise or women's business enterprise

Section 4108 - Commercial bribery and breach of duty to act disinterestedly

Section 4109 - Rigging publicly exhibited contest

Section 4110 - Defrauding secured creditors

Section 4111 - Fraud in insolvency

Section 4112 - Receiving deposits in a failing financial institution

Section 4113 - Misapplication of entrusted property and property of government or financial institutions

Section 4114 - Securing execution of documents by deception

Section 4115 - Falsely impersonating persons privately employed

Section 4116 - Copying; recording devices

Section 4116.1 - Unlawful operation of recording device in motion picture theater

Section 4117 - Insurance fraud

Section 4118 - Washing vehicle titles

Section 4119 - Trademark counterfeiting

Section 4120 - Identity theft

Section 4121 - Possession and use of unlawful devices