What is the crime of counterfeiting credit cards?
Penal Code 484i PC is the California statute that makes it a crime to counterfeit credit cards. You violate this statute if you: 1) possess an incomplete credit card with the intent to complete it without the consent of the issuer (an incomplete card is one that, for example, is missing the bank logo), 2) alter, change or modify any part of the credit card, regardless of whether the change is to the face of the card or to the information contained in the card (altering the content in the magnetic stripe, for example) with the intent to defraud, 3) allow another person to alter or modify the card or its account information, or 4) make, possess, or traffic (that is, sell or exchange) credit card making equipment or incomplete credit cards with the intent that the equipment or cards be used to make counterfeit access cards.