Credit card fraud is when someone uses your credit card or credit account to make a purchase you didn't authorize. This activity can happen in different ways. For example, if you lose your credit card or have it stolen, it can be used to make purchases or other transactions, either in person or online. And fraudsters can also steal your credit card account number, PIN and security code to make unauthorized transactions, without needing your physical credit card—unlawful transactions like these are known as card-not-present fraud.

Identity theft involves the use of illegally obtained information about you, like your name, birthday, Social Security number, credit card numbers and more, in order to use existing credit accounts or open new ones in your name. When this happens, criminals capture the spending power of your credit while you get stuck with the bill.

In Wisconsin, credit card fraud is considered a serious criminal offense. Under Wisconsin Statute § 943.41, anyone who uses a credit card with the intent to defraud and without the consent of the cardholder is guilty of a crime. This includes using a lost or stolen credit card, as well as using the card number and security information without possession of the physical card (card-not-present fraud). Penalties for credit card fraud in Wisconsin vary depending on the value of the fraudulent transaction and can range from a Class A misdemeanor for amounts less than $2,500 to a Class G felony for amounts exceeding $10,000. Identity theft is also a criminal offense under Wisconsin Statute § 943.201, which makes it illegal to intentionally use any personal identifying information or personal financial identifying information of an individual without that person's consent to obtain credit, money, goods, services, or anything else of value or to harm the individual's financial reputation. Penalties for identity theft can be severe and include substantial fines and imprisonment.