Credit card fraud (also known as credit card abuse) is a criminal offense in every state and includes a broad range of fraudulent uses of credit or debit cards. Laws vary from state to state, and some states have separate criminal offenses for related crimes, such as the manufacturing of counterfeit credit cards.

Credit card fraud generally includes (1) using a stolen or illegally obtained credit or debit card to obtain goods or services; (2) using a fictitious credit or debit card or account number to obtain goods or services; (3) stealing a credit or debit card or, with knowledge that it has been stolen, receiving a credit or debit card with intent to use it, sell it, or transfer it to a person other than the issuer or the cardholder; (4) buying a credit or debit card from a person the buyer knows is not the issuer of the credit card (a bank); (5) selling a credit or debit card when the seller is not the authorized issuer of the card (a bank); (6) when a merchant—with the intent to defraud the card issuer (bank) or the cardholder—provides goods or services based on the presentation for payment of a credit or debit card the merchant knows is forged, expired, or revoked; or (7) when a merchant—with the intent to defraud the card issuer (bank) or the cardholder—fails to furnish goods or services it represents to the card issuer in writing that it has furnished.

The laws regarding criminal offenses related to credit card fraud are usually located in a state’s statutes—often in the penal or criminal code.

In New Hampshire, credit card fraud is considered a serious criminal offense and is covered under the state's criminal statutes, specifically under RSA 638:4, RSA 638:5, and RSA 638:6. These laws encompass various fraudulent activities involving credit or debit cards, such as using a stolen or illegally obtained card to make purchases, using a fake card or card number, stealing or receiving a stolen card with the intent to use or sell it, and buying or selling a credit or debit card when not authorized to do so. Additionally, it is illegal for merchants to intentionally defraud a card issuer or cardholder by accepting a known forged, expired, or revoked card, or by failing to provide goods or services that they claim to have provided. Penalties for credit card fraud in New Hampshire can range from misdemeanors to felonies, depending on the severity of the offense and the value of the fraudulent transactions.