Florida passes stolen card law

In an effort to reduce debt resulting from fraud, one wing of the Florida legislature recently approved a bill that will increase the penalty for using a stolen account.

Earlier this week, the Florida Senate approved HB 339, whichwill make using a stolen debit or credit card a third-degree felony in the state, according to a report from The Associated Press. The law will apply to any type of credit or debit card fraud in which the accused either knows or should be aware that the card they're using is stolen. The law now awaits the signature of Gov. Rick Scott.

Currently, Florida's laws only makes possession of a stolen debit or credit card a misdemeanor, and the new law will be in effect only for cases involving physical cards, the report said. This is because other existing laws already prohibit using a stolen credit card number without possessing the associated piece of plastic.

Florida has been plagued by many instances of various types of credit card fraud in recent months, including phishing scams and skimming schemes.