Virginia law § 18.2-196.1 prohibits the malicious use of payment card scanning devices and re-encoders without permission, making such acts a Class 1 misdemeanor. Selling or distributing this information or using it to commit other crimes is classified as a Class 6 felony. The law defines key terms such as 'authorized payment card user,' 'merchant,' 'payment card,' and 're-encoder' to clarify its scope.
Using a scanning device or re-encoder on someone else's payment card without permission and with malicious intent is unlawful under Virginia law.
Violating this law can result in a Class 1 misdemeanor for unauthorized use, and a Class 6 felony if you sell, distribute, or use the information in other crimes.
A re-encoder is an electronic device that transfers encoded information from the magnetic strip of a payment card, often used in fraudulent activities.
An authorized payment card user is someone permitted to use a payment card to obtain goods, services, or money from a merchant.