{"data":{"id":"us-pa/18-pa.c.s.-4121","jurisdiction":"us-pa","citation":"18 Pa.C.S. § 4121","heading":"Possession and use of unlawful devices.","body":"(a) Offense defined.--A person commits an offense if:\n(1) The person, with the intent to defraud another person:\n(i) uses a device to access, read, obtain, memorize or store, temporarily or permanently, information encoded on the computer chip, magnetic strip or stripe or other storage mechanism of a payment card or possesses a device capable of doing so; or\n(ii) places information encoded on the computer chip, magnetic strip or stripe or other storage mechanism of a payment card onto the computer chip, magnetic strip or stripe or other storage mechanism of a different card or possesses a device capable of doing so.\n(2) The person knowingly possesses, sells or delivers a device which is designed to read and store in the device's internal memory information encoded on a computer chip, magnetic strip or stripe or other storage mechanism of a payment card other than for the purpose of processing the information to facilitate a financial transaction.\n(b) Grading.--\n(1) A first offense under subsection (a) constitutes a felony of the third degree.\n(2) A second or subsequent offense under subsection (a) constitutes a felony of the second degree.\n(c) Definitions.--As used in this section, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:\n\"Payment card.\" A credit card, a charge card, a debit card or another card which is issued to an authorized card user to purchase or obtain goods, services, money or another thing of value.","path":["Title 18 - CRIMES AND OFFENSES","PART II DEFINITION OF SPECIFIC OFFENSES","ARTICLE C OFFENSES AGAINST PROPERTY","CHAPTER 41 FORGERY AND FRAUDULENT PRACTICES"],"source_url":"https://www.palegis.us/statutes/consolidated/view-statute?txtType=HTM\u0026ttl=18\u0026div=0\u0026chpt=41\u0026sctn=21\u0026subsctn=0","current_through":"2026-08-31 (Statute Update stamp, 18 Pa.C.S.)","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-02T16:31:28Z","sha256":"be3d5a4516eff64fa972cc157ce3f01c6853121812b28706cf2646e69acaaddd","source_id":"us-pa","stale":false,"prev":"us-pa/18-pa.c.s.-4120","next":"us-pa/18-pa.c.s.-4301"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}