Jesse Scheckner
A bill to add language specific to fraud involving gift cards just cleared its final Senate hurdle and is bound for a floor vote beside its lower-chamber companion.
Senators voted 37-0 for SB 1198, which would define gift card fraud in Florida Statutes and establish it as a first-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and $1,000 in fines.
Gift card fraud, as described in the bill, includes acquiring or retaining gift card or gift card redemption information without proper consent, tampering with a gift card or its packaging and illegally using a card or its info to obtain goods, services or money.
If the value of the ill-gotten goods or services exceeds $750, the crime would become a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison and $5,000 in fines.
In 2023 alone, gift card-related fraud accounted for $217 million of the record $10 billion lost in scams across the U.S., according to Federal Trade Commission data. And there is no shortage of news reports about gift card fraudsters getting caught across the Sunshine State.
“A ‘yes’ vote on this bill will kill the Grinch,” said the bill’s sponsor, St. Augustine Republican Sen. Nick DiCeglie, ahead of the Wednesday floor vote.
Before the vote, DiCeglie amended SB 1198 so its language aligns with its House companion (HB 1007) and provides that law enforcement may aggregate the value of fraudulently obtained goods to determine the degree of the offense.
HB 1007, sponsored by St. Augustine Republican Rep. Sam Greco and Coral Springs Democratic Rep. Dan Daley, passed through both of its House committee stops with only “yes” votes.
The Florida Chamber of Commerce, Florida Retail Federation, Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, Associated Industries of Florida, Florida Smart Justice Alliance, AARP and Interactive Communications International support the legislation.
