South Carolina § 16-13-400 - Avoiding or attempting to avoid payment of telecommunications services.

§ 16-13-400. Avoiding or attempting to avoid payment of telecommunications services.

Any person who knowingly avoids or attempts to avoid, or causes another to avoid, the lawful charges or payments, in whole or in part, for any telecommunications service or for the transmission of a message, signal, or other telecommunication over telephone or telegraph facilities:

(1) By charging such service to an existing telephone number or credit card number without the authority of the subscriber thereto or the lawful holder thereof;

(2) By charging such service to a nonexistent telephone number or credit card number, or to a number associated with telephone service which is suspended or terminated, or to a revoked or canceled credit card number;

(3) By use of a code, prearranged scheme, or other similar stratagem or device whereby such person, in effect, sends or receives information;

(4) By rearranging, tampering with, or making connection with any facilities or equipment of a telephone company, whether physically, inductively, acoustically, or otherwise; or

(5) By the use of any other fraudulent means, method, trick or device; is guilty of a misdemeanor and shall, upon conviction thereof, be fined not more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.

HISTORY: 1962 Code SECTION 16-565.1; 1961 (52) 569; 1965 (54) 680.