Legal Question in Criminal Law in Illinois

I asked this question in the past but did not provide enough detail. Is it illegal to buy gift cards and store credits locally and resell them online? I do my best to make sure the cards were legally obtained by the person selling them to me, but its not always possible. The answer I received was "f the cards were obtained legally then they are your property to sell. If you can't warrant that you own them, that's a problem". This is good, but more specifically, I need to know how I can ensure that I do not break any laws by simply reselling these cards. As stated above, all I can do is ask the individuals selling the cards how they came to be in their possession, but cannot prove whether they were legally obtained by those individuals or not. Do I take on any liability by reselling these cards (provided that they are not stolen and legally received)? ANY feedback from a liable source would be greatly appreciated. Thank you all in advance.


Asked on 11/08/10, 11:55 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Sal Sheikh www.BetterCallSal.com

Just the fact that you are asking this question, leads me believe that these "cards" may be stolen.

If you are under the impression that they may be stolen, don't buy them.

Also, if you think you are going to get some sort of "full proof" answer that will protect you on the internet, you are sorely mistaken.

Fact is, you may still be charged by a law enforcement agency at some point (if the cards are stolen) and if charged, you will have to defend yourself. The people selling you these cards could tell the cops that you knew they were stolen and that was why you paid less for these cards than normal. There are so many scenarios here to be fearful of.

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Answered on 11/18/10, 1:01 pm


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