Chapter 943, CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY

943.38 Forgery. (1) Whoever with intent to defraud falsely makes or alters a writing or object of any of the following kinds so that it purports to have been made by another, or at another time, or with different provisions, or by authority of one who did not give such authority,…

943.39 Fraudulent writings. Whoever, with intent to injure or defraud, does any of the following is guilty of a Class H felony: (1) Being a director, officer, manager, agent or employee of any corporation or limited liability company falsifies any record, account or other documen…

943.392 Fraudulent data alteration. Whoever, with intent to injure or defraud, manipulates or changes any data, as defined in s. 943.70 (1) (f), is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. History: 1993 a. 496. 21st Century White Collar Crime: Intellectual Property Crimes in the Cyber Wo…

943.395 Fraudulent insurance and employee benefit program claims. (1) Whoever, knowing it to be false or fraudulent, does any of the following may be penalized as provided in sub. (2): (a) Presents or causes to be presented a false or fraudulent claim, or any proof in support of …

943.40 Fraudulent destruction of certain writings. Whoever with intent to defraud does either of the following is guilty of a Class H felony: (1) Destroys or mutilates any corporate books of account or records; or (2) Completely erases, obliterates or destroys any writing which i…

943.41 Financial transaction card crimes. (1) DEFINITIONS. In this section: (a) “Alter” means add information to, change information on or delete information from. (am) “Automated financial service facility” means a machine activated by a financial transaction card, personal iden…

943.45 Theft of telecommunications service. (1) No person may intentionally obtain or attempt to obtain telecommunications service, as defined in s. 182.017 (1g) (cq), by any of the following means: (a) Charging such service to an existing telephone number or credit card number w…

943.455 Theft of commercial mobile service. (1) DEFINITIONS. In this section: (a) “Commercial mobile service” means commercial mobile service, as defined in s. 196.01 (2i), that is provided by a company for payment. (b) “Company” means a commercial mobile radio service provider, …

943.46 Theft of video service. (1) DEFINITIONS. In this section: (b) “Private financial gain” does not include the gain resulting to any individual from the private use in that individual’s dwelling unit of any programming for which the individual has not obtained authorization. …

943.47 Theft of satellite cable programming. (1) DEFINITIONS. In this section: (a) “Encrypt,” when used with respect to satellite cable programming, means to transmit that programming in a form whereby the aural or visual characteristics or both are altered to prevent the unautho…

943.48 Telecommunications; civil liability. (1) Any person who incurs injury as a result of a violation of s. 943.45 (1), 943.455 (2), 943.46 (2) or 943.47 (2) may bring a civil action against the person who committed the violation. (1m) Except as provided in sub. (2), if the per…

943.49 Unlawful use of recording device in motion picture theater. (1) DEFINITIONS. In this section: (a) “Motion picture theater” means a site used for the exhibition of a motion picture to the public. (b) “Recording” has the meaning given in s. 943.206 (5). (c) “Recording device…

943.50 Retail theft; theft of services. (1) In this section: (ad) “Merchandise” includes a service provided by a service provider. (ag) “Merchant” includes any “merchant” as defined in s. 402.104 (3) or any innkeeper, motelkeeper or hotelkeeper. (am) “Service provider” means a me…

943.51 Retail theft; civil liability. (1) Any person who incurs injury to his or her business or property as a result of a violation of s. 943.50 may bring a civil action against any individual who caused the loss for all of the following: (a) The retail value of the merchandise …

943.55 Removal of shopping cart. Whoever intentionally removes a shopping cart or stroller from either the shopping area or a parking area adjacent to the shopping area to another place without authorization of the owner or person in charge and with the intent to deprive the owne…

943.60 Criminal slander of title. (1) Any person who submits for filing, entering or recording any lien, claim of lien, lis pendens, writ of attachment, financing statement or any other instrument relating to a security interest in or title to real or personal property, and who k…

943.61 Theft of library material. (1) In this section: (a) “Archives” means a place in which public or institutional records are systematically preserved. (b) “Library” means any public library; library of an educational, historical or eleemosynary institution, organization or so…

943.62 Unlawful receipt of payments to obtain loan for another. (1) In this section, “escrow agent” means a state or federally chartered bank, savings bank, savings and loan association or credit union located in this state. (2) Except as provided in sub. (2m), no person may rece…

943.70 Computer crimes. section: (1) DEFINITIONS. In this (ag) “Access” means to instruct, communicate with, interact with, intercept, store data in, retrieve data from, or otherwise use the resources of. (am) “Computer” means an electronic device that performs logical, arithmeti…

943.74 Theft of farm-raised fish. (1) In this section: (a) “Farm-raised fish” means a fish that is kept on a fish farm for propagation purposes or reared on a fish farm and that has not been introduced, stocked, or planted into waters outside a fish farm and that has not escaped …

943.75 Unauthorized release of animals. (1) In this section: (ad) “Animal” means all vertebrate and invertebrate species, including mammals, birds, fish and shellfish but excluding humans. (am) “Humane officer” means an officer appointed under s. 173.03. (b) “Local health officer…

943.76 Infecting animals with a contagious disease. (1) In this section: (a) “Livestock” means cattle, horses, swine, sheep, goats, farm-raised deer, as defined in s. 95.001 (1) (ag), poultry, and other animals used or to be used in the production of food, fiber, or other commerc…

943.80 Definitions. In this subchapter: (1) “Financial crime” means a crime under ss. 943.81 to 943.90 or any other felony committed against a financial institution or an attempt or conspiracy to commit one of these crimes. (2) “Financial institution” means a bank, as defined in …

943.81 Theft from a financial institution. Whoever knowingly uses, transfers, conceals, or takes possession of money, funds, credits, securities, assets, or property owned by or under the custody or control of a financial institution without authorization from the financial insti…

943.82 Fraud against a financial institution. (1) Whoever obtains money, funds, credits, assets, securities, or other property owned by or under the custody or control of a financial institution by means of false pretenses, representations, or promises, or by use of any fraudulen…

943.825 Interference with automated teller machine. Whoever intentionally causes impairment or interruption of use, in whole or in part, of an automated teller machine or customer bank communications terminal is guilty of a Class H felony. History: 2023 a. 128.

943.83 Loan fraud. Whoever with intent to defraud a financial institution knowingly overvalues or makes a false statement concerning any land, security, or other property for the purpose of influencing the financial institution to take or defer any action in connection with a loa…

943.84 Transfer of encumbered property. (1) Whoever, with intent to defraud, conveys real property which he or she knows is encumbered, without informing the grantee of the existence of the encumbrance may be penalized as provided in s. 943.91. (2) Whoever, with intent to defraud…

943.85 Bribery involving a financial institution. (1) Whoever, with intent to defraud a financial institution, confers, offers, or agrees to confer a benefit on an employee, agent, or fiduciary of the financial institution without the consent of the financial institution and with…

943.86 Extortion against a financial institution. Whoever for the purpose of obtaining money, funds, credits, securities, assets, or property owned by or under the custody or control of a financial institution threatens to cause bodily harm to an owner, employee, or agent of a fi…

943.87 Robbery of a financial institution. Whoever by use of force or threat to use imminent force, or by creating circumstances that would cause a reasonable person to believe use of force was imminent, takes from an individual or in the presence of an individual money or proper…

943.88 Organizer of financial crimes. Whoever commits 3 or more financial crimes within an 18-month period is guilty of a Class E felony if all of the following conditions apply: (1) Each of the crimes is committed in concert with a person whom the actor supervises, organizes, fi…

943.89 Mail fraud. Whoever does any of the following to further commission of a financial crime or to sell, dispose of, loan, exchange, alter, give away, distribute, supply, furnish, or procure for an unlawful purpose any counterfeit currency, obligation, or security is guilty of…

943.895 Money laundering. (1) DEFINITIONS. In this section: (a) “Proceeds” means property or anything of value acquired or derived directly or indirectly from, produced through, realized through, or caused by an act or omission. (b) “Transaction” has the meaning given in s. 946.7…

943.90 Wire fraud against a financial institution. Whoever transmits or causes to be transmitted electrically, electromagnetically, or by light any signal, writing, image, sound, or data for the purpose of committing a financial crime is guilty of a Class H felony. History: 2005 …

943.91 Penalties. Whoever violates s. 943.81, 943.82 (1), 943.83, or 943.84 is guilty of the following: (1) If the value of the money, funds, credits, securities, assets, property, proceeds from sale, or loan does not exceed $500, a Class A misdemeanor. (2) If the value of the mo…

943.92 Increased penalty for multiple financial crimes. If a person is convicted of committing 3 or more financial crimes in an 18-month period, the term of imprisonment for the 3rd or subsequent crime in the 18-month period may be increased as follows: (1) A maximum term of impr…