(a) No person shall fraudulently obtain or attempt to obtain telephone service by the use of a false, counterfeit or nonexistent credit card number, nor shall any person fraudulently obtain or attempt to obtain telephone service by charging the price or toll for such service to a false or nonexistent telephone number, nor to an existing telephone or credit card number without the authority of the holder thereof, nor to a credit card number or telephone number where such card has been revoked or a telephone number has been terminated and notice of revocation or termination has been given to the person to whom such card or number has been issued or assigned.
(b) No person, through the use of any fraudulent scheme, device or prearranged code, or by rearranging, making connection with or tampering with any facilities or equipment, or by utilizing telephone service, knowing or having reason to believe that such rearrangement or connection existed at the time such tampering occurred, shall avoid or attempt to avoid, or cause another to avoid, the lawful charges, in whole or in part, for any telephone service.
(c) “Notice”, as used in this section, includes either notice given in person or notice given in writing to the person to whom the credit card number or telephone number was issued or assigned. The sending of a notice in writing by registered or certified mail in the United States mail, duly stamped and addressed to such person at his last address known to the issuer, is prima- facie evidence that such notice was duly received.
(d) The following shall be considered as telephone service within the scope of this section:
(1) When the telephone call or message involved originates in this City;
(2) When the telephone call or message involved terminates in this City;
(3) When the charges for the telephone call or message involved would have been billable, in normal course, by a person, firm or corporation providing telephone service in this City, regardless of the origin or termination of such telephone call or message, except for the fact that:
A. The telephone or credit card number used was false, counterfeit, nonexistent, revoked or terminated; or
B. An existing telephone or credit card number was used without the authority of the holder thereof. (ORC 4931.32)
(e) Whoever violates any of the provisions of this section is guilty of fraudulent use of telephone service, a misdemeanor of the second degree. Punishment shall be as provided in Section 698.02. (Ord. 97-73. Passed 12-27-73.)