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Making or supplying articles for use in frauds

s.7Fraud Act 2006

Making, adapting, supplying or offering to supply any article, knowing it is designed or adapted for fraud or intending it to be used to commit or assist fraud.

Making or supplying articles for use in frauds · Fraud Act 2006, s.7Card 27 / 195

Points to prove

Made, adapted, supplied or offered to supply
Any article
s.7(1)(a)Knowing that it is designed or adapted for use in the course of or in connection with fraud
s.7(1)(b)Or intending it to be used to commit, or assist in the commission of, fraud

Key definitions

Article – s.8: includes any program or data held in electronic form. Software, phishing kits, templates and lists of card details are all articles.
Fraud – not defined in s.7. It includes the offence of fraud under s.1: by false representation (s.2), failing to disclose information (s.3) or abuse of position (s.4).
Offers to supply – the offence is complete when the offer is made. No article needs to change hands, and the offer need not be accepted.
Knowing / intending – two alternative mental elements. Under (a) the defendant must know the article is designed or adapted for fraud. Under (b) the article may be innocent in itself, but the defendant intends it to be used to commit or assist fraud.

Good to know

Aimed at the suppliers behind fraud: people who make card skimmers, sell “fraud packs” or phishing kits, write malware, or produce false identity documents to order.
No fraud needs actually to be committed by anyone.
The lesser offence of possessing articles for use in fraud is s.6 (5 years on indictment).
The magistrates’ maximum is expressed in the Act as the general limit in a magistrates’ court, currently 12 months.

Legislation: Fraud Act 2006, s.7 (opens legislation.gov.uk in a new tab)
Mode of trial: Either way
Maximum penalty: 10 years' imprisonment and/or a fine (on indictment); 12 months' imprisonment and/or a fine (summarily)
Last checked: 2 November 2026, against the current law on legislation.gov.uk

Making or supplying articles for use in frauds: questions people ask

What are the points to prove for making or supplying articles for use in frauds?

1. Made, adapted, supplied or offered to supply 2. Any article 3. Knowing that it is designed or adapted for use in the course of or in connection with fraud 4. Or intending it to be used to commit, or assist in the commission of, fraud

What is the maximum sentence for making or supplying articles for use in frauds?

10 years' imprisonment and/or a fine (on indictment); 12 months' imprisonment and/or a fine (summarily)

Is making or supplying articles for use in frauds a summary, either-way or indictable offence?

Making or supplying articles for use in frauds is an either-way offence: it can be tried in the magistrates’ court or the Crown Court.

What Act and section is making or supplying articles for use in frauds?

Making or supplying articles for use in frauds is an offence under the Fraud Act 2006, s.7.

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