illegal charge

[/ɪˈliːɡəl tʃɑːrdʒ/]
nounpl: illegal charges
cobrança ilegal
1. An unlawful or unauthorized fee, cost, or amount of money demanded or collected in violation of law or regulations
The credit card company was fined for imposing illegal charges on customer accounts.
A empresa de cartão de crédito foi multada por cobranças ilegais nas contas dos clientes.
2. In legal context, a formal accusation or claim against someone that is not lawfully valid
The defendant argued that the illegal charges should be dismissed due to lack of evidence.
O réu argumentou que as acusações ilegais deveriam ser rejeitadas por falta de provas.
3. A fee collected without proper authorization or documentation
Customers reported illegal charges appearing on their monthly statements.
Clientes relataram cobranças ilegais aparecendo em seus extratos mensais.
In Brazil, consumer protection is a significant concern, and illegal charges are commonly reported through PROCON (Fundação de Proteção e Defesa do Consumidor). In the USA, credit card fraud and illegal charges are regulated by the Fair Credit Billing Act, and consumers have rights to dispute such charges within specific timeframes.
NYC Slang
shady charge or rip-off
Synonyms / Sinônimos
unauthorized chargeunlawful feefraudulent chargeimproper billinginvalid charge
Antonyms / Antônimos
legal chargeauthorized feelegitimate billinglawful fee

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
cobrança ilegal
Most common usage in Brazil for any unauthorized billing
Rio de Janeiro
cobrança clandestina
Sometimes used to emphasize the hidden or secretive nature
São Paulo
cobrança indevida
Legal/formal term preferred in commercial contexts
Portugal
cobrança ilegal
Same as Brazilian Portuguese; Portugal also uses 'cobrança indevida'

Related Words

fraudbilling disputeconsumer protectionrefundchargebackfinepenaltyviolation

Related Idioms & Phrases

dispute a charge
file a complaint against illegal charges
be charged illegally
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