Section 500.

(a) Any person who receives money for the actual or purported purpose of transmitting the same or its equivalent to foreign countries as specified in Section 1800.5 of the Financial Code who fails to do at least one of the following acts unless otherwise instructed by the customer is guilty of a misdemeanor or felony as set forth in subdivision (b):

(1) Forward the money as represented to the customer within 10 days of receipt of the funds.

(2) Give instructions within 10 days of receipt of the customer's funds, committing equivalent funds to the person designated by the customer.

(3) Refund to the customer any money not forwarded as represented within 10 days of the customer's written request for a refund pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 1810.5 of the Financial Code.

(b) (1) If the total value of the funds received from the customer is less than nine hundred fifty dollars ($950), the offense set forth in subdivision (a) is punishable by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year or by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both that imprisonment and fine.

(2) If the total value of the money received from the customer is nine hundred fifty dollars ($950) or more, or if the total value of all moneys received by the person from different customers is nine hundred fifty dollars ($950) or more, and the receipts were part of a common scheme or plan, the offense set forth in subdivision (a) is punishable by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 for 16 months, two, or three years, by a fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or by both that imprisonment and fine.

(Amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 15, Sec. 377. Effective April 4, 2011. Operative October 1, 2011, by Sec. 636 of Ch. 15, as amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 39, Sec. 68.)