What are false pretenses?

When an individual commits the crime of false pretenses, they misrepresent a fact in order to acquire someone else’s property. Obtaining property through false pretenses is a crime, punishable in most states by fines and imprisonment. While state laws vary in defining this crime, the general idea is the same: to be found guilty of false pretenses, the prosecutor must show that the individual acquired the property at issue by intentionally misstating a fact.

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What is fraud?

Fraud occurs when someone gains something of value, usually money or property, from a victim by knowingly making a misrepresentation of a matter of fact. Fraud commonly occurs in the buying or selling of property, particularly real estate and stocks, or in falsifying reports such as taxes and Medicare claims made to obtain benefits from the state or federal government.

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