Defintion

• Fraud involves the intentional use of deceit to deprive another person of their property, money, or rights. It violates the Legal Principle by using dishonest or misleading practices to manipulate and harm others. Fraud is closely tied to property rights, as it usually involves someone misrepresenting facts or concealing information to gain an unfair advantage or cause harm to others’ property.
• Complex interpretive issues arise in determining precisely which acts fall within the outer contours of the word “fraud.” Just as common law has helped define such terms throughout history, case law will continue to help determine these outer contours over time.
• Fraud is one of the nine forms of aggressing (a breach of the Legal Principle).