Legal Definitions - fraudulent pretenses

Definition: Fraudulent pretenses, also known as false pretenses, is a crime where someone knowingly obtains someone else's personal property by lying or misrepresenting a fact with the intention to cheat or deceive them.

For example, if someone sells a car to another person by lying about its condition or history, that would be considered fraudulent pretenses. Another example would be if someone pretends to be a charity and asks for donations, but then keeps the money for themselves.

These examples illustrate the definition because in both cases, the person is using false information to obtain something of value from someone else. They are intentionally deceiving the other person in order to benefit themselves.