Legal Definitions - larceny by trick

Under common law, larceny is the act of taking and carrying away someone else's personal property without their permission and with the intent to steal it. However, larceny by trick is different because the person who commits this crime only gains possession of the property, not ownership. This is because they use deceit or a false statement to obtain the property from the victim.

• A man tells his neighbor that he needs to borrow his lawnmower to mow his own lawn. The neighbor agrees and lends him the lawnmower. However, the man never returns the lawnmower and the neighbor realizes he was tricked into giving it away.
• A woman pretends to be a charity worker and goes door-to-door collecting donations. She tells people that the money will go towards helping sick children. However, she keeps the money for herself and never donates it to any charity.

These examples illustrate larceny by trick because the person committing the crime used deceitful tactics to obtain the property or money from the victim. In both cases, the victim believed they were helping someone in need or lending their property for a good cause, but instead, they were tricked into giving it away.