Confidence Trick - Definition - Law Dictionary Home Dictionary Definition confidence-trick

Definition :

Confidence trick. Where A. persuaded B. by a trick to deposit money or property with A. or a third party in order to show that B. trusts A. or the third party. Usually a preliminary to some joint but fictitious undertaking promising enormous bene-fits to B. Where the possession of money or goods is obtained under a contract induced by fraud, the person so fradulently obtaining possession may be convicted of larceny. In order to reduce the taking under such circumstances from larceny to fraud the transaction must be incomplete. The term 'confidence trick' is also familiarly applied to other cases, of which there are many examples. See R. v. Russett, (1892) 2 QB 312, in which the prisoner purported to sell a horse for 23l., and required the buyer to pay 8l. forthwith and the balance on delivery of the horse, but never in fact delivered the horse or intended to do so, R. v. Buckmaster, (1887) 20 QBD 182, 'welching' on a racecourse.