Legal Definitions - concussionary

The term concussionary is an archaic legal term referring to an individual who uses a false or misleading appearance of authority to illegally demand money or property from others. Essentially, a concussionary exploits people's respect or fear of official power, or their belief in someone's legitimate influence, to extort personal gain.

Here are some examples to illustrate this concept:

• Imagine a person who dresses in a uniform resembling that of a city building inspector, carries a clipboard, and visits small businesses. They demand immediate "inspection fees" or "violation fines" in cash, threatening to shut down the business if not paid on the spot. This individual is a concussionary because they are not a real inspector but are using the guise of official authority (the uniform, the clipboard, the official-sounding threats) to extort money from business owners.

• Consider a scammer who sets up a fake office near a government building, complete with official-looking signs. They intercept individuals seeking permits or licenses, claiming to be an "expediting agent" for the government. They demand large, unofficial "processing fees" to ensure applications are approved quickly, implying they have special influence over the official process. This person acts as a concussionary by creating a false appearance of being connected to official processes and having authority over them, using this pretense to extort money from individuals who believe they are paying for a legitimate, expedited service.

• Another example involves an individual who sends official-looking letters to elderly people, claiming to be from a "County Tax Enforcement Unit." The letters demand immediate payment for a fabricated overdue property tax bill and threaten severe legal action, including property seizure, if the "debt" is not paid within 24 hours. This scammer functions as a concussionary by adopting the guise of a government tax authority to intimidate and extort money from vulnerable individuals through false threats of legal consequences.