Legal Definitions - false impersonation

False impersonation occurs when an individual pretends to be another person, whether a real person or a fictional character, with the intent to deceive, defraud, or gain some unauthorized advantage. This act often involves using the other person's identity, name, or characteristics to mislead others.

Here are some examples illustrating false impersonation:

• Example 1: Financial Deception

  A scammer calls an elderly person, claiming to be their grandchild who is in urgent financial trouble and needs money wired immediately. The scammer uses details they've gathered about the grandchild to make the story seem convincing.

  This illustrates false impersonation because the scammer is pretending to be the grandchild with the clear intent to deceive the elderly person and fraudulently obtain money.

• Example 2: Gaining Unauthorized Access

  A person who has been banned from a private club attempts to re-enter by borrowing a friend's membership card and pretending to be that friend at the door, hoping to bypass security.

  Here, the individual is falsely impersonating their friend to gain unauthorized access to the club, which they are otherwise prohibited from entering.

• Example 3: Misuse of Authority

  An individual purchases a realistic-looking uniform and badge and then goes door-to-door in a neighborhood, claiming to be a city inspector conducting mandatory home safety checks, in order to gain entry into people's homes for ulterior motives.

  This is an example of false impersonation because the person is pretending to be a city official to deceive residents and gain access to their private property under false pretenses of authority.