Legal Definitions - inveigle

Inveigle

To inveigle means to persuade someone to do something or go somewhere by using clever deception, flattery, or insincere promises, often with dishonest intentions.

• Example 1: A software developer managed to inveigle a competitor's junior programmer into revealing proprietary code details by pretending to be a potential investor interested in a collaborative project.

  Explanation: The developer used a deceptive pretense (being a potential investor) to lure the programmer into disclosing confidential information, illustrating the use of trickery to gain an advantage.

• Example 2: The charismatic salesperson attempted to inveigle the customer into purchasing an extended warranty by exaggerating the likelihood of future product failures and downplaying the cost.

  Explanation: Here, the salesperson employed insincere persuasion (exaggerating risks, downplaying costs) to entice the customer into making a purchase they might not otherwise have made.

• Example 3: A scam artist tried to inveigle an elderly homeowner into granting access to their bank accounts by posing as a government official offering a fictitious grant, requiring personal financial details for "verification."

  Explanation: The scam artist used a false identity and a deceptive offer (a fictitious grant) to trick the homeowner into providing sensitive information, demonstrating the act of luring someone through deceit.