Legal Definitions - swindle

Swindle

To swindle means to intentionally deceive or trick someone in order to illegally take their money or property. It involves using dishonest schemes or false promises to gain an unfair financial advantage over another person, causing them to lose their assets.

• Example 1: A scammer sets up a sophisticated online investment platform, promising incredibly high returns on cryptocurrency investments. Many individuals, lured by the promise of quick wealth, transfer significant sums of money into the platform, only for the scammer to shut down the website and disappear with all the invested funds.

  Explanation: This is a swindle because the scammer used deceit (a fake investment platform and false promises of returns) to illegally take money from people who were tricked into believing their investments were legitimate.

• Example 2: An individual falsely claims to be a representative of a utility company and goes door-to-door, convincing elderly residents that their meters need urgent replacement due to a new regulation. They collect cash payments for these "replacements" but never perform any work, simply pocketing the money.

  Explanation: This situation illustrates a swindle because the individual used fraud (impersonating a utility representative and fabricating a regulation) to dispossess the residents of their money, gaining an unfair financial advantage through trickery and false pretenses.