What is Defraud?

To defraud is to conduct matters in a fraudulent manner in order to achieve personal gain. The person engaged in this activity misrepresents facts, so that the recipient of the false information is persuaded to transfer money, property, legal rights, and so forth to the defrauding party.

Example of Defraud

A property developer convinces a buyer to put a large down payment on a condominium property for which construction has not yet started. The developer takes the money and skips town. In this situation, the developer has defrauded the buyer.