intentional deception resulting in injury to another person
"The investigation revealed that the CEO committed fraud by falsifying financial records to inflate the company's value and swindle investors out of millions."
The crime of stealing or otherwise illegally obtaining money by use of deception tactics.
"The police arrested the CEO for fraud after they discovered he had stolen millions from investors through a series of elaborate lies about fake profits."
In plain English: Fraud is when someone lies or tricks you to steal something or get money they don't deserve.
"The police arrested the man for running an insurance fraud scheme."
Usage: Fraud refers to the deliberate act of deceiving someone to obtain money or property illegally. Use this term when describing criminal schemes like scams or forgery rather than accidental mistakes or honest disagreements.
To defraud
"The company was shut down after its founder was arrested for trying to defraud investors out of their life savings."
In plain English: To commit fraud is to trick someone by lying about something important so you can get money or an advantage.
"He tried to fraud his way into the exclusive club by lying about his credentials."
Usage: Use "fraud" only as a noun to describe an act of deception or a dishonest person; do not use it as a verb to mean deceiving someone. Instead, say that someone committed fraud or defrauded another party.
The word fraud entered English around 1345 via the Old French language. It originally carried the Latin meaning of deceit or injury.