Today, I was reading some webmail at a site which has popups that the Google toolbar does not block. Due to some poor mouse-clicking skills, I ended up at the signup page for this online dating service. Normally, I would have closed it the window without thinking, but my attention was grabbed by the big blue warning box that says “MARRIED PEOPLE NEED NOT APPLY” and goes on to say:
Can you really be convicted of fraud for telling a single person that you’re also single when you’re not? I understand that it’s a lie, a misrepresentation, and not very nice. But can it constitute fraud?
I can see how you can stretch the “you’re a big fat liar” connotation of fraud to fit this scenario. But what is the legal definition of fraud, and does this behavior really count? My guess is there has to be some provable and direct loss on the part of the victim to qualify as fraud. But IANAL, and that’s why I come to the SDMB for help.
Well, I had already looked up the section they website cites. I got that they were lumping it under wire fraud. Which would be appropriate since it’s the internet.
I’ve just now read Section 1346, and it’s not too helpful. In fact, this is it in its entirety.
Clear as mud. I’m with it up to the word “another.” But what the hell constitutes “intangible right of honest services”?