False pretenses, also known as larceny by false pretenses, is a crime under common law. A defendant commits false pretenses when they obtain title to the victim’s property through misrepresentations with the intent to defraud.
False pretenses differ from larceny by trick in that the defendant obtains title, not just possession, of the victim's property.
In addition to common law, many states have statutes deeming forms of larceny by false pretenses a crime. For example, North Carolina statute makes it a crime to obtain property under any false pretenses involving a past or future fact.
[Last updated in January of 2023 by the Wex Definitions Team]