Against the law to keep money?

Question

if someone sends you money and instructions on what to do with it, but you keep the money instead, is it breaking the law? can someone be arrested for that?

Answer 1

If it is legitimate, it would be illegal. You agreed to accept the money under those conditions, and would be considered a verbal contract. And since you only communicated through emails, there would be a trail to prove you accepted those terms.

But, in reality, it doesn't matter. This is a scam. They send you a bad check, have you cash the check (not deposit), send part to someplace that the other person owes money, and you keep your part. Later, after this is all done, the bank contacts you and tells you you have to pay back the money they gave you for the check. You try to contact either the person that sent you the money, or the travel agency,only to find out that they really don't exist, and you are fully responsible for the entire amount of the check, including the amount you sent to the travel agent.

Answer 2

probably if they told you to get something for them....

Answer 3

Needs more detail.  If the money is a gift and they want you to buy x, y, z, then no, probably not arrested, but they could possibly sue you in civil court for the return of the money.  If it is some type of business transaction or an agreed-upon process, then, potentially yes.  It may also be one of those ever-popular here's a forged money order, send me back half and keep half for yourself scams.  You cash the money order, send half beck to Nigeria or wherever, then, a few weeks later, the bank deducts the total amount from your account plus fees for cashing a fraudulent money order.  After reading the details, I am 90% sure that this is a scam.  Take the check to the bank and ask them to verify if it is valid and if there are enough funds in the account.  If not, take it to the police.  Even it seems on the up and up with the bank, I still wouldn't trust someone that I have only spoken with on the Internet.  I would send the check back and tell them to forget it.  If it is completely legitimate, you would be breaking the law if you kept the entire amount of money.

Answer 4

Only if you had a contract in which the person agreed to send you the money and you agreed that you would do what they asked.  And yes, in some states verbal contracts are enforceable.  But if you're talking about receiving an unexpected envelope in the mail with cash or a check in it with a note that says "Buy this" or "Invest this money in that" or "Pay this bill for me" you really have no legal obligation to do what the person says.