Is this classified as fraud?

Question

Is it fraud if you pose on a chat room/social networking site as someone you're not? If so then why are pedophiles and "fakes" not going to prison for this? Do they only got to prison if they get caught?

Just curious..thanks for answering :)

p.s i don't want any philosophical answers ..

Answer 1

its not fraud because they arnt making money off it and what about the non-paedophiles who are maybe scared to enter their real names online?

Answer 2

it don't take much to realise that when you are talking to some one on line you have no way of knowing who they really are. that's the nature of the beast.IF! you are an adult  you take what ever chance that you see as appropriate. and as for paedophiles....well parents have a responsibility to make sure their children are not chatting to strangers on line. but the reality is that a h**l of a lot of older school girls go on line for a giggle to talk dirty to the weirdo's. there was a case about it here in our local paper. six of the little buggers had been doing it for months until one of them got freaked out because she thought she was being followed and confessed to it all. common sense is the key. check your kids computers. and don't ever give out personal stuff  on line. con artists and sexual preditors are every where, not just on line.

Answer 3

Forgive me, but how can someone go to prison if they aren't caught?

Fraud is a deception with the intent of gain, hiding behind a nickname doesn't do that.

Answer 4

no because fraud is deception with intent to gain a pecuniary advantage. If you were posing as somebody you werent and trying to get money then that is fraud

Answer 5

There are not statutes that deal definitively with this area and the case law is also very scarce. The MySpace suicide case is being prosecuted as wire fraud, because Lori Drew pretended to be someone else, not because that is in and of itself illegal, but because that was a violation of the terms of service of the site.

Answer 6

In the country I am writing from: No they would need to do something more than posing as someone they are not in order to commit a criminal offence e.g. use that impersonation as part of dishonestly obtaining money - however, its the dishonestly obtaining money that would be the offence.

There are various offences that relate to holding yourself out as something you are not (e.g. I think impersonating a police officer is an offence) but so I guess that such offences could apply in a chat room as much as anywhere else.

Just for fun/not legal advice.

Answer 7

It's not fraud, they are just sad individuals pretending to be someone they are not. It's called lying.

Answer 8

I understand that they are caught by using a credit card backtrack and other methods. I cannot understand how anyone can go to prison unless they are caught. i think you have tangled yourself up here    

Answer 9

maybe just impersonation

Answer 10

A recent case went to Court when someone, posing as another person known to them, logged onto a networking site which they then subsequently libelled the person they were pretending to be, claiming to have a questionable lifestyle and habits.

So no it is not fraud, unless you are aiming to get some sort of advantage from doing so, but yes it is potentially actionable if you negatively affect the life or business of someone else.

Answer 11

It's not fraud in most cases.  Unless they are claiming to be someone they are not, like a celebrity.  It's just called lying.  The bigggest problem if it was illegal is proving it.

Answer 12

no i dont think it is. i think it would just be classed as impersonating another person and if no crime is involved whilst doing it i doubt it would be taken seriously.