Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

Crimes Act 1961

Crimes against rights of property - Crimes involving deceit

241: Punishment of obtaining by deception or causing loss by deception

You could also call this:

“The law decides how long someone might go to jail if they trick people to get money or cause them to lose money.”

If you trick someone or cause them to lose something through deception, you can be punished. The punishment depends on how much was lost or how much you tried to get.

If the amount is more than $1,000, you could go to jail for up to 7 years.

If the amount is between $500 and $1,000, you could go to jail for up to 1 year.

If the amount is $500 or less, you could go to jail for up to 3 months.

These rules apply to anyone who is found guilty of obtaining something by deception or causing someone to lose something by deception.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM330283.

Topics:
Crime and justice > Criminal law
Money and consumer rights > Consumer protection
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240A: Application of section 240 to match-fixing, or

“This law explains how tricking people in sports and dog races to change betting results is considered a crime.”

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242: False statement by promoter, etc, or

“Lying to trick people into giving money or buying things for a company is against the law.”

Part 10 Crimes against rights of property
Crimes involving deceit

241Punishment of obtaining by deception or causing loss by deception

  1. Every one who is guilty of obtaining by deception or causing loss by deception is liable as follows:

  2. if the loss caused or the value of what is obtained or sought to be obtained exceeds $1,000, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 7 years:
    1. if the loss caused or the value of what is obtained or sought to be obtained exceeds $500 but does not exceed $1,000, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 1 year:
      1. if the loss caused or the value of what is obtained or sought to be obtained does not exceed $500, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months.

        Compare
        Notes
        • Section 241: replaced, on , by section 15 of the Crimes Amendment Act 2003 (2003 No 39).