Fraud

Fraud is defined in law as the willful use of deception to obtain unfair or illegal gain or to deny a victim of a legitimate right. Fraud can be a violation of civil law (a victim of fraud may sue the perpetrator to stop the fraud or recover financial compensation), criminal law (a perpetrator of fraud may face legal action and imprisonment from the government), or it may not result in the loss of any money, property, or legal rights but still be a component of another civil or criminal wrong.

The goal of fraud may be financial gain or other benefits, such as getting a passport, travel document, or driver's license, or it may be mortgage fraud, when the offender makes false claims in an effort to qualify for a mortgage. A hoax is a unique idea that entails purposeful deception without the desire to profit or to materially harm or deprive a victim.

The recovery of a monetary award to compensate for the loss caused, punitive damages to punish or discourage the misconduct, and maybe other actions are examples of remedies for fraud. Rescission (i.e., reversal) of a fraudulently obtained agreement or transaction is one example of a remedy for fraud.
Fraud may be used as a defense in a civil action for contract breach or particular performance in situations where a contract was fraudulently induced. In a similar vein, fraud may give a court grounds to exercise its equitable jurisdiction.