false pretenses
Lies to manipulate
False pretenses is the legal term for obtaining money, property, or services through deliberate deception—lying about facts to induce someone to hand over something of value.
The phrase appears most often in criminal law: He was charged with obtaining goods under false pretenses.
Outside legal contexts, it describes any situation where someone gains access or advantage through misrepresentation: She felt he'd won her trust under false pretenses.
- swindleDeception for financial gain
- bait and switchFraudulent sales tactic
- shell gameStreet swindle with cups
- confidence trickFraud exploiting victim's trust
- long conProtracted, elaborate swindle
deception · fraud · scam · misrepresentation · snake oil salesman · dishonesty · bad faith · con game · dupery · embezzlement · trickery · fraudulence · forgery · stolen valor · artifice · con · identity theft · hoax
- deceptionlie, lies, lying, fake, fraud
- dirty trickscheating, lying, deceit, trickery, deception
- fraudscam, fraud, swindle, con, deceive
- impostureimpostor, impersonation, imposture, personation, assumed name
- scamsscam, scams, fraud, frauds, swindle
- contract defectsduress, fraud, misrepresentation, mistake, nullity
false pretenseshonesty
Truthfulness, sincerity
truthfulness · full disclosure · candor · transparency · sincerity
false pretensesgood faith
Sincere, honest intent
fair dealing · above board · on the level · by the book · square dealing
false pretensestrue colors
One's real character revealed
authentic self · unvarnished truth · legitimacy · bona fides · genuineness
false, pretend, pretended, pretending, pretense, falsely, falsify, pretender, falseness