Definition

Noun: A type of fraud that involves using the postal service or any interstate mail carrier to intentionally deceive someone for financial or personal gain, as part of a scheme.

Usage

This term is specifically used in legal and criminal contexts. It describes the method of committing fraud (using mail systems), not the specific details of the deceptive scheme itself. It is a federal crime in many countries, including the United States.

Examples

• The businessman was convicted of mail fraud for sending fake investment offers through the postal service.
• Prosecutors added a charge of mail fraud because the suspect used courier services to send the fraudulent contracts.
• The scheme involved mail fraud; victims received official-looking letters that tricked them into sending money.

Advanced Usage

• "To commit mail fraud": This is the standard verb collocation used to describe the illegal act.
  • He was accused of committing mail fraud.
• The legal concept often requires proving the defendant had "intent to defraud" and used the mail system to execute or further the scheme.

Variants and Related Words

• Wire Fraud (noun): A closely related federal crime involving the use of electronic communications, such as phone or internet, to defraud.
• Fraud (noun): The general, overarching crime of intentional deception for unlawful gain. Mail fraud is a specific subset of fraud.

Synonyms

• Postal fraud
• Fraud by mail

Notes

"Mail fraud" is a compound noun. As per the instruction, its definition is provided here as the single target phrase. Related terms like "wire fraud" are listed separately in the variants section.

Noun

1. use of the mails to defraud someone