fraud in fact

8.7

An act of hiding or lying about facts to harm someone financially

noun

Formal

: fraude en hecho

The court found that the company had committed fraud in fact by hiding financial information from investors.

Examples

To prove fraud in fact, the plaintiff must show deliberate deception and intent to cause harm.
Unlike negligence, fraud in fact involves an intentional act to mislead another party.
The company was accused of fraud in fact after misleading investors.
Can you explain what fraud in fact means?
The court found that the company had committed fraud in fact by hiding financial information from investors.
To prove fraud in fact, the plaintiff must show deliberate deception and intent to cause harm.
Unlike negligence, fraud in fact involves an intentional act to mislead another party.

Synonyms

positive fraud

vsfraud in fact

Jargon

9.1

To hide facts or give false information on purpose to cheat someone

emphasizes actual deceit with intent and contrasts it with types that lack intent

Antonyms

truth

∞ 1.0

A fact that shows how things really are

transparency

146 3.7

Being clear so people can see or understand how something works

Surface Forms

fraud in fact singular

fraud in facts plural

Morphology

fraud + in + fact

The phrase literally combines 'fraud' with the common phrase 'in fact' (meaning 'actually'), so a learner who knows the words can infer a basic sense of 'actual/real fraud'. However, the specific legal nuance—that it requires intent and is distinct from 'constructive fraud'—is technical and not predictable from the constituents, so full meaning requires legal knowledge.

Etymology

Fraud in fact is a legal phrase that gives a clear image: fraud meaning a real trick, not just something assumed. The words in fact mean 'in reality', so the phrase shows the deception was done on purpose to hurt someone.