Penal Code section 420

Section 420 of the Penal Code covers cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property, which is the offence police most often use when charging someone over a scam. It applies when a person deceives you into handing over money or property, knowing the deception would cause you loss.

When it matters

When you lodge a police report about a scam, the investigation by CCID often builds toward a charge under this section, since it directly matches how most scams work. A criminal charge under section 420 is separate from recovering your money, so many victims also look into a civil claim against a scammer alongside the police process.