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CriminalCode.ca
s. 380

Fraud

Defrauding the public or any person by deceit, falsehood or other fraudulent means.

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Plain-language explanation

Section 380 is the core fraud offence in the Criminal Code. It criminalizes using deceit, falsehood, or any other dishonest means to cause someone to lose — or risk losing — property, money, or a service.

Legal elements
  • • A prohibited act: deceit, falsehood, or other fraudulent means
  • • Deprivation, or risk of deprivation, of property, money, or a service
  • • Subjective knowledge of the prohibited conduct
  • • Subjective knowledge that the conduct could cause deprivation
Investigator notes
  • • Risk of deprivation is sufficient — actual loss is not required (R v Olan).
  • • Dishonesty is assessed against community standards (R v Théroux).
  • • Reckless conduct can ground fraud (R v Zlatic).
Section text

Every one who, by deceit, falsehood or other fraudulent means, whether or not it is a false pretence within the meaning of this Act, defrauds the public or any person, whether ascertained or not, of any property, money or valuable security or any service…

Related Offences

Fraud

Cases on this Section

R v Théroux
[1993] 2 SCR 5
Set out the modern two-element test for fraud: dishonest act + deprivation, with subjective knowledge of both.
R v Olan
[1978] 2 SCR 1175
Risk of economic loss is sufficient — actual loss is not required.
R v Zlatic
[1993] 2 SCR 29
Reckless, dishonest business conduct can constitute fraud, even without active deceit.
R v Riesberry
2015 SCC 65
Fraud is made out where dishonest conduct puts the victim's economic interests at risk, even if no individual victim relied on the deceit.
Cox & Paton v The Queen
[1963] SCR 500
Recognized that fraud and conspiracy to defraud can be made out through an agreement or course of dishonest conduct affecting property and economic interests, not only through isolated false statements.
Germany (Federal Republic) v Schreiber
2004 CanLII 93326 (ON SC)
Applied Canadian fraud principles to tax-related deception and the public treasury as an economic interest.
Germany (Federal Republic) v Schreiber
2006 CanLII 6189 (ON CA)
Applied Canadian fraud principles to extradition and tax fraud allegations involving public revenue.
R v Ellis
2007 ABQB 722
Applied Canadian fraud principles to fraud mens rea and accused knowledge.
R v Wolsey
2008 BCCA 159
Applied Canadian fraud principles to knowledge and dishonest conduct in fraud.
R v Bailey
2014 ABPC 103
Applied Canadian fraud principles to fraud proof and state of mind.
R v Leclair
2020 ONCA 230
Applied Canadian fraud principles to wilful blindness and knowledge in fraud analysis.
R v Cameron
2017 ABQB 217
Applied Canadian fraud principles to recklessness and awareness of risk.
R v Long
1990 CanLII 5405 (BC CA)
Applied Canadian fraud principles to fraud mens rea and accused knowledge.
R v Earle
2021 ONCA 34
Applied Canadian fraud principles to fraud, knowledge, and wilful blindness.
R v Eizenga
2011 ONCA 113
Applied Canadian fraud principles to fraud and the accused's subjective state of mind.
R v Bisram
2011 ONSC 3913
Applied Canadian fraud principles to dupe defence and innocent participation in fraud.
R v Milec
1996 CanLII 315 (ON CA)
Applied Canadian fraud principles to fraud participation and accused knowledge.
R v Duffy
2016 ONCJ 220
Applied Canadian fraud principles to civil dispute, accused explanation, and fraud proof.
R v Must
2011 ONCA 390
Applied Canadian fraud principles to debt collection and dishonest means.
R v Kingsbury
2012 BCCA 462
Applied Canadian fraud principles to fraud, causation, and deprivation.
R v Suzi
2018 ABPC 130
Applied Canadian fraud principles to debt-related conduct and fraud analysis.
R v McCague
2006 ONCJ 208
Applied Canadian fraud principles to fraud and self-help collection issues.
R v Wolf
2008 ONCA 352
Applied Canadian fraud principles to fraud and accused justification.
R v Doren
1982 CanLII 2197 (ON CA)
Applied Canadian fraud principles to sharp practice does not automatically equal fraud.
R v Chabot
2021 QCCA 1697
Applied Canadian fraud principles to business conduct and fraud analysis.
R v Gatley
1992 CanLII 1088 (BC CA)
Applied Canadian fraud principles to civil/commercial context and fraud.
R v Lajoie
1999 CanLII 13597 (QC CA)
Applied Canadian fraud principles to business dealings and fraud.
R v Mercer
1998 CanLII 18029 (NL CA)
Applied Canadian fraud principles to fraud and commercial conduct.
R v Lawson
1994 CanLII 890 (BC CA)
Applied Canadian fraud principles to meaning of deceit in fraud.
R v Stephenson
2006 BCCA 25
Applied Canadian fraud principles to falsehood and accused knowledge.
R v Garrick
2012 ONSC 725
Applied Canadian fraud principles to fraud proof through representations and records.
R v Sebe
1987 CanLII 980 (SK CA)
Applied Canadian fraud principles to false representations and fraud.
R v Horsman
2002 SKCA 2
Applied Canadian fraud principles to use of funds for a purpose other than represented.
R v Pchajek
2009 MBQB 265
Applied Canadian fraud principles to victim carelessness and false representation.
R v Mastronardi
2006 BCSC 1681
Applied Canadian fraud principles to relationship-based deception and victim trust.
R v Revington
2001 BCSC 683
Applied Canadian fraud principles to false claims and institutional victim reliance.
R v Rutenberg
2013 BCSC 2215
Applied Canadian fraud principles to false invoices and whether work was actually done.
R v MacMullin
2014 ABQB 476
Applied Canadian fraud principles to false accounting records and fraud proof.
R v McCarthy
2008 CanLII 49582 (ON SC)
Applied Canadian fraud principles to document-heavy fraud proof.
R v Wilson
2003 BCSC 414
Applied Canadian fraud principles to social assistance fraud and false benefit information.
R v Bavarsad
2007 BCCA 527
Applied Canadian fraud principles to accused knowledge and welfare fraud.
R v D'Amour
2002 CanLII 45015 (ON CA)
Applied Canadian fraud principles to government records and fraud proof.
R v Gibb
2013 ONSC 5680
Applied Canadian fraud principles to misrepresentation of an investment opportunity.
R v Iyer
2020 ABCA 439
Applied Canadian fraud principles to investor interests and economic prejudice.
R v Drabinsky
2011 ONCA 582
Applied Canadian fraud principles to financial misrepresentation and risk of economic prejudice.
R v Singer
2013 ONSC 4035
Applied Canadian fraud principles to repair or service misrepresentation.
R v Ontario Chrysler (1977) Ltd.
1994 CanLII 8758 (ON CA)
Applied Canadian fraud principles to consumer misrepresentation and vehicle sales.
R v Marquardt
1972 CanLII 1266 (BC CA)
Applied Canadian fraud principles to personal or unauthorized use of company assets.
R v Verville
1999 CanLII 13272 (QC CA)
Applied Canadian fraud principles to corporate asset misuse and fraud.
R v Black and Whiteside
1983 CanLII 3493 (ON CA)
Applied Canadian fraud principles to corporate control and fraud.
R v Potter; R v Colpitts
2020 NSCA 9
Applied Canadian fraud principles to corporate obligations and criminal fraud analysis.
R v Monkman
1980, 4 Man R (2d) 352
Applied Canadian fraud principles to use only if uploaded or otherwise available.
R v Emond
1997 CanLII 10605 (QC CA)
Applied Canadian fraud principles to material non-disclosure and fraud.
R v Vanderveen
2002 BCSC 236
Applied Canadian fraud principles to non-disclosure and fraud analysis.
R v Easte
2002 BCSC 615
Applied Canadian fraud principles to limits of fraud by silence.
R v Feddema
2005 ABCA 236
Applied Canadian fraud principles to duty to disclose and material omission.
R v Lauer
2011 PECA 5
Applied Canadian fraud principles to diversion of funds or property and fraud.
R v Gaetz
1992 CanLII 2509 (NS CA)
Applied Canadian fraud principles to economic deprivation and risk.
R v Gaetz
1993 CanLII 82 (SCC)
Applied Canadian fraud principles to scc treatment of deprivation issues.
R v Kirkwood
1983 CanLII 1953 (ON CA)
Applied Canadian fraud principles to economic risk and fraud.
R v Knowles
1979 CanLII 2919 (ON CA)
Applied Canadian fraud principles to victim decision-making and deprivation.
United States of America v Schrang
1997 CanLII 3588 (BC CA)
Applied Canadian fraud principles to risk arising when assets are transferred.
R v Huggett
1978 CanLII 2529 (ON CA)
Applied Canadian fraud principles to accused need not personally obtain the property.
Libman v The Queen
1985 CanLII 51 (SCC)
Applied Canadian fraud principles to real and substantial connection for jurisdiction.
R v Warren
2010 NLCA 29
Applied Canadian fraud principles to use only if uploaded or otherwise available.
The Queen v Lemire
1964 CanLII 52 (SCC)
Applied Canadian fraud principles to direction from a superior and fraud responsibility.

Related Podcast Episodes

Episode F1 — The Canadian Fraud Framework: From the Criminal Code to the Courts
Episode F1 · 45 min
Episode F2 — R. v. Olan: Dishonesty, Deprivation, and the Foundation of Canadian Fraud Law
Episode F2 · 49 min
Episode F3 — R. v. Théroux: The Modern Fraud Test
Episode F3 · 41 min
Episode F4 — R. v. Zlatic: Other Fraudulent Means and Dishonest Business Conduct
Episode F4 · 36 min
Episode F5 — R. v. Riesberry: Risk of Economic Harm and Fraud
Episode F5 · 32 min
Episode F6 — Cox and Paton v. The Queen: Early Fraud and Conspiracy Foundations
Episode F6 · 30 min
Episode F7 — How Olan, Théroux, Zlatic, and Riesberry Fit Together
Episode F7 · 35 min
Episode F8 — Fraud Actus Reus: Deceit, Falsehood, and Other Fraudulent Means
Episode F8 · 34 min
Episode F9 — Fraud Mens Rea: What Did the Accused Know?
Episode F9 · 34 min
Episode F10 — Deprivation in Fraud: Actual Loss, Risk of Loss, and Economic Prejudice
Episode F10 · 34 min
Episode F11 — Fraud Over $5,000 and Fraud Under $5,000: Why Value Matters
Episode F11 · 30 min
Episode F12 — Identity Fraud, Identity Theft, and Fraud-Related Personal Information
Episode F12 · 36 min
Episode F13 — Forgery, False Pretences, and Fraud: Understanding the Differences
Episode F13 · 37 min
Episode F14 — Investment Fraud, Ponzi Schemes, and Dishonest Business Representations
Episode F14 · 38 min
Episode F15 — Fraud Investigations: Evidence, Red Flags, and Practical Lessons
Episode F15 · 42 min
Episode F16 — Tax Evasion as Fraud: When Cheating the Revenue Becomes Criminal Fraud
Episode F16 · 32 min
Episode F17 — Recklessness and Wilful Blindness in Fraud: "I Didn't Want to Know"
Episode F17 · 32 min
Episode F18 — The Dupe Defence: Innocent Participant or Fraudster?
Episode F18 · 32 min
Episode F19 — Self-Help Debt Collection and Fraud: You Cannot Collect by Deceit
Episode F19 · 32 min
Episode F20 — Business Failure, Sharp Practice, or Criminal Fraud?
Episode F20 · 32 min
Episode F21 — Deceit and Falsehood: What Counts as a Criminal Lie?
Episode F21 · 32 min
Episode F22 — Victim Carelessness Is Not a Defence
Episode F22 · 32 min
Episode F23 — False Invoices and False Accounting Documents
Episode F23 · 32 min
Episode F24 — Welfare and Social Assistance Fraud
Episode F24 · 32 min
Episode F25 — Insurance Fraud: False Claims and False Documents
Episode F25 · 32 min
Episode F26 — Investment Opportunity Fraud: Selling a Story That Was Never Real
Episode F26 · 32 min
Episode F27 — Romance and Online Dating Fraud: Trust, Lies, and Financial Deprivation
Episode F27 · 32 min
Episode F28 — Repair Scams and Service Fraud
Episode F28 · 32 min
Episode F29 — Dealership and Consumer Misrepresentation
Episode F29 · 32 min
Episode F30 — Misuse of Corporate Assets: Fraud Inside the Company
Episode F30 · 32 min
Episode F31 — Breach of Trust and Exploiting Weakness
Episode F31 · 32 min
Episode F32 — Fraud by Silence: Material Non-Disclosure
Episode F32 · 32 min
Episode F33 — Unauthorized Diversion of Funds or Property
Episode F33 · 32 min
Episode F34 — Deprivation Without Actual Loss: Risk, Opportunity, and Economic Prejudice
Episode F34 · 32 min
Episode F35 — Fraud Proof Toolkit: Jurisdiction, Documents, Parties, Attempts, Victims, and Charges
Episode F35 · 32 min