question about fraud

[Katy loo]

If someone is selling something that they dont own ie: a hotel room and then making the booking themselves because they work in the hotel complimentary and pocketing the money they make on ebay commiting fraud..........and what would you do about it?

[ugly_bob]

Not sure about criminal fraud, but would no doubt constitute a sackable offence.

[dzug]

Probably, but against the hotel rather than the purchaser.

Dob 'em in to the hotel management.

[noxlumos]

I wouldn't do anything about it personally, are they hurting you? Are they hurting anyone? They may be entitled to certain perks anyway and merely be selling them because they need money for a good reason, why make a person's life more difficult? It's not fraud anyway, but as ugly bob says it may be a sackable offence .You could be an ebay millionaire too you know, it's not difficult. All business's sell things they don't actually own you know, what your acquaintance is doing is not unusual.I'd leave it be if no-one is getting hurt.

[Hippy]

If somebody sells something that they do not own (or have good title to) but pretend that they do then they do indeed act fraudulently. The subsequent sale is void, the true owner of the goods can rightfully recover them and the purchaser may pursue the fraudulent vendor for return of their purchase goods or money, or damages if a service was rendered.

An example: Mr. Awful comes into possession of a stolen car belonging to Mr. Nice. He then sells it to Mr. Gullible for �3,000. Later the police discover the car, and return it to its rightful owner, Mr. Nice. Mr. Gullible protests that he bought it "in good faith" not suspecting that it was stolen, so he should still keep the car. After all, he paid "good money" for the car. It is explained to Mr. Gullible that despite what he might have thought at the time of the sale, Mr. Awful had no right to sell what was not his and that Mr. Gullible must try to recover the �3,000 from Mr. Awful, as in consequence, he has no right to own that either.

In the case of the hotel worker selling their perquisite, then I suspect that if they had made the reservation, thus gaining possession, then sold that possession on to a third party then no fraud would be committed. However, it might be a condition of the supply of the perquisite by the hotel to its staff that they are forbidden from selling it on. So here it is not a case of falsely claiming ownership, but falsely claiming the ability to sell, being constrained by the hotel/employee contract. So any attempt at a sale under these circumstances would be void being the result of a criminal deception to gain pecuniary advantage i.e. fraud.

[FibbyUK]

This is Money Laundering.

Proceeds from criminal activities and terrorism are laundered this way.

The more complex the procedure, the less likelyhood of the authorities catching you.

Anyone knowing of these activities should inform the appropriate authority.

[noxlumos]

fibby sorry but I've never heard such absolute s***e in all my life.What the questioner spoke of was someone working at hotel who could get rooms on the cheap flogging them on ebay for their own gain. That's not going to fund terrorism or bring about the end of the world, it's just going to make sure the person concerned's kids have shoes on their feet. Grow up, what a bloody drama.

[cyclone]

If the person works in the hotel and is making money without the boss's permission, this is more like thieft (from the employer) not fraud.

A normal customer who has paid for the room for the night would be entitled to sell it on if they cancelled the holiday fro example.

What to do about it. Report the thief.