Virginia statute
Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-178 — Obtaining money or signature, etc., by false pretense
Current through 2026 Regular Session
Part of Article 3: False Pretenses, Code of Virginia.
Criminal charges under this statute
Full text of Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-178
Statutory text current through the 2026 Regular Session. This publication reproduces the text of the Code of Virginia from the official Virginia Law Portal API published by the Virginia General Assembly's Division of Legislative Automated Systems; it is not the official Code of Virginia.
A. If any person obtain, by any false pretense or token, from any person, with intent to defraud, money, a gift certificate or other property that may be the subject of larceny, he shall be deemed guilty of larceny thereof; or if he obtain, by any false pretense or token, with such intent, the signature of any person to a writing, the false making whereof would be forgery, he shall be guilty of a Class 4 felony.
B. Venue for the trial of any person charged with an offense under this section may be in the county or city in which (i) any act was performed in furtherance of the offense, or (ii) the person charged with the offense resided at the time of the offense.
Official sources
Legal terms used in this section
Questions this section answers
Is obtaining money or signature, etc., by false pretense a felony or a misdemeanor in Virginia?
Obtaining money or signature, etc., by false pretense is a class 4 felony in Virginia under Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-178.
Which Virginia statute covers obtaining money or signature, etc., by false pretense?
Obtaining money or signature, etc., by false pretense is governed by Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-178 (Obtaining money or signature, etc., by false pretense).
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.