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The question is in the title, but I'm wondering if there's any risk to filing a police report against someone who broke a contract and stole $10,500 from me. The police report is being filed in Washington DC, and I'm very confident that he should be found guilty as I have clear evidence and 3 witnesses, but I want to confirm this before filing it.

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  • Laws vary around the world, so which jurisdiction (country, province, state, principality etc) does this relate to?
    – user35069
    Sep 2, 2021 at 22:38
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    @RockApe hi, its in Washington DC
    – Aaron Fortunato
    Sep 2, 2021 at 22:39
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    "Broke a contract" and "stole X from me" are two different things. The first is a civil matter, the later a criminal one.
    – SJuan76
    Sep 2, 2021 at 22:49
  • @SJuan76 hi, he's a minor so I don't believe I could win a lawsuit against him. It's less of a formal contract and more that he used my credit card and promised to pay me back but never did. That's a criminal act, no?
    – Aaron Fortunato
    Sep 2, 2021 at 22:51
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    @AaronFortunato That is almost certainly not a criminal act. It is a breach of contract. You can win lawsuits against a minor, but collecting the amount owed if you win is another story.
    – ohwilleke
    Sep 2, 2021 at 23:53

1 Answer 1

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No, filing a police report in good faith does not expose you to liability

Of course, making false allegations or allegations where you are recklessly indifferent to the truth to police is both a serious crime in itself and defamation.

Of course, breaking a contract is not a crime and the police are unlikely to take any action. If you borrow money from the bank and don’t pay it back, that’s not stealing or fraud unless it can be proven that you had no intention of paying it back when you borrowed it. This is a civil matter for the bank, not a criminal matter for the police.

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  • Hi, I contacted a lawyer and they instructed me that my best bet would be to file a police report. Is this incorrect?
    – Aaron Fortunato
    Sep 2, 2021 at 23:18
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    @AaronFortunato why on Earth would you think I know more than your lawyer?
    – Dale M ♦
    Sep 2, 2021 at 23:29
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    Where is the face-palm emoji on here?
    – bdb484
    Sep 3, 2021 at 2:09
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    @AaronFortunato Tell your lawyer- the one with years of legal training and experience- that you went looking for legal advice from random people and you want to take a plumber's advice instead. Then tell us their reaction.
    – Comic Sans Seraphim
    Sep 3, 2021 at 11:45

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