---
title: "Consumer Fraud Defense"
url: "https://legal.ge/en/service/crim-criminal-law-en/consumer-fraud-defense-en"
field: "Criminal Law"
description: "Consumer fraud: fraud 2-4 years, false advertising up to one year. Defence. Legal.ge."
reviewed: "2026-07-09"
updated: "2026-10-28"
publisher: "legal.ge"
---

# Consumer Fraud Defense

> Source: legal.ge, https://legal.ge/en/service/crim-criminal-law-en/consumer-fraud-defense-en

## The Criminal Contour of Consumer Fraud

Business practice built on misleading consumers is punished in Georgia by two criminal provisions: fraud — Article 180 of the Criminal Code — and false advertising — Article 201. The first governs the acquisition of property or property rights by deception and covers most consumer schemes; the second governs the deliberate misleading of the consumer by the advertising customer, producer or distributor. A boundary should be noted too: the administrative regime of "unfair and deceptive acts" known from the United States system does not exist as such in Georgia — the civil consumer-protection apparatus belongs to separate legislation, while the criminal exposure stands precisely on these two articles.

The full text is available on legal.ge after signing in: https://legal.ge/en/service/crim-criminal-law-en/consumer-fraud-defense-en

### What penalty for consumer fraud?

From a fine to four years; large amount — six to nine; organized group — seven to ten.

### What is false advertising?

Deliberately misleading a consumer with significant damage — up to one year.

### Do they differ?

Yes — fraud requires obtaining property; false advertising is the act of misleading.