Which offense is defined as taking money by threat where the threat can be mere words?

Which offense is defined as taking money by threat where the threat can be mere words?

• A. Battery
• B. Assault
• C. Robbery
• D. Extortion

Answer: (D)

Extortion is the act of obtaining money or property by using threats that induce fear, and those threats can be mere words. The crucial element is coercion through fear—telling someone you will reveal a secret, report them to authorities, or cause them some harm unless they hand over money. This differs from battery or assault, which involve actual or attempted harmful contact rather than the act of obtaining property through coercion. It also differs from robbery, which requires taking property directly from a person by force or intimidation at the moment of the taking; extortion relies on the threat to cause harm or exposure rather than on immediate physical force during the exchange.

Extortion is the act of obtaining money or property by using threats that induce fear, and those threats can be mere words. The crucial element is coercion through fear—telling someone you will reveal a secret, report them to authorities, or cause them some harm unless they hand over money. This differs from battery or assault, which involve actual or attempted harmful contact rather than the act of obtaining property through coercion. It also differs from robbery, which requires taking property directly from a person by force or intimidation at the moment of the taking; extortion relies on the threat to cause harm or exposure rather than on immediate physical force during the exchange.