Section 253Part 9 — Offences Relating to Property
Dishonestly retaining a wrongful credit
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253. (1) A person commits an offence if —
a wrongful credit has been made to an account kept by that person or in respect of which that person has any right or interest;
the person knows or believes that the credit is wrongful; and
the person dishonestly fails to take such steps as are reasonable in the circumstances to secure that the credit is cancelled.
References to a credit are to a credit of an amount of money.
A credit is wrongful if it is the credit side of an amount of money contrary to section 251.
A credit to an account is also wrongful to the extent that it derives from —
theft;
an offence under section 251; Penal Code (2026 Revision) Section 254 c Revised as at 31st December, 2025 Page 113
blackmail; or
stolen goods.
In determining whether a credit to an account is wrongful, it is immaterial (in particular) whether the account is overdrawn before or after the credit is made.
A person who commits an offence under this section is liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for ten years.
Subsection (8) applies for the purposes of provisions of this Act relating to stolen goods including subsection (4).
References to stolen goods include money which is withdrawn from an account to which a wrongful credit has been made, but only to the extent that the money derives from the credit.
In this section “account” and “money” shall be construed in accordance with section 252.