A tourist buys a gold designer watch for $250; The watch is suspected to be stolen due to the unusually low price. What crime, if any, did the tourist commit?

• A. Receiving Stolen Property (Felony)
• B. No crime
• C. Possession of Stolen Property
• D. Fraud

Answer: (A)

Receiving stolen property occurs when you acquire possession of goods that are stolen and you know or should know they were stolen. In this scenario, the tourist bought a gold designer watch for a suspiciously low price, which should raise questions about its origin. If the tourist knew or had reason to believe the watch was stolen, taking possession of it constitutes receiving stolen property, a felony in many jurisdictions. Fraud requires deceit to obtain the property, which isn’t shown here. Possession of stolen property could apply in some cases, but the act described—accepting the watch at a suspicious price—fits best with receiving stolen property, hinging on knowledge or reasonable belief about the theft.