Spanish prisoner

English

Noun

Spanish prisoner (plural Spanish prisoners)

1. Somebody posing as a wealthy person of high status who has been imprisoned under a false identity; part of a confidence trick in which the mark is encouraged to give money to secure the release of the prisoner, who will then be in a position to give a reward.

Usage notes

• This form of fraud is usually described as the "Spanish prisoner trick", "Spanish prisoner fraud", or "Spanish prisoner scam".