state where the conscious mind is not functioning, there is a possibility that the victim may commit a crime or a fraud he would entirely be unaware of when conscious. Concussion or minor head trauma: A head injury with a temporary loss of brain function. Its prominent symptoms include post-traumatic amnesia and loss of consciousness. Under this state, the deceitful act committed by the victim would be unconscious fraud. Through Illusions Time and again, fraud is committed by deceiving people through optical and other illusions. Skilled techniques using a sleight of hand, thread or hair to move objects or hoax spirit photography to establish the existence of spirits and ghosts are professed to fraudulently fool innocent people. Law Automatism is the best defense that excludes the responsibility of the crime committed by negating acts reus. In Hill v Baxter, Kilmuir, LC, explained the need of eliminating automatism, defined as "the existence in any person of behaviour of which he is unaware and over which he has no conscious control," Therefore, a somnambulist or a person under the influence of hypnosis or any other automatic phenomena who steals a property, commits a monetary fraud or participates in any other criminal act will be excluded from actus reus as he has performed the illicit act in a state of unconsciousness. Spiritualism and fraud Spiritualism is a belief that the spirits of the dead communicate with the living world. It is essential not to confuse it with 'spirituality'. The latter refers to possessing one's own religious ideals. Spiritualism was based on two fundamental beliefs: that communication with spirits is possible and that they possess advanced knowledge about varied ethical issues including the nature and existence of God. This belief in the unseen opened up avenues for fraudulent activities. The Spiritualist movement came to an end in the 1930s as it lost its credibility due to excessive frauds. There were many instances when the medium seemed completely innocent of the fraud. As the frauds committed under this category lacked physical phenomena, it can be constituted as unconscious fraud. References See also Fraud Spiritualism Fraud