To catch a thief: intentionally leaving something of value out to entice a thief to steal

Asked Aug 02 '19 at 13:50

Active Aug 02 '19 at 14:32

Viewed 88 times

One trick to catch a thief is to intentionally leave something of value out in an effort to entice a thief to steal. For example, you might leave a sparkly set of cuff links out on your desk at work to see if anyone has stick fingers.

Two-part question:

Is there a word which identifies the item left out to entice the thief? "Bait" comes to mind, but I hope for a word more specific to this situation.
Is there a word/phrase/idiom which identifies this technique? The action of leaving something out to entice a thief to steal.

edited Aug 02 '19 at 14:32

asked Aug 02 '19 at 13:50

kmiklas

1

None of the synonyms for baited trap work? – Cascabel_StandWithUkraine_ Aug 02 '19 at 14:02
"Honey pot" is a term used in computerdom, for a trap set to catch a hacker. – Hot Licks Aug 02 '19 at 14:17
I was going to say honey pot too. Also sting. I'm not sure how bait is too broad a word. Another possible word is decoy, but it's not clear if that's more or less broad—it would depend on how it's viewed. – Jason Bassford Aug 02 '19 at 14:36
There is also entrapment: The action of tricking someone into committing a crime in order to secure their prosecution. – Weather Vane Aug 02 '19 at 14:38

To catch a thief: intentionally leaving something of value out to entice a thief to steal

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