Obtaining
money from someone without returning
anything of real value. Requiring someone to pay a
fee out of purely greedy or opportunistic motives.
After Mei-Ling had operated a successful nail salon in Chinatown for
five years, she decided to open a second location. Although she finally received her
business permit, she had become disgusted by the blatant
money grab by state and local officials, who seemed to demand endless fees from her.