Would something like the Berners Street Hoax have been illegal in 1810?

I have been reading about a prank in 1810 London where someone tricked a massive number of people into visiting the same private house by sending fake service requests.

By modern standards it feels like fraud or harassment, but I am not sure how it would have been viewed at the time.

Would this have fallen under public nuisance laws, or was it more of a social scandal than a criminal issue?

I would love to hear from anyone familiar with early 19th century British law or customs.