scam1 nounscam2 verb
scamscam1 /skæm/ noun [countable] informal 
ExamplesEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- I spent more than $4000 before I realized the whole thing was a scam.
- She and her boyfriend were involved in a scam to get $5 million from the company.
- The offer of a "free" vacation to Florida sounds like a scam to me.
- The welfare scam was costing the federal government hundreds of thousands of dollars.
- What are some ways to recognize phony charity scams?
- He liked to play scams too much.
- However, these scams are not connected to the mainstream offshore financial services community, which continues to offer good products.
- The law and order section is a prime target for every kind of scam.
- Then the scams will be uncovered.
Longman Language Activatorwhen people are dishonest in order to get money► fraud
a clever but dishonest way to get money: the crime of getting money dishonestly from a big organization, for example by giving false information or changing documents, especially over a long time: · Big losses due to theft and fraud forced the company to close.· Landale is calling for more laws to protect consumers against fraud.
► scam informal a method, usually used by several people working together, who cheat someone by making them believe something that is not true: · I spent more than $4000 before I realized the whole thing was a scam.scam to do something: · She and her boyfriend were involved in a scam to get $5 million from the company.tax scam (=a way of dishonestly avoiding paying tax)
► swindle a well-planned and often complicated arrangement to cheat people: · Young was convicted for his participation in a $2 million stock swindle.· The whole property development proposal was a swindle. They never intended to build anything.
► fiddle British a situation in which people are cheated, especially in small ways over a long period of time: · The firm realised some sort of fiddle was going on, but they had no idea how much they were losing.work a fiddle (=do a fiddle): · Managers don't really get paid much here, but most of them are working a few fiddles.
► con a method or process of persuading someone to buy something or to give you money by telling them lies: · A lot of people gave money to the charity collectors, not realising it was a con.con trick British: · She wanted me to visit a fortune-teller but I thought it was all a big con trick.
► racket an illegal business that is used by criminals to make a large profit for themselves: · The FBI believe they have found the real criminals behind a big gambling racket.· The Mafia runs a highly sophisticated drugs racket.
a trick► trick a clever plan designed to make someone believe something that you want them to believe, or do something that you want them to do: · He pretended to be sick as a trick to get her to visit him.· Don't send her any money - it might be a trick.a trick question (=a question that is cleverly designed to make someone give a wrong answer): · He refused to answer, suspecting they were asking him a trick question.
► trap a clever plan designed to harm someone, for example by making them go somewhere where they will be caught or attacked, or making them say something they will be punished for: · I didn't take the money with me, because I was worried it might be a trap.· Sensing the lawyer's trap, Horvath refused to answer.
► deception especially written something that is said or done with the deliberate intention of deceiving people: · Ann quickly saw through his lies and deceptions.· What began as a misunderstanding quickly became a deliberate deception on the part of the network.
► ruse a trick, especially one that is amusing and not very serious: · It was just a ruse to get what I wanted!· She asked to use the telephone as a ruse to enter the house.
► hoax a false warning about something dangerous, given especially to someone in an official position, for example the police: · To everybody's great relief, the bomb scare turned out to be a hoax.· I got an email about another computer virus, but I'm pretty sure it's just a hoax.
► congame/con informal a trick to get someone's money or make someone do something: · The two men were involved in an elaborate con to cheat investors out of their money.· Senior citizens are usually easy targets for con games.
► put-up job when something that happens is not what it seems to be, and is really an attempt to deceive people: · Journalists suspected that the kidnapping was a put-up job.· The demonstration was a put-up job, organized by the authorities so they could arrest the cult leaders.
► scam informal a clever and dishonest plan to get money: · The welfare scam was costing the federal government hundreds of thousands of dollars.· The offer of a "free" vacation to Florida sounds like a scam to me.
► diversion a trick that is intended to take someone's attention away from what someone else is trying to do: · Some of the prisoners started a fight as a diversion to give the others time to escape.create a diversion: · Rioters created a diversion by setting fire to vehicles close to the police station.
► decoy a person or thing that is used to trick someone by taking their attention away from an illegal or criminal act: · You act as a decoy and we'll sneak out the back.· The burglars started the fire as a decoy so that they could escape from police.
someone who tricks other people► con man/con artist/scam artist someone who tries to get money from people by tricking them: · A pair of con men have been tricking older people in the community out of their life savings.· Don't be fooled by con artists who promise enormous returns on your investment with no risk.· Petty scam artists victimize tourists on the streets.
► crook informal a dishonest person who steals things or tricks people: · I wouldn't do business with him - he's a crook.· People have accused me of being a crook, but I didn't take any money that wasn't mine.
► charlatan someone who pretends to have special skills and abilities and tricks people into believing them: · Some psychic charlatan convinced her she was going to die in six months.· Charlatans advertise a variety of fat-reducing treatments in the back of magazines.
► quack informal a dishonest person who pretends to be a doctor who can cure diseases: · Larry paid some quack over a thousand dollars to cure his insomnia.· That quack doesn't know anything about treating heart disease.
► shyster American informal a dishonest person, especially a lawyer: · Their lawyer is a shyster who would do anything to win a case.· Once the shysters get involved, you can be sure we'll end up in court.
► snake-oil salesman/peddler American someone who deceives people by persuading them to accept false information, solutions etc that are not effective: · Critics have called the Senator a smooth-talking snake-oil peddler.· Latenight TV is full of snake-oil salesmen offering get-rich-quick schemes.
He got involved in a credit card scam.scam1 nounscam2 verb
scamscam2 verb [transitive] informal to deceive someone in order to get money from them—scammer noun [countable]