scam

Word family

• scammer
  nounB2
• scamming
  nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All five words describe dishonest ways of taking money from people, but they differ in scope and formality. Fraud is the broadest and most formal legal term, covering any deliberate deception for financial gain — from tax evasion to identity theft. A scam is usually a specific plan or trick (the email you receive, the phone call you get). A con (short for 'confidence trick') involves gaining the victim's trust first before cheating them — the personal relationship is key. A swindle is a scam that causes a significant financial loss, often through a complex scheme. A racket suggests an organised, ongoing illegal business, often run by a group and sometimes involving threats. If someone tricks you into paying for a fake product online, that is a scam. If a friendly stranger convinces you to invest in a made-up company, that is a con. If the police arrest a group running an illegal gambling operation, that is a racket.

Common collocations

Etymology

The word scam first appeared in American English in the early 1960s, most likely coming from British slang 'scamp', meaning a dishonest or tricky person. 'Scamp' itself traces back to an old word meaning 'to run away' or 'to flee', from the idea that swindlers would disappear after taking people's money. The noun form came first, and the verb followed soon after, as people started using it to describe the action of tricking someone through a dishonest plan.