scam

1 of 2

noun

ˈskam 

: a fraudulent or deceptive act or operation

an insurance scam

scam

2 of 2

verb

scammed; scamming; scams

transitive verb

1

: to deceive and defraud (someone)

… the law firm had got the lucrative job of defending the corporate head of a savings and loan that had scammed another thousand or so people out of their savings …

—Joseph Wambaugh

2

: to obtain (something, such as money) by a scam

A Boston hedge fund manager who scammed millions of dollars from friends, family and other investors in what authorities say was a Ponzi scheme has been sent to prison for more than 14 years.

—The Worcester (Massachusetts) Telegram & Gazette

Synonyms

Noun

• bunco
• bunko
• con
• fiddle [chiefly British]
• flimflam
• fraud
• hustle
• shell game
• sting
• swindle

Examples of scam in a Sentence

Noun

She was the victim of an insurance scam.

a sophisticated credit card scam

Verb

The company scammed hundreds of people out of their life savings.

I could tell they were scamming you and charging too much.

They scammed a lot of money from unwary customers.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Other factors turned off tourists generally, too: flight shortages, higher prices, worsening pollution, and bad publicity related to scams and crimes. —Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune Asia, 17 June 2024

These stories are tweens-on-up appropriate, with murder-free tales of scams, capers, heists, and escapes. —Staff Author, EW.com, 16 June 2024

Verb

Be wary of mailbox communications: Scammers may also try to scam you through the mail. —Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 8 June 2024

While the feds allege Whitehead boasted of his City Hall connections while trying to scam Belmonte, there is no accusation Adams was aware of it or participated in wrongdoing. —Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 27 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun

1958, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1963, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

scam

noun

ˈskam

: a fraudulent or deceptive act or operation

lost $500 in a business scam

scam verb

Etymology

Noun

origin unknown