scam

[ skam ]

noun

1. a confidence game or other fraudulent scheme, especially for making a quick profit; swindle.

verb (used with object)

, scammed, scam·ming.

1. to cheat or defraud with a scam.

scam

/ skæm /

noun

1. a stratagem for gain; a swindle

verb

1. tr to swindle (someone) by means of a trick

Other Words From

• scammer noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of scam¹

1960–65; originally carnival argot; of obscure origin

Example Sentences

Sidhu has also had to fend off scam calls from people pretending to have her dog and demanding the reward money.

From Los Angeles Times

Samantha, who is pregnant, and Ryan are victims of a scam website which has left dozens of people looking at an empty farmer's field instead of views of the heavens.

From BBC

Forty-seven people have gone on trial in Turkey in connection with an alleged scam in which newborns were transferred between hospitals for profit.

From BBC

"I became a digital slave until my friends exposed the scam," says Mr Mukhopadhyay.

From BBC

But Mr Warner says they are also constantly on the lookout for new scams.

From BBC

Related Words

• blackmail
• deceit
• deception
• extortion
• fraud
• hoax
• racket
• ripoff
• shakedown
• sham

More About Scam

What does scam mean?

A scam is a deceptive scheme or trick used to cheat someone out of something, especially money.

Scam is also a verb meaning to cheat someone in such a way.

Example: Banks will never call you asking for your credit card number or social security number over the phone. If someone calls and asks for information like that, it’s a scam.

Where does scam come from?

Fittingly, the exact origin of scam is unknown. The first records of the word come from the 1960s, and it was originally and is still primarily used in the United States. It’s thought to have come from the slang of carnival workers (who are of course known for rigging games so they can’t be won), but little else is known about its origin.

You know those emails you get from a guy who just needs you to send him the very small sum of $5,000 so he can set you up with a million-dollar inheritance from a foreign prince? Those are scams. (Hopefully you knew that.) A scam is a trick to get something out of you, usually money. It’s also called a swindle or a confidence game, which refers to the fact that the scammer has to gain your confidence before scamming you. (Confidence is also the basis of con in con artist, which is a synonym for scammer and scam artist.) Scams can be big or small, but the common element is that the person being scammed never gets what they’re promised (like that inheritance from the prince), unless it’s a really good scam, in which they’ll send you a little bit of money to make you think the whole thing is legit. (Hint: it’s never legit.) Scam is sometimes used in phrases that refer to the medium the scammer uses for the scheme, such as email scam or phone scam. Some specific scams become so popular that they get their own name, such as pyramid scheme and Ponzi scheme.

Sometimes, people use the word scam in a more general way to refer to something that they think is rigged or deeply unfair, as in College textbooks are such a scam—they make you buy new ones that are exactly the same as the old ones.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to scam?

• scammer (noun)

What are some synonyms for scam?

• swindle
• cheat
• con
• confidence game
• fraud
• ripoff

What are some words that share a root or word element with scam? 

• scambaiting

What are some words that often get used in discussing scam?

 

• fraudulent
• scheme
• spam
• fake
• con artist
• profit
• money

How is scam used in real life?

Scam is an informal word often used to refer to the kind of fraudulent schemes seen in spam emails, but it can also be applied to bigger or more sophisticated swindles, like pyramid schemes.

I have just received an email

"Your Santander Online Banking has been temporarily locked.
Action required: Please verify your account."

Then a link to click.

I don't have a Santander account. But if you did you might be tempted. DO NOT CLICK. It is a scam. Delete delete.

— Paul Lewis (@paullewismoney) March 8, 2020

Has anyone knocked at your door holding a dead squirrel? Police are warning about this bizarre scam https://t.co/GOxqSFPPyl pic.twitter.com/sRQTmfHLQ0

— KentOnline (@Kent_Online) May 8, 2017

Ok a 4 pack (6 liters) of diet coke in bottles is literally HALF the price of a 6 pack (5 liters) of the same stuff in cans. That is such a scam

— M I K I #cancelalthia2020 (@KIRBYKILOS) March 13, 2020

 

 

Try using scam!

Is scam used correctly in the following sentence?

It’s terrible to see people losing their life savings to phone scams.