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

Public health agencies, for instance, are already using Nextdoor to announce their vaccine distribution plans, including keeping locals up to date on vaccine distribution, connecting locals with experts, and warning about potential vaccine scams.

From Vox

A supply of email accounts with strong reputations from which to send scam mails—check.

From Ars Technica

That same year, Vice uncovered a nationwide bait-and-switch scam in which hosts gouged guests for higher prices.

From Vox

I found two roommates and a cheap, spacious apartment, but the apartment turned out to be a scam.

From MIT Technology Review

This is especially the case given past controversies involving crowdfunded investment opportunities, which in some cases have proved to be outright scams.

From Fortune

This return scam involved purchasing broken electronics off the auction site and then buying new items off store shelves.

From The Daily Beast

But the procedure, unlike scam solutions marketed online—miracle tonics, pricey at-home laser therapy combs—absolutely works.

From The Daily Beast

Earning ownership had come to feel like a scam—even when it came to the things that we felt made life worth living.

From The Daily Beast

The Wounded Warrior Project is certainly not a scam, nor an ill-meaning charity.

From The Daily Beast

Clients who are wary of online transactions are liable to see escorts with print ads as less likely to cheat or scam  them.

From The Daily Beast

They let the victims profit in the first round or two of the scam.

From Project Gutenberg

(a) A jar not properly vulcanized may come apart at the scam.

From Project Gutenberg

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.