affinity fraud

[uh-fin-i-tee frawd]

noun

1. a fraudulent investment scheme in which a swindler preys upon members of an identifiable group, as a religious or ethnic group, often by claiming to be a member of the group and promising fellow group members special access, profit, or other benefits.

Word History and Origins

Origin of affinity fraud¹

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

It's not illegal, but it uses the same principle as affinity fraud: Pressuring their audiences to prove their conservative bona fides by buying more tickets, often exponentially more tickets, than they are actually going to use.

Read more on Salon

It's a form of affinity fraud, which is where a con artist will exploit a shared identity with their victim — such as religious affiliation — to gain their trust, before shaking them down for cash.

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Affinity fraud refers to a preexisting group connection between people that can allow scams to happen.

Read more on Scientific American

This type of scamming is called affinity fraud.

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The agency accuses Betancourt of committing securities violations in a scheme that authorities describe as “affinity fraud.”

Read more on Seattle Times