scam

American  

[skam] / skæm /

noun

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

---

verb (used with object)

scammed, scamming

1. to cheat or defraud with a scam.

scam British  

/ skæm /

noun

1. a stratagem for gain; a swindle

---

verb

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

Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

• scammer noun

Etymology

Origin of scam

1960–65; originally carnival argot; of obscure origin

Example Sentences

Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet said on Wednesday that scam centres were destroying his country's economy and giving the nation a bad name -- pushing back on allegations of government connivance.

From Barron's

Prosecutors have also investigated allegations that tour guides and intermediaries scammed the museum out of roughly $12 million by manipulating ticketing and access systems, another episode that sharpened criticism of oversight.

From The Wall Street Journal

But it was a few months later when the scam really escalated.

From BBC

The scam started in January 2019 and went unnoticed for more than four years.

From The Wall Street Journal

The scam came to light when an engineer at the Portuguese airline TAP queried the origins of a part he was struggling to fit; the manufacturer subsequently confirmed that its documentation was fake.

From BBC

Related Words

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