scam
Americannoun
-
scams
plural
verb (used with object)
noun
verb
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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of scam
1960–65; originally carnival argot; of obscure origin
Explanation
A scam is a sneaky or dishonest plan that's meant to con someone. A diet scam, for example, falsely claims that people will lose weight if they buy special pills or drinks. A scam is basically a hoax dressed up to look like a real business plan, worthwhile invention, or investment idea. Scams are almost always designed to make money for their creators. You can also use the word as a verb: "His evil plan was to scam people into buying fake tickets to the baseball game." Word experts know that scam came from US carnival slang, but beyond that its origins are a mystery.
Vocabulary lists containing scam
Smoke and Mirrors: The Lingo of Illusion and Deception
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"Imperfect Me"
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Simply Scandalous!
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Eleven Chinese nationals arrested separately in the online scam crackdown mysteriously walked free from a Madagascar jail in August in a widely publicised scandal allegedly implicating the head of the prison service.
From Barron's ● Oct. 31, 2026
As in scam operations in Southeast Asia, the Madagascar centres allegedly lured Africans to the Indian Ocean island via social media and with promises of salaries.
From Barron's ● Oct. 31, 2026
An investigator traced a $21,000 business scam to Stafford’s account, revealing his online love interest was actually a married couple in Nigeria.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2026
It is also doubtful that the US will get meaningful co-operation from the Myanmar government in combating the scam industry.
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026
Who is this guy and how did he get my number and is this a scam and should I call the police?
From "Wintergirls" by Laurie Halse Anderson
Yet law-enforcement and industry officials say the scams using the sites are mounting as scammers try to avoid company crackdowns in stores.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
Giancarlo: There’s a lot of scams out there, sadly.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 27, 2026
“Isn’t it funny that I hosted a show about business scams, and now you’re in trouble for a business scam?”
From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2026
To avoid falling victim to roofing scams, Citizens Advice suggests:
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026
Once in a while I’d leak stuff about phishing scams.
From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin
The 55-year-old added anyone that had lost their pet "would do anything" to get them back, but to "hand money over and be scammed is just not right".
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
The suit is the latest twist in a years-long saga for borrowers who attended schools that the government said scammed them.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026
The trailer then cuts to Fielder grilling Evans about whether he was afraid of being scammed, considering that he comes from a rich family.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
Johna backed out of the chat, realizing that she’d only just escaped being scammed.
From Slate ● Sep. 22, 2026
I may not have liked the people in Lily that much, but I felt sorry for anyone being massively scammed.
From "Where Things Come Back" by John Corey Whaley
Prince Group's China-born founder Chen Zhi was extradited by Phnom Penh to China in January, months after the conglomerate was sanctioned by the US and UK governments for scamming.
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026
Disney actor Erik von Detten is being sued for allegedly scamming an elderly couple in a bizarre precious-metals scheme.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026
The soaking and scamming of undergrads and grad students.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
He had more than 50 previous convictions and had served a string of stints in jail for scamming women out of thousands of pounds through false promises of love to fund a luxury lifestyle.
From BBC ● Apr. 12, 2026
“They were scamming you. Girls scam guys all the time with that. Kerri was listening in on the extension.”
From "Tangerine" by Edward Bloor
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
