scam
Americannoun
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:
Around Surfside Beach, many locals blame the town for not catching the scam in time.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
Below them is John, in prison regarding the aforementioned gas scam; a career con man, he skimmed that missing $10 million.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
I fell victim to an online dating scam.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
"We expect firms to take robust action to stamp out scam ads and boot out the bad actors behind them to safeguard their users."
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
"I've been hearing this scam all week," I said.
From "Hole in My Life" by Jack Gantos
Historically, authorities have clawed back pilfered funds about 75% of the time when scams were reported within 72 hours, said the FBI’s Lynch.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
Phishing scams are like an octopus: They have many sticky tentacles.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
Here are his top tips on how to manage your money from saving to avoiding scams.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
Trip-related problems are so common, in fact, that consumer advocate Christopher Elliott has stitched an entire career out of resolving them — from timeshare scams to horrible airline customer service and beyond.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
Once in a while I’d leak stuff about phishing scams.
From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin
“I didn’t get scammed, they got scammed,” Chief Executive Alyssa Bowker said of the town.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
He says he has not been able to recover any of his money and now wants to warn others about how easy it is to be scammed.
From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026
Who do you think is most likely to be scammed?
From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 2026
When even seasoned travelers are scammed by imposters using online search ads.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 3, 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
Here’s the common sense: This isn’t a problem of scamming students or lazy teachers, though of course both exist.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
But then you also see headlines about everyone’s scamming.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 17, 2026
Begging, scamming and threatening: they’re all tools of the writer’s trade in Pamela Hansford Johnson’s dark comedy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 2, 2026
But efforts to make peace with Cambodia rested on Phnom Penh's commitment to "destroy scamming attempts", Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters at an international anti-scam conference in Bangkok on Wednesday.
From Barron's ● Dec. 19, 2025
“They were scamming you. Girls scam guys all the time with that. Kerri was listening in on the extension.”
From "Tangerine" by Edward Bloor
Definitions 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.
