fraud

noun

ˈfrȯd 

1

a

: deceit, trickery

specifically : intentional perversion of truth in order to induce another to part with something of value or to surrender a legal right

was accused of credit card fraud

b

: an act of deceiving or misrepresenting : trick

automobile insurance frauds

2

a

: a person who is not what he or she pretends to be : impostor

He claimed to be a licensed psychologist, but he turned out to be a fraud.

also : one who defrauds : cheat

b

: one that is not what it seems or is represented to be

The UFO picture was proved to be a fraud.

Synonyms

• bunco
• bunko
• con
• fiddle [chiefly British]
• flimflam
• hustle
• scam
• shell game
• sting
• swindle

Choose the Right Synonym for fraud

deception, fraud, double-dealing, subterfuge, trickery mean the acts or practices of one who deliberately deceives.

deception may or may not imply blameworthiness, since it may suggest cheating or merely tactical resource.

magicians are masters of deception

fraud always implies guilt and often criminality in act or practice.

indicted for fraud

double-dealing suggests treachery or at least action contrary to a professed attitude.

a go-between suspected of double-dealing

subterfuge suggests the adoption of a stratagem or the telling of a lie in order to escape guilt or to gain an end.

obtained the papers by subterfuge

trickery implies ingenious acts intended to dupe or cheat.

resorted to trickery to gain their ends

imposture, fraud, sham, fake, humbug, counterfeit mean a thing made to seem other than it is.

imposture applies to any situation in which a spurious object or performance is passed off as genuine.

their claim of environmental concern is an imposture

fraud usually implies a deliberate perversion of the truth.

the diary was exposed as a fraud

sham applies to fraudulent imitation of a real thing or action.

condemned the election as a sham

fake implies an imitation of or substitution for the genuine but does not necessarily imply dishonesty.

these jewels are fakes; the real ones are in the vault

humbug suggests elaborate pretense usually so flagrant as to be transparent.

creating publicity by foisting humbugs on a gullible public

counterfeit applies especially to the close imitation of something valuable.

20-dollar bills that were counterfeits

Examples of fraud in a Sentence

He was found guilty of bank fraud.

He was the victim of an elaborate fraud.

He claimed he was a licensed psychologist, but he turned out to be a fraud.

The UFO picture was proved to be a fraud.

Recent Examples on the Web

Sunbeam ultimately filed for bankruptcy and the SEC sued Dunlap and other top executives for engineering a massive accounting fraud. —Matt Schifrin, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2025

In 2022, frauds and scams cost the military community more than $414 million, an increase of more than 50% from the previous year, according to the FTC. —Melissa Chan, NBC News, 20 Feb. 2025

For Schomburg, a tale of greed and disregard for the wider population is actually inspiring given the actions of the people who came together to expose the fraud. —Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 20 Feb. 2025

The Social Security Administration is now working to find even more waste, fraud, and abuse in the Administration's whole-of-government effort to protect American taxpayers. —Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 20 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English fraude, from Anglo-French, from Latin fraud-, fraus

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing fraud

• anti-fraud
• click fraud
• wire fraud

Rhymes for fraud

• awed
• baaed
• baud
• bawd
• brod
• clawed
• cod
• flawed
• gnawed
• god
• jawed
• maud

Kids Definition

fraud

noun

ˈfrȯd 

1

a

: trickery, deceit

especially : the use of dishonest methods to cheat another person of something valuable

b

: an act of deceiving : trick

2

: a person who pretends to be what he or she is not

Legal Definition

fraud

noun

1

a

: any act, expression, omission, or concealment calculated to deceive another to his or her disadvantage

specifically : a misrepresentation or concealment with reference to some fact material to a transaction that is made with knowledge of its falsity or in reckless disregard of its truth or falsity and with the intent to deceive another and that is reasonably relied on by the other who is injured thereby

b

: the affirmative defense of having acted in response to a fraud

2

: the crime or tort of committing fraud

convicted of securities fraud

see also misrepresentation

Note: A tort action based on fraud is also referred to as an action of deceit.

— actual fraud

: fraud committed with the actual intent to deceive and thereby injure another

called also fraud in fact

compare constructive fraud in this entry

— collateral fraud

: extrinsic fraud in this entry

— constructive fraud

: conduct that is considered fraud under the law despite the absence of an intent to deceive because it has the same consequences as an actual fraud would have and it is against public interests (as because of the violation of a public or private trust or confidence, the breach of a fiduciary duty, or the use of undue influence)

called also legal fraud

compare actual fraud in this entry

— equitable fraud

: constructive fraud in this entry —used especially in New Jersey

— extrinsic fraud

: fraud (as that involved in making a false offer of compromise) that induces one not to present a case in court or deprives one of the opportunity to be heard

also : fraud that is not involved in the actual issues presented to a court and that prevents a full and fair hearing

called also collateral fraud

compare intrinsic fraud in this entry

— fraud in fact

: actual fraud in this entry

— fraud in law

: fraud that is presumed to have occurred in light of the circumstances irrespective of intent to deceive

— fraud in the factum

: fraud in which the deception causes the other party to misunderstand the nature of the transaction in which he or she is engaging especially with regard to the contents of an instrument (as a contract or promissory note)

called also fraud in the execution

compare fraud in the inducement in this entry

— fraud in the inducement

: fraud in which the deception leads the other party to engage in a transaction the nature of which he or she understands compare fraud in the factum in this entry

— fraud on the court

: fraud involving conduct that undermines the integrity of the judicial process (as by improperly influencing a judge, jury, or other court personnel)

also : extrinsic fraud in this entry

— identity fraud

: the unauthorized use of another's means of identification (as name or social security number) to commit fraud

— intrinsic fraud

: fraud (as by the use of false or forged documents, false claims, or perjured testimony) that deceives the trier of fact and results in a judgment in favor of the party perpetrating the fraud compare extrinsic fraud in this entry

— legal fraud

: constructive fraud in this entry

: actual fraud in this entry —used especially in New Jersey

— mail fraud

: fraud committed by use of the postal service especially as described in title 18 section 1341 of the U.S. Code

— wire fraud

: fraud committed by using a means of electronic communication (as a telephone) see also Wire Fraud Act

Etymology

Latin fraud-, fraus