scammer

noun

scam·​mer ˈska-mər 

plural scammers

: one who perpetrates a scam : a person who commits or participates in a fraudulent scheme or operation

insurance/credit card scammers

The company will not call you to ask for your Social Security or account number, but nefarious scammers might.

—Ellen Marks

Now that most people are alert to suspicious e-mails and phony phone calls, text messages are the new frontier for scammers out to con you.

—Consumer Reports

Synonyms

• bilk
• bilker
• cheat
• cheater
• chiseler
• chiseller
• confidence man
• cozener
• defrauder
• dodger
• fakir
• finagler
• fraudster [chiefly British]
• hoaxer
• scamster
• shark
• sharper
• sharpie
• sharpy
• skinner
• swindler
• tricker
• trickster

Examples of scammer in a Sentence

Internet scammers who never seem to run out of swindles

Recent Examples on the Web

This creates an opportunity for scammers to post fake job listings and trick people. —Adriana Morga, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2024

One common ruse: Posing as a recruiter online, the scammer dupes their victim into sending money or sharing personal info. —Nick Rockel, Fortune, 1 Nov. 2024

Florida was hit first by Hurricane Milton, and scammers could be next Even after floodwaters subside, the stress and anxiety can lead to lingering mental health challenges. —Ray Sanchez, CNN, 13 Oct. 2024

Millions of people across Florida are picking up the pieces after a second devastating hurricane, and Pinellas County is warning people not to also become victims of scammers. —NBC News, 12 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1972, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

scammer

noun

scam·​mer

ˈskam-ər

: someone who perpetuates a scam : a person who commits or participates in a fraudulent scheme or operation