scam

Meaning

Noun

1. A fraudulent deal.
2. Something that is promoted using scams.

Verb

1. To defraud or embezzle.
2. (slang) To seek out a partner for casual sex; to hit on.

Synonyms

trick

con

swindle

cheat

deception

trickery

fraud

cozenage

deceit

cheating

bunco

deceive

defraud

diddle

dupe

gip

goldbrick

gyp

hoax

humbug

mulct

nobble

rook

sham

short-change

victimize

hornswoggle

underhand action

imposition

imposture

indirection

makebelieve

mislead

wangle

dishonest action

ploy

pretence

put-on

racket

ride

rip-off

take-in

scope

setup

hokey-pokey

swizz

skirt chaser

snow job

detour

dissemblance

dissimulation

doctor

🧑‍⚕️

cook the books

dupery

flirt

😘

fool

dirty trick

trap

🪤

treachery

delusion

have

caper

swiz

Pronounced as (IPA)

/skæm/

Etymology

US carnival slang of uncertain origin. Possibly from scamp (“swindler, cheater”) or Irish cam (“crooked”). Also possibly from Danish skam; if so, it would be a doublet of shame and sham. First use appears c. 1963 in the periodical Time. The word became common use among the US drug culture when in early 1980, after Operation ABSCAM, an FBI sting operation directed at public officials, became public.