scam
word
/ˈskæm/
skam
/skˈæm/
skam
Definition
A scam is a dishonest trick or plan used to cheat people out of money, information, or something valuable. It can be a noun for the fraud itself or a verb meaning to cheat someone.
Usage & Nuances
Very common in everyday English, especially for online, phone, email, and money fraud: 'phone scam', 'online scam', 'investment scam'. 'Scam' is more informal and general than 'fraud'. As a verb, people often say 'scam someone out of money'.
Spanish: estafa - fraudePortuguese (BR): golpe - fraudePortuguese (PT): burla - fraudeChinese (Simplified): 骗局 - 诈骗Chinese (Traditional): 騙局 - 詐騙Hindi: ठगी - घोटालाArabic: عملية احتيال - احتيالBengali: স্ক্যাম - প্রতারণাRussian: мошенничество - обманJapanese: 詐欺Vietnamese: lừa đảoKorean: 사기Turkish: dolandırıcılık - aldatmacaUrdu: دھوکہ (فراڈ)Indonesian: penipuan
Example Sentences
I almost fell for a scam on social media last night.
natural
He got scammed out of hundreds of dollars.
natural
That email was a scam.
basic
They tried to scam my grandmother.
basic
This website looks like a scam.
basic
If they ask for gift cards, it's probably a scam.
natural