scam

The word “scam” means a dishonest scheme designed to trick people out of money. In plain terms, a fraudulent trick or scheme, or the act of running one, usually to steal money.

“Scam” is pronounced SKAM (/ˈskæm/ in IPA).

Here is “scam” used in a sentence: “She lost her savings to an investment scam.”

Depending on how it is used, “scam” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “scam” dates back to around 1980 and comes from Irish. Origin uncertain — American slang, possibly linked to "scamp" (a swindler) or an Irish word for "crooked." It became widely known in the early 1980s after the FBI's Operation ABSCAM sting.

“Scam” is an uncommon word in modern English.

“Scam” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a dishonest scheme designed to trick people out of money.

Fraud is the broad, often legal term for deliberate deception carried out for unfair or unlawful gain. A scam is a more informal word for a specific dishonest scheme designed to trick people out of money, so most scams are a form of fraud.

Both involve tricking people dishonestly, and they overlap heavily in meaning. A con, short for confidence trick, specifically relies on first gaining the victim's trust, while a scam is a more general term for any dishonest money-making scheme.

A scam is designed to cheat people out of money or valuables. A hoax is a deception meant to make people believe something untrue, often as a prank or to cause alarm, and it does not necessarily aim to steal money.

Scam is informal and is common in everyday speech and journalism. In formal, legal, or official writing, words such as fraud, swindle, or deception are usually preferred.