1. Make a fool or dupe of
   "The scammer befooled many innocent investors";
   - fool, gull
    
2. Fool or hoax
   "The immigrant was befooled because he trusted everyone";
   - gull, dupe, slang [archaic, informal], cod [Brit, informal], fool, put on, take in, put one over [informal], put one across [informal]

Derived forms: befooled, befooling, befools

Type of: betray, cozen [literary], deceive, delude, lead astray, lead on