Noun: scam skam
Usage: informal
Usage: informal
Usage: informal
- The act of deceiving or cheating someone, often in a business context
"The investment scheme turned out to be an elaborate scam";
- cozenage [archaic], rort [Austral, informal]
Usage: informal
- Deprive of by deceit
"He scammed me out of my inheritance";
- swindle, rook, goldbrick [N. Amer, informal], diddle [informal], bunco [N. Amer, informal], defraud, mulct, hornswoggle [N. Amer, informal], short-change, con [informal], ream [N. Amer, informal], grift [N. Amer, informal], bunko [N. Amer, informal], fleece [informal]
Derived forms: scammed, scams, scamming
Type of: cheat, chisel [informal], fraud, rig [archaic], rip off [informal], swindle
Encyclopedia: Scam