noun
scam
SKAM
noun
1
A dishonest scheme designed to trick people out of money.
"She lost her savings to an investment scam."
verb
1
To defraud or trick someone, usually for money.
"Fraudsters scammed dozens of elderly residents with a fake charity call."
How to Use Scam
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA fraudulent trick or scheme, or the act of running one, usually to steal money.
Common pairings
fall for a scam
run a scam
a phone scam
get scammed
Word Forms
scammed past tense, scams plural, scams singular
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Etymology
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.