: a fraudulent or deceptive act or operation
an insurance scam
scammed; scamming; scams
1
: to deceive and defraud (someone)
… the law firm had got the lucrative job of defending the corporate head of a savings and loan that had scammed another thousand or so people out of their savings …—
Joseph Wambaugh
Joseph Wambaugh2
: to obtain (something, such as money) by a scam
A Boston hedge fund manager who scammed millions of dollars from friends, family and other investors in what authorities say was a Ponzi scheme has been sent to prison for more than 14 years.—The Worcester (Massachusetts) Telegram & Gazette
The Worcester (Massachusetts) Telegram & GazetteExamples of scam in a Sentence
Noun
She was the victim of an insurance scam.
a sophisticated credit card scam
Verb
The company scammed hundreds of people out of their life savings.
I could tell they were scamming you and charging too much.
They scammed a lot of money from unwary customers.
Recent Examples on the Web
Paula Wethington, CBS News, 7 Feb. 2026
How the scam quietly started The scam did not begin with a phone call or a threat.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 6 Feb. 2026
Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 5 Feb. 2026
Reports of malicious actors using AI, particularly to scam victims or spread disinformation, have grown the most, rising 8-fold since 2022.
—Harry Booth, Time, 19 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scam
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Noun
Those who live outside Monroe County and receive scam calls should contact their local police department or sheriff's office to file a report.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 7 Feb. 2026
How the scam quietly started The scam did not begin with a phone call or a threat.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 6 Feb. 2026
Verb
Six travel and mountain rescue executives have been arrested and accused of conducting fake rescues on Nepal’s high mountains to scam millions of dollars from insurance companies.
—Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 5 Feb. 2026
Reports of malicious actors using AI, particularly to scam victims or spread disinformation, have grown the most, rising 8-fold since 2022.
—Harry Booth, Time, 19 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scam
Cite this Entry
“Scam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scam. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
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