scammer

noun

scam·​mer ˈska-mər 

plural scammers

: one who perpetrates a scam : a person who commits or participates in a fraudulent scheme or operation

insurance/credit card scammers

The company will not call you to ask for your Social Security or account number, but nefarious scammers might.

—Ellen Marks

Now that most people are alert to suspicious e-mails and phony phone calls, text messages are the new frontier for scammers out to con you.

—Consumer Reports

Synonyms of scammer

• cheat
• dodger
• shark
• swindler

Examples of scammer in a Sentence

Internet scammers who never seem to run out of swindles

Recent Examples on the Web

The scammer claims to be on an oil rig or in a war zone (but rotating home soon) or is otherwise unreachable in person. —Abigail Van Buren, Arkansas Online, 1 Feb. 2026

In past years, scammers have leaned heavily on impersonation. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 1 Feb. 2026

This is the police’ The Boston Police Department is warning people that calls in which scammers impersonate police in order to demand money are on the rise. —Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 31 Jan. 2026

Online dating has become increasingly popular, and many scammers are using that to their advantage by creating romantic schemes to steal financial and personal information from victims. —Barbara White, Kansas City Star, 29 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1972, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for scammer

• amor
• clamor
• clamour
• glamor
• glamour
• grammar
• hammer
• jammer
• rammer
• stammer
• programmer
• sledgehammer

Kids Definition

scammer

noun

scam·​mer ˈskam-ər 

: someone who perpetuates a scam : a person who commits or participates in a fraudulent scheme or operation