scammer

noun

scam·​mer ˈska-mər How to pronounce scammer (audio)
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

Examples of scammer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The tech giant is seeking an order to stop scammers from setting up fake profiles and wants the ability to disable the fake pages with U.S. domain registrars, and is suing the scammers for trademark infringement and breach of contract. Britney Nguyen, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023 The lawsuit notes that scammers have specifically used promoted Facebook posts in an attempt to distribute malware. Jon Porter, The Verge, 13 Nov. 2023 Whatever new engagement metrics emerge for software projects, companies, or people, the scammers won’t be far behind. WIRED, 23 Oct. 2023 To keep up the elaborate ruse, the scammers also sent Mrs. K fake Chase bank emails. Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2023 Within weeks the weights were leaked online, and the company was criticized for potentially putting powerful AI models in the hands of nefarious actors, such as hackers and scammers. IEEE Spectrum, 6 Oct. 2023 To Michael’s immense relief, the scammer didn’t follow through on the threats. Chris Moody, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2023 The difference is that rather than collecting hard currency like dollars, scammers are targeting cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin. Eamon Barrett, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2023 Stephan said scammers can gain access to devices through sneaky links sent via text or email. Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Oct. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scammer.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1972, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of scammer was in 1972

Dictionary Entries Near scammer

Cite this Entry

“Scammer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scammer. Accessed 28 Nov. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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