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

• cheat
• dodger
• shark

Examples of scammer in a Sentence

Internet scammers who never seem to run out of swindles

Recent Examples on the Web

The goal is to alarm you into calling a scammer's fake support number under the pretense of disputing a fraudulent PayPal transaction. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 26 Sep. 2025

While on the show, Cuban had a reputation for being tough but fair, with a disdain for scammers and a soft spot for young entrepreneurs. —Emy Lacroix, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2025

Users are able to search URLs, emails and phone numbers to determine if the person contacting them was flagged as a scammer. —Tamia Fowlkes, jsonline.com, 23 Sep. 2025

Some scammers will even assume the identity of real lawyers, said Julia Guzman, who leads the Colorado chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. —Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 22 Sep. 2025

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