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

Apple recommends changing the password right away when information may have been entered into a scam site or given to a scammer. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 10 Aug. 2026

But as more people turn to social media and online marketplaces to find rentals and homes for sale, some are finding fake listings posted by scammers trying to score payments for homes that aren’t actually available. — Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026

To communicate with victims and collect their money, these scammers rely on technology and financial systems that could be disrupted with better surveillance and policing. — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 8 Aug. 2026

Giovannoni showed that the free, open-source tool successfully tricked scammers into giving away their own private personal information, such as phone numbers, addresses, and even bank account details. — Kim Key, PC Magazine, 8 Aug. 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