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

This case is an egregious example of the ruthless persistence exhibited by scammers to enrich themselves at the expense of vulnerable people. —Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 13 Mar. 2026

Responding only confirms to the scammer that your number is active. —Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026

The goal is to stop scammers from hijacking accounts through tricks like fake talent competitions or misleading QR codes. —Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2026

That’s because scammers are increasingly operating across multiple platforms and using AI to make their accounts more realistic. —Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 11 Mar. 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