: a fraudulent or deceptive act or operation
an insurance scam
scammed; scamming; scams
1
: to deceive and defraud (someone)
… the law firm had got the lucrative job of defending the corporate head of a savings and loan that had scammed another thousand or so people out of their savings …—
Joseph Wambaugh
Joseph Wambaugh2
: to obtain (something, such as money) by a scam
A Boston hedge fund manager who scammed millions of dollars from friends, family and other investors in what authorities say was a Ponzi scheme has been sent to prison for more than 14 years.—The Worcester (Massachusetts) Telegram & Gazette
The Worcester (Massachusetts) Telegram & GazetteExamples of scam in a Sentence
Noun
She was the victim of an insurance scam.
a sophisticated credit card scam
Verb
The company scammed hundreds of people out of their life savings.
I could tell they were scamming you and charging too much.
They scammed a lot of money from unwary customers.
Recent Examples on the Web
Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
The Better Business Bureau is warning of a resurgence in pet scams.
—Abreanna Blose, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Maybe not all of us had a conspiracy-prone school custodian who may offer some surprisingly sage advice in one breath and try to scam you out of $20 in the next.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scam
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Noun
However, immigration attorney Michael Cataliotti warned that social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram have become breeding grounds for immigration scams.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
The Better Business Bureau is warning of a resurgence in pet scams.
—Abreanna Blose, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
Hesitate before clicking any links, report suspicious messages or emails, and on social media, be cautious of unsolicited connection requests and report any messages that may be attempting to scam users.
—Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Maybe not all of us had a conspiracy-prone school custodian who may offer some surprisingly sage advice in one breath and try to scam you out of $20 in the next.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scam
Cite this Entry
“Scam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scam. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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