as in cheats
a dishonest person who uses clever means to cheat others out of something of value
an ingenious phishing operation that got him named the year's most inventive online fraudster
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Recent Examples of fraudsters
The fraudsters often push heavily for romance and emotional connection, piling on the compliments and open affection.
—
Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 14 Feb. 2026
Raffensperger proposes a new state law letting his office order fraudsters to directly repay investors.
—CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
There are lists upon lists of things to do to wrap up his estate, but nothing that tells me how to lock down his identity now that he's gone so that fraudsters cannot use it.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 7 Feb. 2026
Apple Music introduced fraud penalties back in 2022, where along with demonetizing the illegitimate streams themselves, the company employed a sliding scale of fining fraudsters a fee calculated on what would’ve been royalties.
—Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 30 Jan. 2026
The fraudsters, those administrators say, are taking advantage of a vulnerability created by the degree to which these schools are accessible to students.
—ABC News, 28 Jan. 2026
Allowing the federal government to efficiently investigate fraud will save Minnesota taxpayers' money and ensure that Minnesota's welfare funds are being used to help those in need, not enrich fraudsters.
—Kyler Alvord, PEOPLE, 25 Jan. 2026
In one instance, fraudsters used a Social Security number to receive insurance subsidies for over 127 insurance policies.
—Ken Calvert, Oc Register, 13 Jan. 2026
And fraudsters have been running rampant all over the country.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 14 Feb. 2026
Raffensperger proposes a new state law letting his office order fraudsters to directly repay investors.
—CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
There are lists upon lists of things to do to wrap up his estate, but nothing that tells me how to lock down his identity now that he's gone so that fraudsters cannot use it.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 7 Feb. 2026
Apple Music introduced fraud penalties back in 2022, where along with demonetizing the illegitimate streams themselves, the company employed a sliding scale of fining fraudsters a fee calculated on what would’ve been royalties.
—Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 30 Jan. 2026
The fraudsters, those administrators say, are taking advantage of a vulnerability created by the degree to which these schools are accessible to students.
—ABC News, 28 Jan. 2026
Allowing the federal government to efficiently investigate fraud will save Minnesota taxpayers' money and ensure that Minnesota's welfare funds are being used to help those in need, not enrich fraudsters.
—Kyler Alvord, PEOPLE, 25 Jan. 2026
In one instance, fraudsters used a Social Security number to receive insurance subsidies for over 127 insurance policies.
—Ken Calvert, Oc Register, 13 Jan. 2026
And fraudsters have been running rampant all over the country.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fraudsters
Noun
-
The world is full of bad actors—cheats, liars, tyrants, sickos—who are, ultimately, mere human beings; at least, this was how rationality would have it.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Others might feel the author cheats here, leaving it up to the reader to decide.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
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But my collection intentionally ignored the fraudulent exploits of billionaire heirs, tax dodgers and corporate magnates — defense contracts, government lobbying, bank accounts in Switzerland, shell companies in Panama, citizenship of Antigua and political asylum in London.—
Snigdha Poonam,
The Dial,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
How many people are attacked by sharks each year?—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The most sensitive sharks to the device were in the order Carcharhiniformes, which includes oceanic white-tip sharks and blue sharks.—
Bill Kearney,
Sun Sentinel,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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This scam, according to Kent, could be proliferated with the use of AI, which can allow swindlers to enroll in many different college programs at once.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
21 Jan. 2026
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Good afternoon and welcome to Con Con, the convention for swindlers, mountebanks, and the people who love them.—
Henry Alford,
New Yorker,
1 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Flawed oversight has left a critical health program vulnerable to scammers while taxpayers foot the bill.—
Bloomberg Opinion,
Twin Cities,
15 Feb. 2026
-
While the report does not explicitly tie the suspicious loans to individuals, Maimon has also found a rise in recent online material where Yahoo Boys — prolific scammers tied to West Africa, particularly Nigeria — encourage their peers to exploit HELOC loans.—
Kevin Collier,
NBC news,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fraudsters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fraudsters. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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