as in frauds
an instance of the use of dishonest methods to acquire something of value
that's just a scam to bilk insurance companies for staged accidents
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Recent Examples of scams
The whole story is wild to read, and proof that scams, both online and on your phone, are big business and can make big money.
—
Alan Henry, PC Magazine, 29 May 2026
Banks including the United Kingdom’s Starling and the Commonwealth Bank of Australia have warned customers to watch out for voice cloning scams.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 29 May 2026
Her application in 2024 for a REAL ID, which requires more serious verification of identity, is when authorities caught on to her scams, according to court documents.
—Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 29 May 2026
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office is warning people in the Florida Keys not to fall for scams in which thieves are pretending to be cops asking for money, often cryptocurrency.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 28 May 2026
Some of the scams involve fake court documents or notifications about phony traffic or criminal infractions, according to the sheriff's office.
—Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 28 May 2026
Stephen Findeisen, a YouTuber with more than 4 million subscribers who goes by Coffeezilla online and investigates internet scams, said the motivation behind appealing to young users is the possibility of gaining loyal, long-term customers.
—Kaitlyn Huamani, Fortune, 28 May 2026
The bottom line Artificial intelligence has made scams more sophisticated, more personal, and harder to detect.
—Miranda Marquit, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 May 2026
Multiple states, including Massachusetts and Iowa, have sued the company for allegedly facilitating crypto scams, often against retirees, that resulted in people losing millions of dollars.
—Mirtha Donastorg, AJC.com, 22 May 2026
Alan Henry, PC Magazine, 29 May 2026
Banks including the United Kingdom’s Starling and the Commonwealth Bank of Australia have warned customers to watch out for voice cloning scams.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 29 May 2026
Her application in 2024 for a REAL ID, which requires more serious verification of identity, is when authorities caught on to her scams, according to court documents.
—Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 29 May 2026
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office is warning people in the Florida Keys not to fall for scams in which thieves are pretending to be cops asking for money, often cryptocurrency.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 28 May 2026
Some of the scams involve fake court documents or notifications about phony traffic or criminal infractions, according to the sheriff's office.
—Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 28 May 2026
Stephen Findeisen, a YouTuber with more than 4 million subscribers who goes by Coffeezilla online and investigates internet scams, said the motivation behind appealing to young users is the possibility of gaining loyal, long-term customers.
—Kaitlyn Huamani, Fortune, 28 May 2026
The bottom line Artificial intelligence has made scams more sophisticated, more personal, and harder to detect.
—Miranda Marquit, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 May 2026
Multiple states, including Massachusetts and Iowa, have sued the company for allegedly facilitating crypto scams, often against retirees, that resulted in people losing millions of dollars.
—Mirtha Donastorg, AJC.com, 22 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scams
Noun
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Lindberg, 56, pleaded guilty in 2024 to conspiring to defraud insurers and thousands of policy holders in one of the largest insurance frauds in US history, federal prosecutors said in a statement.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
27 May 2026
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The Man Who Stole Portugal is inspired by the titular true crime book by Murray Teigh Bloom about Alves dos Reis, who pulled off one of the largest frauds in history against the Bank of Portugal in 1925.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
7 May 2026
Noun
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In a case pending in federal court in Oakland, California, three Facebook users allege that the company profits from online swindles at the expense of users.—
David Ingram,
NBC news,
12 May 2026
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Frauds, swindles, cons, scams, and deceptions — collectively known as hoaxes.—
Scott Neuman,
NPR,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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All of the threats, including the one at Zoo Atlanta, turned out to be hoaxes.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
18 May 2026
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Fox, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991, has also been the subject of death hoaxes in the past, including in 2018, when a fake article reporting his death circulated online.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scams.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scams. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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