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 company can go after fraudulent domains and Telegram accounts in hopes of disrupting the Outsider Enterprise operation, but the scams may simply change form.
—
ArsTechnica, 12 June 2026
For simple, real-world ways to spot scams early and stay protected, visit trusted by millions who watch CyberGuy on TV daily.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 12 June 2026
With the World Cup in full swing, the Better Business Bureau is warning readers of a litany of different scams to watch for, according to a statement.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 12 June 2026
But after Google’s summaries falsely tied two publishing companies to scams, the German court said the AI overviews were the firm’s own content, The Decoder reported.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 11 June 2026
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis speaks at an elder abuse prevention event in Atlanta, warning seniors about scams tied to the FIFA World Cup.
—Christopher Harris, CBS News, 11 June 2026
Corrigan says the vulnerability is in data breaches, not face-to-face scams.
—Wes Kilgore, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
In 2025, more than 116,000 complaints of online scams in California were filed to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, according to the report.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 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
ArsTechnica, 12 June 2026
For simple, real-world ways to spot scams early and stay protected, visit trusted by millions who watch CyberGuy on TV daily.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 12 June 2026
With the World Cup in full swing, the Better Business Bureau is warning readers of a litany of different scams to watch for, according to a statement.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 12 June 2026
But after Google’s summaries falsely tied two publishing companies to scams, the German court said the AI overviews were the firm’s own content, The Decoder reported.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 11 June 2026
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis speaks at an elder abuse prevention event in Atlanta, warning seniors about scams tied to the FIFA World Cup.
—Christopher Harris, CBS News, 11 June 2026
Corrigan says the vulnerability is in data breaches, not face-to-face scams.
—Wes Kilgore, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
In 2025, more than 116,000 complaints of online scams in California were filed to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, according to the report.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scams
Noun
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Their only inheritance is a legacy of two-bit crime that inspires them to run increasingly audacious frauds.—
Joe Otterson,
Variety,
4 June 2026
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The request was audacious, even by the standards of a man accused of one of the largest financial frauds in history.—
Jennifer Gould,
Air Mail,
30 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 14 Jun. 2026.
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