as in scams
an instance of the use of dishonest methods to acquire something of value
it's amazing how intelligent people fall for that investment-fund shell game
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Recent Examples of shell games
Budget shell games, in other words.
—
The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 21 Oct. 2025
The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 21 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shell games
scams
Noun
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Security company Trend Micro has documented that actors who’ve worked on past operations benefiting the North Korean government have used these addresses, particularly in scams involving fake recruiters.—
Jessica Klein,
PC Magazine,
11 Apr. 2026
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Never click on suspicious links Some scams prompt you to click on a link that takes you to a fake website to gather your personal information or unintentionally download malware onto your computer.—
Jasmin Suknanan,
CNBC,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shell games.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shell%20games. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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