con artist
Schemes for money
A con artist is someone who deceives others for personal gain, typically through elaborate schemes that exploit trust.
The term comes from "confidence"—the con artist first wins your confidence, then swindles you.
Con artists may pose as officials, lovers, or business partners: The con artist convinced elderly victims to wire their savings.
The shortened form is con man or con woman.
Petty fraud perpetrator
- scammerOne who defrauds others
- swindlerPerson who deceives for money
- hustlerAggressive, unscrupulous earner
- charlatanFaker claiming false expertise
mountebank · flimflammer · shyster · hoaxer · faker · pretender · sharper · snake oil salesman
Dishonest money-making scheme
- hustleEnergetic, aggressive action
- stingSharp wound from insect
- griftSwindle or petty fraud
- racketUproar, scam, or paddle
swindle · fraud · hoax · scheme · ploy · gambit · setup · shell game
Deliberate deception or fraud
- duplicityDeliberate misleading behavior
- deceitDeliberate misleading of others
- subterfugeDeliberate deception to conceal
- guileSly, strategic dishonesty
pretense · manipulation · misdirection · sleight · feint · ruse · fabrication · illusion
Sly, scheming cleverness
- calculatingColdly self-serving in strategy
- manipulativeSkilled at controlling others
- deviousUnderhanded and calculating
- schemingCrafty and calculating
wily · crafty · sly · shrewd · artful · unscrupulous · deceitful · dishonest
grifter
Petty fraud perpetrator
- scammerOne who defrauds others
- swindlerPerson who deceives for money
- hustlerAggressive, unscrupulous earner
charlatan · mountebank · flimflammer · shyster · hoaxer · faker · pretender · sharper · snake oil salesman · quack
scam
Dishonest money-making scheme
racket · swindle · fraud · hoax · scheme · ploy · gambit · setup · shell game · Ponzi
trickery
Deliberate deception or fraud
- duplicityDeliberate misleading behavior
- deceitDeliberate misleading of others
- subterfugeDeliberate deception to conceal
guile · pretense · manipulation · misdirection · sleight · feint · ruse · fabrication · illusion · masquerade
cunning
Sly, scheming cleverness
- calculatingColdly self-serving in strategy
- manipulativeSkilled at controlling others
- deviousUnderhanded and calculating
scheming · wily · crafty · sly · shrewd · artful · unscrupulous · deceitful · dishonest · predatory
charismatic
Compellingly attractive to others
persuasive · charming · suave · likeable · affable · engaging · winsome · captivating · eloquent · disarming
mark
Visible impression or sign
dupe · patsy · gullible · vulnerable · trusting · naive · elderly · lonely · desperate · greedy
- persuaderspersuader, orator, orators, public speaker, speechmaker
- swindlersswindler, scammer, grifter, charlatan, conman
- financial fraudsecurities fraud, bank fraud, accounting fraud, defalcation, embezzler
- street consshell game, three card monte, three-card monte, thimblerig, cups and balls
- deceptionlie, lies, lying, fake, fraud
- cheaterscheater, swindler, deceiver, fraud, liar
con artiststraight shooter
Forthright, blunt person
truth-teller · honest broker · straight arrow · man of his word · saint
con artistpickpocket
Thief who steals carried items
mugger · burglar · armed robber · thief · purse snatcher
cheat, con, impostor, trickster, fraudster, huckster, confidence man, con game, scam artist