con artists
Swindlers by trade
Con artists are people who deceive others to obtain money or valuables through fraud.
The con comes from confidence—these swindlers first gain trust, then exploit it.
Con artists run schemes ranging from street hustles to elaborate long-term frauds: The con artist posed as a financial advisor and bilked elderly clients out of their savings.
The term applies broadly to anyone who manipulates through deception.
- trickstersThose who mislead deliberately
- swindlersDeceivers who steal through trickery
- fraudstersPeople who deceive for gain
- deceiverOne who tricks others
- mountebankTraveling seller of fake remedies
shyster · grifters · bunco · flimflam · scammer · snake oil · hoaxer · charlatans · ponzi scheme · pyramid scheme · bait-and-switch · impostor · schemes · three-card monte · hustler · sleight · smooth-talking · fast talker
- deceiversliar, liars, deceiver, fraud, fake
- roguesrogue, rogues, scoundrel, scoundrels, rascal
- scamsscam, scams, fraud, frauds, swindle
- Con Artist Tropesdeceivers, schemes, imposters, double-crosses, disguises
- manipulatorsmanipulators, brainwashers, gaslighters, controllers, puppeteers
- gamblinggamble, gambling, casinos, casino, bets
con artistsstraight shooters
Forthright, honest individuals
honest brokers · truth-tellers · straight arrows · philanthropists · altruists
con artistsfraud investigators
Professionals who expose deception
whistleblowers · watchdogs · prosecutors · regulators · detectives
artist, con, artistic, artistry, artists, cons, conned, artisanal, conning