con men
Professional trust abusers
Con men are swindlers who gain victims' trust to defraud them—the term derives from "confidence man." The con man's essential skill is appearing trustworthy: The con men posed as investment advisors and bilked retirees out of their savings.
The singular is con man; con artist is a gender-neutral alternative.
One feigning another's identity
- grifterPetty fraud perpetrator
- swindlerPerson who deceives for money
- charlatanFaker claiming false expertise
- scammerOne who defrauds others
hustler · fraudster · trickster · mountebank · hoaxer · flimflammer · cheater · shark
Intentional misleading of others
- manipulationUnderhanded control of others
- bamboozleDeceive through cunning
- duperyCalculated misleading of another
- trickeryDeliberate deception or fraud
subterfuge · imposture · artifice · chicanery · guile · feint · masquerade · disinformation
Dishonest money-making scheme
- hoaxDeliberate deception for effect
- swindleDeception for financial gain
- fraudIntentional criminal trickery
- racketUproar, scam, or paddle
flimflam · bunco · con job · pyramid scheme · phishing · catfishing · forgery · counterfeiting
Sly, scheming cleverness
- calculatingColdly self-serving in strategy
- slyCleverly deceptive
- deviousUnderhanded and calculating
- craftyCleverly deceptive
wily · guileful · smooth-talking · glib · persuasive · charming · slick · shrewd
impostor
One feigning another's identity
- grifterPetty fraud perpetrator
- swindlerPerson who deceives for money
- charlatanFaker claiming false expertise
scammer · hustler · fraudster · trickster · mountebank · hoaxer · flimflammer · cheater · shark · sharpie
deception
Intentional misleading of others
- manipulationUnderhanded control of others
- bamboozleDeceive through cunning
- duperyCalculated misleading of another
trickery · subterfuge · imposture · artifice · chicanery · guile · feint · masquerade · disinformation · misdirection
scam
Dishonest money-making scheme
- hoaxDeliberate deception for effect
- swindleDeception for financial gain
- fraudIntentional criminal trickery
racket · flimflam · bunco · con job · pyramid scheme · phishing · catfishing · forgery · counterfeiting · embezzlement
cunning
Sly, scheming cleverness
- calculatingColdly self-serving in strategy
- slyCleverly deceptive
- deviousUnderhanded and calculating
crafty · wily · guileful · smooth-talking · glib · persuasive · charming · slick · shrewd · artful
mark
Visible impression or sign
patsy · target · gull · prey · fall guy · easy mark · rube · chump · stooge · sap
- roguesrogue, rogues, scoundrel, scoundrels, rascal
- tough guystough guys, tough guy, thug, thugs, enforcer
con menhonest brokers
Impartial third-party facilitators
straight shooters · truth-tellers · philanthropists · altruists · saints
con menfraud investigators
Professionals who expose deception
FBI agents · prosecutors · district attorneys · forensic accountants
con menvictim advocates
Those helping harmed parties navigate systems
whistleblowers · public defenders · social workers · ombudsmen · guardian angels
confidence, con artist, confidence men, confidence man, con artists, con man