flimflamming
Running deceptive schemes
Flimflamming is swindling or deceiving someone, typically through fast talk and misdirection rather than elaborate schemes.
A flimflammer works with charm and verbal dexterity: He flimflammed tourists out of their cash with a shell game.
The word suggests petty cons rather than grand fraud—more street hustler than corporate criminal.
Fraudulent taking of money
- conningDefrauding through deception
- scammingDefrauding through deception
- bamboozlingDeceiving through confusion
- hoodwinkingDeliberately misleading someone
duping · deceiving · cheating · defrauding · grifting · hustling · bilking · cozening
Argument against
- scamDishonest money-making scheme
- swindleDeception for financial gain
- hoaxDeliberate deception for effect
- fraudIntentional criminal trickery
hustle · grift · racket · bunco · phishing · sting · snake-oil · bait-and-switch
Sly, scheming cleverness
- schemingCrafty and calculating
- wilySkilled at deception
- artfulCleverly deceptive
- slickSmooth or craftily adept
devious · underhanded · sneaky · sly · crafty · manipulative · calculating · conniving
Professional fraud perpetrator
- swindlerPerson who deceives for money
- grifterPetty fraud perpetrator
- hustlerAggressive, unscrupulous earner
- charlatanFaker claiming false expertise
fraud · cheat · trickster · scammer · mountebank · sharper · four-flusher · quack
Persuasively rapid in speech
- smooth-talkingCharmingly persuasive in speech
- double-talkPurposely ambiguous language
- patterQuick rehearsed speech
- spielPersuasive extended talk
sweet-talking · blarney · jive · malarkey · hokum · balderdash · hogwash · moonshine
swindling
Fraudulent taking of money
- conningDefrauding through deception
- scammingDefrauding through deception
- bamboozlingDeceiving through confusion
hoodwinking · duping · deceiving · cheating · defrauding · grifting · hustling · bilking · cozening · beguiling
con
Argument against
- scamDishonest money-making scheme
- swindleDeception for financial gain
- hoaxDeliberate deception for effect
fraud · hustle · grift · racket · bunco · phishing · sting · snake-oil · bait-and-switch · catfishing
cunning
Sly, scheming cleverness
slick · devious · underhanded · sneaky · sly · crafty · manipulative · calculating · conniving · shifty
con-artist
Professional fraud perpetrator
- swindlerPerson who deceives for money
- grifterPetty fraud perpetrator
- hustlerAggressive, unscrupulous earner
charlatan · fraud · cheat · trickster · scammer · mountebank · sharper · four-flusher · quack · impostor
fast-talking
Persuasively rapid in speech
- smooth-talkingCharmingly persuasive in speech
- double-talkPurposely ambiguous language
- patterQuick rehearsed speech
spiel · sweet-talking · blarney · jive · malarkey · hokum · balderdash · hogwash · moonshine · eyewash
flimflammingtelling the truth
being honest · leveling · leveling with · confiding · disclosing
flimflammingacting in good faith