fraudster
Professional deceit practitioner
A fraudster is a person who commits fraud—someone who deceives others for financial or personal gain.
The term is slightly more casual than "fraud" used as a noun for a person, and emphasizes habitual or professional deception: The fraudster bilked retirees out of their life savings.
More common in British than American English.
Person who deceives for money
- scammerOne who defrauds others
- conmanFraud who deceives for profit
- grifterPetty fraud perpetrator
- embezzlerOne misappropriating entrusted funds
forger · phisher · identity thief · counterfeiter · charlatan · impostor · deceiver · trickster
Fraudulent returns from newcomers
- pyramid schemeFraud through endless recruitment
- phishingFraudulent credential harvesting
- identity theftStealing personal data criminally
- catfishingDeceiving via false identity
fake lottery · pump and dump · bait and switch · romance scam · investment scam · money laundering · shell company · front business
Cause false belief
- embezzleSteal funds in custody
- forgeFurnace for shaping metal
- swindleDeception for financial gain
- conArgument against
scam · bamboozle · hoodwink · dupe · bilk · fleece · cheat · trick
Creating false impressions
- dishonestInclined to deceive
- cunningSly, scheming cleverness
- calculatingColdly self-serving in strategy
- manipulativeSkilled at controlling others
unscrupulous · crooked · slick · predatory · opportunistic · devious · scheming · duplicitous
swindler
Person who deceives for money
embezzler · forger · phisher · identity thief · counterfeiter · charlatan · impostor · deceiver · trickster · huckster
Ponzi scheme
Fraudulent returns from newcomers
- pyramid schemeFraud through endless recruitment
- phishingFraudulent credential harvesting
- identity theftStealing personal data criminally
catfishing · fake lottery · pump and dump · bait and switch · romance scam · investment scam · money laundering · shell company · front business · kickback scheme
deceive
Cause false belief
con · scam · bamboozle · hoodwink · dupe · bilk · fleece · cheat · trick · manipulate
deceptive
Creating false impressions
- dishonestInclined to deceive
- cunningSly, scheming cleverness
- calculatingColdly self-serving in strategy
manipulative · unscrupulous · crooked · slick · predatory · opportunistic · devious · scheming · duplicitous · conniving
mark
Visible impression or sign
sucker · patsy · pigeon · easy mark · investor · retiree · consumer · client · taxpayer
- Crookscrook, swindler, embezzler, con artist, con man
- deceiversliar, liars, deceiver, fake, fakes
- lawbreakersthief, robber, burglar, vandal, smuggler
- rule breakersrulebreaker, transgressor, violator, offender, lawbreaker
- swindlerscon artist, swindler, scammer, grifter, charlatan
- criminalsmurderer, thief, burglar, criminal, killer
fraudsterhonest broker
Impartial third-party negotiator
straight shooter · truth-teller · saint · man of honor · man of his word
fraudsterfiduciary
Agent bound by loyalty
whistleblower · protector · guardian · fraud investigator · watchdog
fraudstervictim
One harmed by another
mark · dupe · injured party · complainant · prosecutor