scam artists
Fraudsters working marks
Scam artists are people who defraud others through deception, typically by gaining trust before exploiting it.
The term emphasizes craft and performance—the scam artist plays a role convincingly: The scam artists posed as IRS agents demanding immediate payment.
Unlike simple thieves, scam artists rely on manipulation rather than force.
Also called con artists.
- swindlersDeceivers who steal through trickery
- con artistsPeople who cheat others
- fraudstersPeople who deceive for gain
- griftersPetty swindlers, confidence tricksters
- impostorOne feigning another's identity
catfish · shell game · romance scams · cheats · flimflam · deceiver · bunco · pyramid schemes · fast-talking · crooks · investment fraud · Ponzi schemes · social engineering · phishing · victims · Ponzi · pretenders · con men
scam artistshonest brokers
Impartial third-party facilitators
straight shooters · philanthropists · do-gooders · altruists
scam artistsfraud investigators
Professionals who expose deception
whistleblowers · watchdog groups · victim advocates · law enforcement · prosecutors
artist, scam, artistry, artisan, charlatan, trickster, scammer, con artist, fraudster