shills
Con game accomplices
Shills are people who pose as enthusiastic customers or supporters while secretly working for the seller or cause they're promoting.
The term comes from carnival and gambling culture, where shills would pretend to win games or place bets to draw in marks.
Now it applies broadly to fake endorsers, paid reviewers, or anyone feigning grassroots enthusiasm: The comment section was full of obvious shills.
To shill is to act as one: shilling for the pharmaceutical industry.
Exaggerated promotional fanfare
- pitchFrequency of sound
- plugSomething that blocks openings
- toutPromote aggressively
- hawkTaloned predatory bird
peddle · push · advertise · market · publicize · endorse · boost · pump
Argument against
- fraudIntentional criminal trickery
- scamDishonest money-making scheme
- swindleDeception for financial gain
- hoaxDeliberate deception for effect
trickery · manipulation · subterfuge · ruse · scheme · artifice · machination · planted
hype
Exaggerated promotional fanfare
hawk · peddle · push · advertise · market · publicize · endorse · boost · pump · flack
con
Argument against
- fraudIntentional criminal trickery
- scamDishonest money-making scheme
- swindleDeception for financial gain
hoax · trickery · manipulation · subterfuge · ruse · scheme · artifice · machination · planted · fake
manipulate
Control through clever influence
dupe · hoodwink · bamboozle · coax · entice · lure · bait · persuade · convince · propaganda
confederate
Allied partner in schemes
- plantBotanical organism
- decoyFalse target for misdirection
- accompliceCrime's willing helper
insider · casino · poker · card-room · mark · sucker · rigged · setup · sting · hustle
- manipulationgaslighting, guilt tripping, blame-shifting, brainwashing, guilt trip
- opinion makerspundits, commentators, columnists, editorialists, op-ed writers
- stealth advertisingnative advertising, sponsored content, branded content, advertorials, hidden ads
shillswhistleblowers
Those exposing organizational misconduct
watchdogs · truth-tellers · honest brokers · ombudsmen · critics
- shill accountsFake profiles promoting agendas
shill, shilling, shillelagh, shillings, shilled, shillelaghs