snake oil salesman
Peddler of frauds
A snake oil salesman is someone who sells fraudulent or worthless products while making exaggerated claims about their effectiveness.
The term comes from 19th-century American peddlers who sold fake medicinal elixirs.
Now used broadly for anyone pushing dubious goods, services, or ideas with slick persuasion: That crypto guy is just a snake oil salesman.
Also snake oil peddler.
- charlatanFaker claiming false expertise
- quackFake healer or fowl noise
- fraudIntentional criminal trickery
- con artistProfessional fraud perpetrator
- hucksterAggressive, unscrupulous peddler
swindler · scammer · bait and switch · peddler · tonic · elixir · cure-all · remedy · too good to be true · traveling · wagon · wild west · carnival · smooth-talking · silver tongue · persuasion · gullible · easy mark
- schemersschemer, manipulator, conniver, plotter, intriguer
- Crookscrook, swindler, fraudster, embezzler, con artist
- deceiversliar, liars, deceiver, fraud, fake
- persuaderspersuader, orator, orators, public speaker, speechmaker
- salespeoplesalesperson, telemarketer, pitchman, telesales, cold callers
- smooth talkerssmooth talker, smooth-talker, sweet talker, sweet-talker, fast talker
snake oil salesmanstraight shooter
Forthright, blunt person
honest broker · man of his word · truth-teller · truth teller · whistleblower
snake oil salesmanGood Samaritan
Compassionate stranger from scripture
philanthropist · altruist · public servant · humanitarian · volunteer
snake, salesman, snakes, snaked, snaking, snakelike, oils, oiling, oiliness