swindler
Professional trust exploiter
A swindler is someone who cheats others out of money or property through deception.
The word implies deliberate fraud rather than mere dishonesty—a swindler gains trust, then exploits it: The swindler convinced retirees to invest their savings in a fake company.
Con artist and grifter are near synonyms.
Petty fraud perpetrator
- con artistProfessional fraud perpetrator
- confidence manFraud who gains trust
- hustlerAggressive, unscrupulous earner
- scammerOne who defrauds others
flimflammer · shyster · sharper · fleecer · bilker · cozener · defrauder · chiseler
Faker claiming false expertise
- impostorOne feigning another's identity
- fraudIntentional criminal trickery
- fakerOne who pretends
- phonyFraudulent person or thing
pretender · quack · mountebank · masquerader · impersonator · poseur · humbug · bluffer
One misappropriating entrusted funds
- forgerOne who fakes documents
- counterfeiterOne who fakes currency
- racketeerOrganized crime participant
- money laundererOne who legitimizes illicit funds
pyramid schemer · phisher · extortionist · peculator · identity thief · insider trader · tax evader
Dishonest, unscrupulous person
- rogueDishonest or uncontrolled agent
- villainWicked story antagonist
- rapscallionMischievous person, usually endearing
- knaveDishonest, unprincipled person
rascal · snake · rat · sleazeball · lowlife · cheat · crook · scumbag
Intentional misleading of others
- trickeryDeliberate deception or fraud
- chicaneryDeception through clever manipulation
- fraudIntentional criminal trickery
- subterfugeDeliberate deception to conceal
artifice · duplicity · guile · sham · ruse · sleight · skulduggery · flimflam
Thief who steals carried items
- pilfererOne who steals trifles
- crookBent implement or criminal
- filcherOne who steals
- sneak thiefBurglar avoiding detection
kleptomaniac · purse snatcher · cutpurse · light-fingered · sticky-fingered · larcenist
Sly, scheming cleverness
- duplicitousDeliberately deceptive in nature
- deceitfulInclined to mislead others
- schemingCrafty and calculating
- connivingSecretly planning wrongdoing
underhanded · unscrupulous · devious · crafty · wily · slippery · manipulative · treacherous
grifter
Petty fraud perpetrator
- con artistProfessional fraud perpetrator
- confidence manFraud who gains trust
- hustlerAggressive, unscrupulous earner
scammer · flimflammer · shyster · sharper · fleecer · bilker · cozener · defrauder · chiseler · gouger
charlatan
Faker claiming false expertise
phony · pretender · quack · mountebank · masquerader · impersonator · poseur · humbug · bluffer · snake oil salesman
embezzler
One misappropriating entrusted funds
- forgerOne who fakes documents
- counterfeiterOne who fakes currency
- racketeerOrganized crime participant
money launderer · pyramid schemer · phisher · extortionist · peculator · identity thief · insider trader · tax evader
scoundrel
Dishonest, unscrupulous person
- rogueDishonest or uncontrolled agent
- villainWicked story antagonist
- rapscallionMischievous person, usually endearing
knave · rascal · snake · rat · sleazeball · lowlife · cheat · crook · scumbag · heel
deception
Intentional misleading of others
- trickeryDeliberate deception or fraud
- chicaneryDeception through clever manipulation
- fraudIntentional criminal trickery
subterfuge · artifice · duplicity · guile · sham · ruse · sleight · skulduggery · flimflam · scam
pickpocket
Thief who steals carried items
sneak thief · kleptomaniac · purse snatcher · cutpurse · light-fingered · sticky-fingered · larcenist
cunning
Sly, scheming cleverness
- duplicitousDeliberately deceptive in nature
- deceitfulInclined to mislead others
- schemingCrafty and calculating
conniving · underhanded · unscrupulous · devious · crafty · wily · slippery · manipulative · treacherous · dishonest
- deceptionlie, lies, lying, fake, fraud
- cheaterscheat, cheater, con artist, deceiver, fraud
- Crookscrook, embezzler, con artist, con man, grifter
- deceiversliar, liars, deceiver, fraud, fake
- roguesrogue, rogues, scoundrel, scoundrels, rascal
- rule breakersrulebreaker, transgressor, violator, offender, lawbreaker
swindlerphilanthropist
Donor to charitable causes
benefactor · altruist · do-gooder · giver · donator
swindlerhonest broker
Impartial third-party negotiator
straight shooter · hero · saint · man of his word · truth-teller