scammer
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
A person who commits fraud by making dishonest scams and business deals: swindler, cheat, grifter.
Register: slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
According to Netsafe, scammers send out a bunch of emails, hoping to snag a few gullible people, but simply deleting the offending email won’t do anything to impede the con.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “scammer” mean?
A person who commits fraud by making dishonest scams and business deals: swindler, cheat, grifter.
Is “scammer” formal or informal?
scammer is generally slang.