Skip to main content
fraud

fraud

119 4.4
A person who pretends to be something they are not to trick others
  • noun
  • /frɔd/
  • Offensive
: farsante
  • So when you blew the whistle, what was a fraud that you uncovered?

We felt that Jordan was a fraud and I'm sorry.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • Is a country with widespread fraud the same as one with minor irregularities?

    Academic text (1990)
  • We felt that Jordan was a fraud and I'm sorry.

  • There is only one fraud committed here today and it is this.

  • Would we be able to prove this is a fraud?

  • We're both a couple of frauds.

  • Every time their aunt told them that modern Mexico was founded on a fraud, Ricardo nodded in agreement.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Feeling like a fraud or imposter was problematic because it could become a paralyzing self-fulfilling prophecy for us.

    Academic text (2015)
  • The investigator uncovered a fraud pretending to be a charity to exploit generous donors.

  • Many people were deceived by the fraud who claimed to sell exclusive investments online.

  • After a thorough review, the committee declared him a fraud for misrepresenting his credentials.

Synonyms

sham
vsfraud
  • Offensive
69 6.1

Something or someone that pretends to be real but is false

refers specifically to a person pretending, not only a non genuine thing
impostor
vsfraud
  • UK
62 5.1

A person who pretends to be someone else to trick people

is broader, covering any false role or identity not only other people
fake
vsfraud
  • Offensive
49 3.7

A person who pretends to be someone they are not

is broader, covering many ways of pretending beyond simple false appearance
phony
vsfraud
  • Offensive
46 6.2

A person who pretends to have feelings or beliefs to deceive others

is the general act of pretending identity or attributes to deceive others
con artist
vsfraud
44 4.8

A person who tricks people by gaining their trust to take their money or valuables

is the general act of posing or pretending beyond confidence tricks
charlatan
vsfraud
  • Offensive
34 8.6

A person who says they have special skills to trick people

is broader, covering any false role not only fake expertise
impersonator
vsfraud
29 6.2

A person who pretends to be someone else to trick or entertain people

typically implies deception for false identity rather than performance or entertainment
poser
vsfraud
  • Offensive
29 8.0

A person who pretends to be someone they are not to fit in

is the wider notion of pretending beyond social image seeking
pretender
vsfraud
20 7.4

A person who lies about their job or skills to trick people

is the wider concept of pretending in many forms, not only false claims
scammer
vsfraud
  • NSFW
19 4.0

A person who tricks others to take their money or things

is broader, describing pretending for many motives beyond financial crime
imposter
vsfraud
  • US
18 5.1

A person who pretends to be someone else to trick people and get money or other benefits

is more general, applying to any pretense not limited to acting as someone
faker
vsfraud
  • Offensive
15 5.2

A person who pretends to be someone else or lies to trick people

is the general idea of pretending to be something one is not
swindler
vsfraud
14 5.4

A person who tricks people to take their money

focuses more on pretending identity rather than specifically stealing money
deceiver
vsfraud
11 5.5

A person who tricks others by making them believe something not true

focuses on pretending to be something one is not rather than any deceit
wolf in sheep's clothing
vsfraud
  • Informal
8 6.2

A person who seems friendly but is actually dangerous or dishonest

is the plain idea of pretending to be something different, not metaphorical disguise
pseudo
vsfraud
  • Offensive
4 8.6

A person who pretends to be someone they are not

focuses on any false appearance rather than only claiming false expertise
hoaxer
vsfraud
4 6.7

A person who tricks people into believing something false for fun or attention

is primarily about pretending a false identity rather than staging false events
sandbagger
vsfraud
  • Offensive
1 8.9

A person who hides their real skill to win unfairly in contests

is about open pretending of identity rather than hiding real skill levels
spoofer
vsfraud
  • Texting
1 9.0

A person or device that pretends to be something else to deceive people

is human-focused, while this can include devices or technical imitation
flimflammer
vsfraud
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A person who cheats others with tricks or fake deals

is more general, including any pretense not only trick-based scams
pseud
vsfraud
  • Offensive
1 9.9

A person who pretends to know a lot to impress others

is broader, covering any false identity not only false learned status
shammer
vsfraud
9.6

A person who pretends to be someone else to trick people

is the central idea of personal pretending to be something else

Antonyms

1 3.8

A person who never lies, even when it is hard

Compounds

Illegal actions to change votes or the result of an election

mail fraud
  • Formal
13 5.5

Crime of using the mail to trick people into giving money or things

legal fraud
  • Formal
1 7.2

Dishonest acts that break a person’s duty or trust under the law

fraud in fact
  • Formal
1 8.7

An act of hiding or lying about facts to harm someone financially

1 9.1

To hide facts or give false information on purpose to cheat someone

1 8.7

A breach of a duty that misleads another person without meaning to trick them

To trick someone into signing a contract

collateral fraud
  • Specialized
9.8

A dishonest act that stops a person from knowing their rights or having a fair chance at trial

extrinsic fraud
  • Specialized
9.9

A trick that stops someone from knowing or using their rights in court

fraud in law
  • Formal
8.8

An act a court treats as dishonest by law because of the situation, even without bad intent

9.9

A trick that makes someone sign a document without knowing what it is

9.5

A dishonest act using false statements, fake documents, or lying under oath to mislead a court

How Deceptive

fraud
  • Offensive
119 4.4
charlatan
  • Offensive
34 8.6
impostor
  • UK
62 5.1
pretender
20 7.4

Surface Forms

fraud singular
frauds plural

Etymology

The word fraud comes from the Latin fraus, meaning 'deceit', and was used for both tricks and the people who do them. That's why we call someone a fraud when they pretend to be what they are not, because they are deceiving others.