Uncle Scam
- noun
- Offensive
:
Tío timador
- Watch out for emails from Uncle Scam promising to double your money overnight.
Examples
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After losing money in the fake investment, she realized she'd trusted Uncle Scam instead of a legitimate adviser.
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The news warned citizens about new schemes run by so-called Uncle Scam.
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Don't trust that guy; he's an Uncle Scam!
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Many people fell for Uncle Scam's tricks.
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Many unsuspecting investors fell victim to Uncle Scam's fraudulent schemes.
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The report highlighted the dangers posed by Uncle Scam, who tricks people for money.
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She warned her friends to avoid Uncle Scam, known for his deceptive tactics.
Synonyms
47
4.7
A person who tricks people by gaining their trust to get their money
40
4.8
A person who tricks people by gaining their trust to take their money or valuables
20
4.0
A person who tricks others to take their money or things
15
5.4
A person who tricks people to take their money
A person who cheats others with tricks or fake deals
A person who tricks others using clever talk to take their money
A nickname for a dishonest person who pretends to speak for the country
How Deceptive
Surface Forms
Morphology
The constituent 'scam' clearly signals fraud and 'uncle' identifies a person, so a learner who knows both words can reasonably infer this refers to a person who scams. However, the phrase is a creative pun on 'Uncle Sam' and is not a conventional composition, so the precise nuance and usage (and the cultural play) are not fully predictable without exposure.
Etymology
Uncle Scam may come from a simple joke on the name Uncle Sam, the well-known figure for the country, where scam ('a trick') replaces Sam. This makes the image of someone who seems like a friendly uncle but is actually dishonest, so the name means 'a person who deceives others'.