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fraudulent scheme

fraudulent scheme

1 6.3
An illegal plan to get money by tricking people
  • noun
  • /ˈfrɔːdʒələnt skiːm/
translation icon : esquema fraudulento
  • In fact, the typical operating structure of law firms has made them more susceptible to fraudulent schemes.

In no time at all, all sorts of fraudulent schemes were set up to get these vouchers from the general public.

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Examples

  • The imaginary debt part carries an impossible obligation to pay interest, while the credit side offers no corresponding interest to offset it, thereby making it a fraudulent scheme.

    Blog text (13)
  • Who had this scheme, fraudulent scheme, and people lost?

  • In no time at all, all sorts of fraudulent schemes were set up to get these vouchers from the general public.

  • The businesses, local and foreign, have a bad reputation after hundreds lost money in well-publicized fraudulent schemes over the last year.

    Blog text (29)
  • Not only can fraudulent schemes be orchestrated by employees at all levels within a firm, firms must also be safeguarded against risks of fraud from external sources.

    Blog text (15)
  • From at least February 23, 1999, through at least April 17, 2001, Defendants STWA and Muller, STWA's former chief executive officer and president, engaged in a fraudulent scheme to manipulate the market for stock in STWA, a public company.

    Blog text (31)
  • Many people fell victim to a fraudulent scheme promising easy money and quick returns.

  • Law enforcement agencies are cracking down on fraudulent schemes that target unsuspecting investors.

  • The victim reported that she lost her savings to a fraudulent scheme disguised as a legitimate investment opportunity.

Synonyms

fraud
vsfraudulent scheme
577 4.0

Deceiving someone to get money or an unfair advantage

is a dishonest plan focused on gaining benefits unlawfully rather than the broader crime category
scam
vsfraudulent scheme
  • NSFW
294 3.0

A dishonest plan to get money by tricking people

is a dishonest plan aimed at unlawful benefits in general rather than only quick theft
ruse
vsfraudulent scheme
53 7.7

A clever trick to deceive someone

is an illegal dishonest plan aimed at gaining money or other benefits unlawfully
racket
vsfraudulent scheme
46 7.8

An illegal business that makes money by scams or threats

is usually a single dishonest plan, not an ongoing illegal enterprise
trickery
vsfraudulent scheme
27 4.9

To use dishonest ways to cheat people

is specifically an unlawful organized plan to obtain money or other benefits
chicanery
vsfraudulent scheme
  • Formal
8 9.3

Tricks people use to deceive others to get money or advantage

is a planned illegal action aimed at unlawful gain rather than clever tricks alone
fakery
vsfraudulent scheme
6 6.8

A thing or action made to trick people into thinking it is real

is a planned illegal deception to gain benefits rather than producing fake objects
skulduggery
vsfraudulent scheme
1 9.8

Secret dishonest actions to get an unfair advantage

is a defined illegal plan to obtain benefits unlawfully rather than general secret wrongdoing
flam
vsfraudulent scheme
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A trick done to cheat or fool people

is a formal illegal plan focused on obtaining benefits unlawfully rather than a casual trick
schemey tactic
vsfraudulent scheme
  • Informal
8.4

A plan that uses dishonest tricks to get an unfair advantage

is an illegal deceptive plan that aims for unlawful gains rather than mere strategy
crookery
vsfraudulent scheme
9.5

Actions that cheat people to get their money

is a specific illegal plan to deceive people for unlawful gain rather than general criminality

How Deceptive

fraudulent scheme
1 6.3
scam
  • NSFW
294 3.0
to plot
120 4.8

Surface Forms

Morphology

fraudulent + scheme

The noun phrase meaning is directly and transparently derived from combining 'fraudulent' (designed to mislead or cheat) with 'scheme' (an organized plan), yielding a dishonest or deceptive plan. This adjective+noun composition follows standard English composition patterns and has clear cross‑linguistic equivalents, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

The phrase fraudulent scheme joins fraudulent, meaning 'fake', and scheme, meaning 'plan', so imagine a shop that looks real but is empty inside to trick people into paying. That's why it means 'an illegal plan to cheat people'.