as in frauds
an instance of the use of dishonest methods to acquire something of value
that's just a scam to bilk insurance companies for staged accidents
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Recent Examples of scams
Replying confirms your number is active, while clicking anything can lead to fake login pages, follow-up scams or malware.
—
Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Safety and security also play a role, from a home free of hazards to AI phone scams that are becoming more prevalent among older generations.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 12 Feb. 2026
With Valentine's Day approaching, financial experts warn to be on alert for a rise in romance scams that are becoming harder to spot due to artificial intelligence.
—Joshua Sidorowicz, CBS News, 11 Feb. 2026
Safer Internet Day is also a time when everyone, children and adults, can talk about how to avoid or recover from scams.
—Larry Magid, Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2026
Last year, more than 40,000 Chinese people were detained in Myanmar over scams and deported to China.
—Hannah Beech, New York Times, 31 Dec. 2024
In the summer of 2024, New York Attorney General Letitia James warned about investment scams using deepfake videos of celebrities like Warren Buffett and Elon Musk to lure investors.
—Steven Smith, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
Life advice Olivier Morin/AFP via Getty Images Fraudsters are improving their scams with the help of artificial intelligence.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 27 Dec. 2024
Maxwell wants to educate as many users as possible, especially women, to raise awareness of proliferating scams that can ultimately destroy lives.
—Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 26 Dec. 2024
Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Safety and security also play a role, from a home free of hazards to AI phone scams that are becoming more prevalent among older generations.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 12 Feb. 2026
With Valentine's Day approaching, financial experts warn to be on alert for a rise in romance scams that are becoming harder to spot due to artificial intelligence.
—Joshua Sidorowicz, CBS News, 11 Feb. 2026
Safer Internet Day is also a time when everyone, children and adults, can talk about how to avoid or recover from scams.
—Larry Magid, Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2026
Last year, more than 40,000 Chinese people were detained in Myanmar over scams and deported to China.
—Hannah Beech, New York Times, 31 Dec. 2024
In the summer of 2024, New York Attorney General Letitia James warned about investment scams using deepfake videos of celebrities like Warren Buffett and Elon Musk to lure investors.
—Steven Smith, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
Life advice Olivier Morin/AFP via Getty Images Fraudsters are improving their scams with the help of artificial intelligence.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 27 Dec. 2024
Maxwell wants to educate as many users as possible, especially women, to raise awareness of proliferating scams that can ultimately destroy lives.
—Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 26 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scams
Noun
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The frauds have grown nearly in lockstep with the growth of the industry.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
11 Jan. 2026
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There is absolutely no evidence that frauds of this type or anywhere near this scale are happening in any of the other four states, or frankly that there is a large volume of as-yet-undiscovered fraud in Minnesota itself.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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But cybersecurity experts believe many are coming from the same criminal organizations in Southeast Asia that have been linked to other high-profile swindles in recent years, like romance scams on dating apps.—
Shannon Pettypiece,
NBC news,
20 Oct. 2025
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Frauds, swindles, cons, scams, and deceptions — collectively known as hoaxes.—
Scott Neuman,
NPR,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The Los Angeles Times reported that similar threats in multiple states, including Georgia, were traced to Russian domains and labeled politically disruptive hoaxes.—
Zachary Bynum,
CBS News,
18 Nov. 2025
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In addition to the various homecoming shootings on HBCU campuses, several schools have fallen victim to swatting hoaxes aiming to foster confusion and chaos among the community.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
9 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scams.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scams. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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