scam
gb/skˈæm/ us/skˈæm/
B1
English
~ 6800
csalás, átverés, átver, kicsal, lehúzás
NOUN
B1
1
Usage pattern:
a scam to get [money/information] from [someone]
He was arrested for running an online scam that stole thousands of dollars from elderly people.
Letartóztatták, mert olyan online csalást működtetett, amellyel több ezer dollárt csaltak ki idős emberektől.
The website looked real, but it turned out to be a scam designed to collect credit card numbers.
A weboldal valódinak tűnt, de kiderült, hogy csalás volt: bankkártyaszámok begyűjtésére hozták létre.
Tourists are often warned about ticket scams near the train station.
She realized too late that the investment opportunity was just a clever scam.
Authorities are investigating a phishing scam targeting bank customers.
Learner examples
The email was a scam and tried to take my password.
Az e-mail csalás volt, és a jelszavamat próbálta megszerezni.
He lost all his savings in a scam.
Egy csalás miatt elvesztette az összes megtakarítását.
Police say the lottery was a scam.
Many people fell for the phone scam.
This ad looks like a scam to me.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "scam" with "spam". "Scam" is a dishonest plan to cheat people, while "spam" is unwanted or repeated messages, especially emails. Learners also sometimes say *"He did a scam on me"*; more natural is *"He ran a scam"* or *"He scammed me"*.
Meaning
fraudulent scheme or operation
Collocations
online scam
|phone scam
|email scam
|run a scam
|fall for a scam
|romance scam
Synonyms
fraud (More formal and legal; often used in official or legal contexts.)
|
con (Informal; emphasizes the trick or lie used to cheat someone.)
|
swindle (Slightly formal or old-fashioned; stresses cheating someone out of money or property.)
Antonyms
legitimate business (Describes an honest, legal activity instead of a dishonest scheme.)
|
fair deal (Emphasizes that the transaction is honest and reasonable, not deceptive.)
Themes
crime
|business
|technology
|daily life
|finance
|law
Definition
A dishonest plan to get money or information from people by lying or tricking them, usually as a crime.
A dishonest plan, operation, or trick designed to get money, personal information, or other benefits from people by deceiving them, often illegally.
VERB
B2
2
Usage pattern:
to scam [someone] out of [money/something]
The fake tech support company scammed hundreds of people out of their savings.
A magát műszaki ügyfélszolgálatnak kiadó cég több száz embertől csalta ki a megtakarításaikat.
Someone tried to scam me by pretending to be from my bank.
Valaki úgy próbált átverni, hogy a bankom munkatársának adta ki magát.
They were accused of scamming investors with false promises.
Hackers used a phishing site to scam users into entering their passwords.
The vendor scammed tourists by charging double the normal price.
Learner examples
A man on the street tried to scam me.
Egy férfi az utcán megpróbált átverni.
She was scammed out of $500.
500 dollárt csaltak ki tőle.
They scammed many old people with a fake prize.
Be careful; someone may try to scam you online.
He scammed his customers and then disappeared.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use the wrong preposition, saying *"scam someone from money"* or *"scam money of someone"*. The natural pattern is *"scam someone out of money"* or simply *"scam someone"*. Also, "scam" is not used reflexively in standard English: we say *"He got scammed"*, not *"He scammed himself"*.
Meaning
to cheat or defraud someone
Collocations
scam people
|scam customers
|scam tourists
|try to scam [someone]
|scam [someone] out of [their savings]
Synonyms
cheat (Very common and general; not always about money and not always criminal.)
|
defraud (More formal and legal; used especially in legal or business contexts.)
|
rip off (Informal phrase; focuses on making someone pay too much or treating them very unfairly in money matters.)
Antonyms
treat fairly (Highlights not taking advantage of someone and dealing with them honestly.)
|
refund (Opposite in outcome: giving money back instead of dishonestly taking it.)
Themes
crime
|daily life
|business
|finance
|law
Definition
To get money or something valuable from someone by lying or tricking them.
To cheat someone, especially out of money or something valuable, by lying or using a dishonest plan.
NOUN
B2
INFORMAL
3
lehúzás
B2
Usage pattern:
[something] is a scam
These hidden airline fees are a total scam.
Ezek a rejtett légitársasági díjak kész lehúzásnak számítanak.
Paying that much for parking is a scam, but we have no choice.
Ennyit fizetni a parkolásért lehúzás, de nincs más választásunk.
The so‑called "free trial" was a scam because it was almost impossible to cancel.
Some people think extended warranties are just a scam to make extra money.
He called the ticket prices a scam and refused to go.
Learner examples
Ten dollars for a bottle of water is a scam.
Tíz dollár egy üveg vízért kész lehúzás.
This app says it is free, but it is a scam.
Ez az app azt állítja, hogy ingyenes, de valójában lehúzás.
I think the extra charge is a scam.
Many people say these online classes are a scam.
That gym contract feels like a scam to me.
Common mistake:
Learners may assume this informal use always means a crime. In conversation, people often say something is a "scam" just to mean it is very unfair or too expensive, not necessarily illegal. Also, avoid saying *"very scam"*; say *"a total scam"* or *"a real scam"*.
Meaning
overpriced or unfair situation
Collocations
total scam
|such a scam
|seems like a scam
|what a scam
|this is a scam
|subscription scam
Synonyms
rip-off (Very close informal synonym; strongly emphasizes being too expensive or unfair.)
|
sham (Suggests something is not what it claims to be; a bit more formal or old-fashioned.)
Antonyms
bargain (Describes something that is very cheap or good value, the opposite of being unfairly expensive.)
|
good deal (Stresses that the price or terms are fair and beneficial, not unfair.)
Themes
daily life
|money
|consumer
|daily_life
|finance
|business
Definition
Something people say is a scam when it costs too much money or feels very unfair, even if it is not really a crime.
An offer, service, or situation that seems extremely unfair, overpriced, or dishonest, whether or not it is actually illegal or a formal crime.
Grammar
Dictionary form
scam
IPA
GB/skˈæm/
US/skˈæm/
Syllables & stress
scam (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (scam)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: scam
- Plural: scams
Verb
- Base: scam
- 3rd Person Singular: scams
- Present Participle: scamming
- Past: scammed
Word family
Forms
scams
noun
scamming
verb
scammed
verb
Core family
scammer
noun
Related words
fraud
noun B2
fraudster
noun
Advanced or less common
fraudulent
adjective C1
Highlights
- Irregular present participle: scamming Verb
- Irregular past: scammed Verb
Expressions
email scam
1/imˈeɪl skˈæm/
fixed phrase
fraud carried out by email
A dishonest email that tries to make you give money or personal information.
Examples
- That message is an email scam pretending to be from your bank.
- Companies teach staff how to spot email scams and phishing attacks.
get scammed
1/ɡˈɛt skˈæmd/
fixed phrase
informal
to become a scam victim
To be the victim of a scam and lose money or something valuable because someone tricked you.
Examples
- He got scammed when he tried to buy concert tickets on a resale site.
- Many people get scammed because the fake websites look very real.
online scam
1/ˈɔnlˌaɪn skˈæm/
fixed phrase
fraud carried out online
A dishonest plan to trick people on the internet in order to get their money or information.
Examples
- She lost $2,000 in an online scam after clicking a fake shopping ad.
- Government websites give advice on how to avoid online scams.
phone scam
1/fˈoʊn skˈæm/
fixed phrase
fraud carried out by phone
A dishonest plan to trick people and get money or information from them by calling them on the phone.
Examples
- There has been a rise in phone scams targeting elderly residents.
- The police warned the public about a new phone scam pretending to be the tax office.
scam alert
1/skˈæm əlˈɚt/
fixed phrase
warning about a scam
An official or public warning that there is a scam that people should know about and avoid.
Examples
- The bank sent a scam alert to all customers about fake text messages.
- Local news issued a scam alert after several residents were targeted.
scam artist
1/skˈæm ˈɑɹtɪst/
fixed phrase
informal
person who carries out scams
A person who often runs scams and tricks people to get their money.
Examples
- The police finally caught the scam artist behind the fake charity.
- She's worried there are scam artists targeting foreign students.
scam call
1/skˈæm kˈɔl/
fixed phrase
fraudulent phone call
A phone call that is part of a scam and tries to trick you into giving money or information.
Examples
- I keep getting scam calls pretending to be from delivery companies.
- If you receive a scam call, hang up immediately and report the number.