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
Names, phone numbers and addresses create a powerful starting point for scams.
—
Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2026
Indonesia began implementing a new government regulation at the end of March banning children younger than 16 from accessing digital platforms that could expose them to addiction, pornography, online scams and cyberbullying.
—ABC News, 30 Apr. 2026
These schemes rarely look like obvious scams.
—Fennemore, Oc Register, 30 Apr. 2026
This makes caregiving difficult, both for family members abroad and those living on the island, who fear theft and scams targeting the elderly.
—Sarah Moreno
updated April 29, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2026
Is there any real solution to the nightmare of online password management in an era of increasingly clever hacks, scams, and identity theft?
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 29 Apr. 2026
Other scams extend beyond impersonating lawyers.
—Naisha Roy, ProPublica, 29 Apr. 2026
Officials warned Wednesday that some residents of Mountain View have been the targets of phishing scams about safe drinking water.
—Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 29 Apr. 2026
The magic community doesn't want to do anything that could leave audiences more vulnerable to those kinds of scams or false beliefs, George explains.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 23 Apr. 2026
Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2026
Indonesia began implementing a new government regulation at the end of March banning children younger than 16 from accessing digital platforms that could expose them to addiction, pornography, online scams and cyberbullying.
—ABC News, 30 Apr. 2026
These schemes rarely look like obvious scams.
—Fennemore, Oc Register, 30 Apr. 2026
This makes caregiving difficult, both for family members abroad and those living on the island, who fear theft and scams targeting the elderly.
—Sarah Moreno
updated April 29, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2026
Is there any real solution to the nightmare of online password management in an era of increasingly clever hacks, scams, and identity theft?
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 29 Apr. 2026
Other scams extend beyond impersonating lawyers.
—Naisha Roy, ProPublica, 29 Apr. 2026
Officials warned Wednesday that some residents of Mountain View have been the targets of phishing scams about safe drinking water.
—Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 29 Apr. 2026
The magic community doesn't want to do anything that could leave audiences more vulnerable to those kinds of scams or false beliefs, George explains.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 23 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scams
Noun
-
The National Association of Mortgage Brokers recommends customers take precautions to avoid potential frauds by calling sources and double-checking any information or requests.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2026
-
There are some elite frauds going on in the sports world right now.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
16 Mar. 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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Over a recent five-year span, 4% of Amber Alerts nationwide were determined to be hoaxes, where people intentionally misled law enforcement.—
Andrea Lucia,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Fox, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991, has also been the subject of death hoaxes in the past, including in 2018, when a fake article reporting his death circulated online.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scams.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scams. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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