scam

UK: /ˈskæm/ US: /skæm/ ,(skam)

Inflections of 'scam' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

scams

v 3rd person singular

scamming

v pres p

scammed

v past

scammed

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

scam /skæm/   n., v., scammed, scam•ming. 
n. [countable]

1. an illegal scheme to make money;
   swindle:
   One of his scams was to pose as a police officer.

v. [~ + object]

2. to cheat by means of a scam;
   swindle or defraud:
   to scam the tourists into buying fake jewelry.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

scam  (skam), n., v., scammed, scam•ming. 
n. 

1. a confidence game or other fraudulent scheme, esp. for making a quick profit;
   swindle.

v.t. 

2. to cheat or defraud with a scam.

• 1960–65; origin, originally carnival argot; of obscure origin, originally

scam′mer, n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

scam / skæm/ noun

1. a stratagem for gain; a swindle

verb (scams, scamming, scammed)

1. (transitive) to swindle (someone) by means of a trick