Scams and fraud · Money and prices
con artist
person who deceives for money
A con artist is someone who tricks people to get their money or possessions.
This vs that
He was a con artist.
She fell for it.
Hear it in real life
Who was that man offering cheap building work?
I think he was a con artist.
The con artist convinced several pensioners to invest in a company that did not exist.
Which sounds natural?
Psst — which one would you actually say?
This informal noun is the natural way to refer to someone who makes money by deceiving people.
The mistake everyone makes
Not: He is a con artist who cheat old people.
Say: He is a con artist who cheats old people.
Use third-person singular 'cheats'.
Say it together
Whole chunks natives use with it.
a con artist posing as ___
A con artist posing as a delivery driver asked for her bank details.
The con artist was posing as a police officer.
Phrases to borrow
More for talking about scams and fraud.
watch out for scams
Watch out for scams when buying tickets online.
give away your bank details
Never give away your bank details over the phone.
Scams and fraud words
Money and prices · Scams and fraud: the words around “con artist”.
More connectionsMore scams and fraud words6
More scams and fraud words
Your turn: say it out loud
He was a con artist.
Say it out loud two or three times, until it feels like yours.
con artist
person who deceives for money
“The con artist convinced several pensioners to invest in a company that did not exist.”
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