someone who tricks other people► con man/con artist/scam artist someone who tries to get money from people by tricking them: · A pair of con men have been tricking older people in the community out of their life savings.· Don't be fooled by con artists who promise enormous returns on your investment with no risk.· Petty scam artists victimize tourists on the streets.
► crook informal a dishonest person who steals things or tricks people: · I wouldn't do business with him - he's a crook.· People have accused me of being a crook, but I didn't take any money that wasn't mine.
► charlatan someone who pretends to have special skills and abilities and tricks people into believing them: · Some psychic charlatan convinced her she was going to die in six months.· Charlatans advertise a variety of fat-reducing treatments in the back of magazines.
► quack informal a dishonest person who pretends to be a doctor who can cure diseases: · Larry paid some quack over a thousand dollars to cure his insomnia.· That quack doesn't know anything about treating heart disease.
► shyster American informal a dishonest person, especially a lawyer: · Their lawyer is a shyster who would do anything to win a case.· Once the shysters get involved, you can be sure we'll end up in court.
► snake-oil salesman/peddler American someone who deceives people by persuading them to accept false information, solutions etc that are not effective: · Critics have called the Senator a smooth-talking snake-oil peddler.· Latenight TV is full of snake-oil salesmen offering get-rich-quick schemes.
a dishonest person, especially a lawyer or businessman