Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| entourloupe | /ɑ̃.tuʁ.lup/ | feminine |
| escroquerie | /ɛs.kʁɔ.kʁi/ | feminine |
| trucage | /tʁy.kaʒ/ | masculine |
These terms are used to describe fraudulent deals or deceptive situations.
Which one should you use?
escroquerie is the formal and legal term for a scam or fraud. trucage refers specifically to a scam involving the manipulation or rigging of something, like a contest or a photo. arnaque is the most common informal term used in everyday speech for a scam or a rip-off, while entourloupe is a colloquial and slightly old-fashioned way to refer to a trick or a scam. Finally, embrouille is a casual term that refers to a scam or a tricky situation.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
entourloupe and escroquerie are feminine nouns, so you would use une entourloupe or cette escroquerie. trucage is a masculine noun. The related verbs entourlouper and arnaquer mean to defraud or embezzle.
How do you pronounce it?
entourloupe is pronounced /ɑ̃.tuʁ.lup/ and has three syllables.
Did you know?
- The word embrouille describes a scam or tricky situation, but it literally comes from the word for 'tangle' or 'mess'. It implies that the fraudster has intentionally clouded the truth to confuse the victim.
- While trucage refers to a scam, it is also the standard term used in film production to describe a 'fake' or a special effect that is not actually real.
- In casual French, the term embrouille can refer to a scam, but it is also the primary slang term for a petty argument or a 'beef' between two people.
Examples in context
- C'est une escroquerie.This is a scam.This sentence uses escroquerie to identify a scam.Tatoeba #1706781 by sacredceltic, translation #1690514 by Spamster
- Il ne m'est jamais venu à l'esprit que toute l'affaire pouvait être une escroquerie.It never occurred to me that the whole thing might be a scam.This sentence uses escroquerie to describe a situation where a scam was not immediately apparent.Tatoeba #1104750 by sacredceltic, translation #1104740 by CK
- Soyez prudent face aux arnaques par e-mailBe cautious of email scams
- Protégez-vous contre les arnaquesProtect yourself from scams
- J'ai été victime d'une escroquerieI fell victim to a scam
- Ne tombez pas dans leur piègeDon't get caught in their trap
- Cette offre sur internet est une véritable entourloupe.This offer on the internet is a real scam.
Example conversation
Léa warns Hugo about a suspicious online offer.
- LéaRegarde cet e-mail, Hugo.Look at this email, Hugo.
- HugoC'est une offre incroyable !It's an incredible offer!
- LéaFais attention, c'est sûrement une entourloupe.Be careful, it's probably a scam.
- HugoTu as raison, je ne clique pas.You are right, I won't click.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “scam” translations and entries entourloupe, escroquerie, trucage, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
