How to Say "Scammer" in Spanish

estafador

/estafaˈdoɾ/masculine

The Spanish word for scammer is estafador.

The term is used to describe a swindler or a cheat.

Meaning: swindler, cheat (noun)

What does it mean word for word?

The noun estafador is derived from the word estafa, which means scam or fraud.

In Argentina, the informal term chanta is used to describe someone who engages in dishonest practices or fraudulent schemes.

The masculine singular is estafador, the feminine singular is estafadora, the masculine plural is estafadores and the feminine plural is estafadoras.

/estafaˈdoɾ/

In some Caribbean contexts, a person who is a constant, low-level scammer might be colloquially called a guiso or someone who 'makes a guiso'.
The term chanta, mentioned in Argentina, can actually be used affectionately for a friend who is a 'lovable rogue' or someone who exaggerates, not just a criminal.
While estafador is the standard term, in many parts of Latin America, you might hear someone called a timador, which comes from the verb 'timar'.

Parece una estafadora.
She seems like a scammer.
This sentence is useful for describing a female scammer.
Tatoeba #4553929 by swyter, translation #12288508 by mollydot
Ayudamos de forma altruista, si alguien te pide dinero es un estafador.
We help for free. If someone wants money from you, they are a scammer.
This sentence is useful for identifying a scammer.
Tatoeba #10696480 by Shishir, translation #10696185 by tokzyk
La víctima cayó en manos del estafador y perdió todos sus ahorros.
The victim fell into the hands of the scammer and lost all her savings.
Ese vendedor resultó ser un chamuyero. No le creas nada.
That salesman turned out to be a con artist, don't believe anything he says.
Ese hombre es un estafador peligroso.
That man is a dangerous scammer.

Elena and Mateo are talking about a suspicious phone call.

Sources

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