con artists

[/kɑn ˈɑr.tɪsts/]
nounpl: con artists
estelionatários
1. criminals who deceive people through elaborate schemes to gain money, valuables, or personal information
The con artists posed as bank officials to steal from elderly customers.
Os estelionatários se passaram por funcionários de banco para roubar clientes idosos.
2. skilled manipulators who use psychological tactics and false identities in fraudulent operations
Those con artists were running a Ponzi scheme targeting investors.
Aqueles estelionatários estavam operando um esquema Ponzi visando investidores.
In Brazil, con artists are a significant social concern, with many schemes targeting elderly people and vulnerable populations. The term 'golpista' is widely understood in daily conversation, while 'estelionatário' is the formal legal terminology. In the United States, con artists are frequent subjects of TV shows, movies, and popular culture, with terms like 'grifter' being romanticized in entertainment.
NYC Slang
grifters, hustlers, sharks
Synonyms / Sinônimos
scammersfraudstersswindlersgrifterscheaterscharlatans
Antonyms / Antônimos
honest peoplelegitimate businesspeople

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
estelionatários
formal legal term; most common usage
General Brazilian
golpistas
common colloquial term for con artists and scammers
Rio de Janeiro
malandros
informal, somewhat dated; originally refers to cunning swindlers
São Paulo
piratas
colloquial; sometimes used for fraud perpetrators in commercial contexts
Portugal
burladores
formal Portuguese term; also used for swindlers

Related Words

confidence gamescamfrauddeceptionembezzlementforgery

Related Idioms & Phrases

running a con
pulling a fast one
taking someone for a ride
fleecing the marks
the long con
bait and switch
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