fraud

fraud /frɔːd $ frɒːd/ BrE AmE noun
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: fraude, from Latin fraus 'deceiving']
1. [uncountable and countable] the crime of deceiving people in order to gain something such as money or goods
tax/insurance/credit card etc fraud
He’s been charged with tax fraud.
electoral fraud
She was found guilty of fraud.
2. [countable] someone or something that is not what it is claimed to be:
I felt like a fraud.
The police exposed the letter as a fraud.
• • •
THESAURUS
■ crimes of stealing
▪ robbery noun [uncountable and countable] the crime of stealing from a bank, shop etc: £100,000 was stolen in the robbery. | The gang carried out a string of daring robberies.
▪ burglary noun [uncountable and countable] the crime of breaking into someone’s home in order to steal things: There have been several burglaries in our area.
▪ theft noun [uncountable and countable] the crime of stealing something: Car theft is a big problem. | thefts of credit cards
▪ shoplifting noun [uncountable] the crime of taking things from shops without paying for them: They get money for drugs from shoplifting.
▪ fraud noun [uncountable and countable] the crime of getting money from people by tricking them: He’s been charged with tax fraud. | credit card fraud
▪ larceny noun [uncountable] especially American English law the crime of stealing something: He was found guilty of larceny.
▪ phishing noun [uncountable] the activity of tricking people into giving their personal details, bank numbers etc on the Internet, in order to steal money from them: One in four computer users reports that they have been hit by phishing attempts.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

fraud

fraud [fraud frauds] [frɔːd] [frɔːd] noun
1. uncountable, countable the crime of cheating sb in order to get money or goods illegally
• She was charged with credit card fraud.
• property that has been obtained by fraud

• a $100 million fraud

2. countable a person who pretends to have qualities, abilities, etc. that they do not really have in order to cheat other people
• He's nothing but a liar and a fraud.

• She felt a fraud accepting their sympathy (= because she was not really sad).

3. countable something that is not as good, useful, etc. as people claim it is
Word Origin:
Middle English: from Old French fraude, from Latin fraus, fraud- ‘deceit, injury’.
Thesaurus:
fraud noun
1. U
• The property had been obtained by fraud.
dishonesty • • deceit • • deception •
be guilty of/accuse sb of fraud/dishonesty/deceit/deception
practise/obtain sth by fraud/deceit/deception
use/admit/confess to/deny fraud/deception
2. C
• He helped prevent a $100 million fraud.
informal scam • • racket • • game • • con •
a $100 million fraud/scam/racket
a/an insurance/financial fraud/scam
operate/run/be involved in a fraud/scam/racket
control a fraud/racket
Collocations:
Crime
Committing a crime
commit a crime/a murder/a violent assault/a brutal killing/an armed robbery/fraud
be involved in terrorism/a suspected arson attack/people smuggling/human trafficking
engage/participate in criminal activity/illegal practices/acts of mindless vandalism
steal sb's wallet/purse/(BrE) mobile phone/(NAmE) cell phone
rob a bank/a person/a tourist
break into/ (BrE) burgle/ (NAmE) burglarize a house/a home/an apartment
hijack a plane/ship/bus
smuggle drugs/weapons/arms/immigrants
launder drug money (through sth)
forge documents/certificates/passports
take/accept/pay sb/offer (sb) a bribe
run a phishing/an email/an Internet scam
Fighting crime
combat/fight crime/terrorism/corruption/drug trafficking
prevent/stop credit-card fraud/child abuse/software piracy
deter/stop criminals/burglars/thieves/shoplifters/vandals
reduce/tackle/crack down on knife/gun/violent/street crime; (especially BrE) antisocial behaviour
foil a bank raid/a terrorist plot
help/support/protect the victims of crime
Investigating crime
report a crime/a theft/a rape/an attack/(especially BrE) an incident to the police
witness the crime/attack/murder/incident
investigate a murder/(especially NAmE) a homicide/a burglary/a robbery/the alleged incident
conduct/launch/pursue an investigation (into…); (especially BrE) a police/murder inquiry
investigate/reopen a criminal/murder case
examine/investigate/find fingerprints at the crime scene/the scene of crime
collect/gather forensic evidence
uncover new evidence/a fraud/a scam/a plot/a conspiracy/political corruption/a cache of weapons
describe/identify a suspect/the culprit/the perpetrator/the assailant/the attacker
question/interrogate a suspect/witness
solve/crack the case
more collocations at justice
Example Bank:
• detectives from the fraud squad
• He helped prevent a $100 million fraud.

• It was said that the property had been obtained by fraud.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition

fraud / frɔːd / / frɑːd / noun [ C or U ] (CRIME)

C2 the crime of getting money by deceiving people:

credit card fraud

He is fighting extradition to Hong Kong to face trial on fraud charges .

fraud / frɔːd / / frɑːd / noun [ C ] (FALSE)

C2 someone or something that deceives people by saying that they are someone or something that they are not:

She was a psychic who was later revealed to be a fraud.

Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

fraud

/frɔ:d/
(frauds)

Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.

1.
Fraud is the crime of gaining money or financial benefits by a trick or by lying.
He was jailed for two years for fraud and deception...
Tax frauds are dealt with by the Inland Revenue.
N-VAR

2.
A fraud is something or someone that deceives people in a way that is illegal or dishonest.
He believes many ‘psychics’ are frauds who rely on perception and subtle deception.
N-COUNT

3.
If you call someone or something a fraud, you are criticizing them because you think that they are not genuine, or are less good than they claim or appear to be.
...all those fashion frauds who think they are being original by raiding the tired old styles of the ’60s.
N-COUNT [disapproval]

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

fraud
fraud /ˈfrɑːd/ noun, pl frauds
1 : the crime of using dishonest methods to take something valuable from another person

[noncount]

• He was found guilty of bank fraud.
• credit card fraud

[count]

• He was the victim of an elaborate fraud.
- see also wire fraud
2 [count]
a : a person who pretends to be what he or she is not in order to trick people
• He claimed he was a licensed psychologist, but he turned out to be a fraud.
b : a copy of something that is meant to look like the real thing in order to trick people
• The UFO picture was proved to be a fraud.