fraud

Universal Words noun 1 [U,C] the crime of deceiving 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 [C] a person who pretends to have qualities, abilities, etc. that they do not really have in order to deceive 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 [C] something that is not as good, useful, etc. as people claim it is