fraud

n. swindle; deceit; cheating; forgery; embezzlement; cheat, swindler

In the broadest sense, a fraud is a deception made for personal gain. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and is also a civil law violation. Many hoaxes are fraudulent, although those not made for personal gain are not technically frauds. Defrauding people of money is presumably the most common type of fraud, but there have also been many fraudulent "discoveries" in art, archaeology, and science.
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Fraud, n an intentional perversion of truth for the purpose of inducing another, in reliance on it, to part with something valuable or to surrender [more]Fraud - Community and Resources

Noun
1. intentional deception resulting in injury to another person
(hypernym) crime, law-breaking
(hyponym) identity theft
2. a person who makes deceitful pretenses
(synonym) imposter, impostor, pretender, fake, faker, sham, shammer, pseudo, pseud, role player
(hypernym) deceiver, cheat, cheater, trickster, beguiler, slicker
(hyponym) name dropper
3. something intended to deceive; deliberate trickery intended to gain an advantage
(synonym) fraudulence, dupery, hoax, humbug, put-on
(hypernym) trickery, chicanery, chicane, guile, wile, shenanigan
(hyponym) goldbrick

(n.)
Deception deliberately practiced with a view to gaining an unlawful or unfair advantage; artifice by which the right or interest of another is injured; injurious stratagem; deceit; trick.
  

(n.)
An intentional perversion of truth for the purpose of obtaining some valuable thing or promise from another.
  

(n.)
A trap or snare.