fraudster / scammer
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fraudster / scammer
A person who intentionally deceives others in order to gain an unlawful advantage, usually a financial one.
Die Polizei warnt vor einer neuen Masche, mit der Betrüger am Telefon an Kontodaten gelangen wollen.
The police are warning about a new trick that scammers are using on the phone to try to get bank account details.
'Der Betrüger' (fraudster/scammer) belongs to a word family: the verb is 'betrügen' (to deceive/cheat), and the noun for the act is 'der Betrug' (fraud). The Betrüger is therefore the person who commits fraud.
Er hat versucht, mich beim Kartenspielen zu betrügen.
He tried to cheat me at cards.
There are fixed expressions for saying that you were deceived by a fraudster. Very common ones are 'auf einen Betrüger hereinfallen' (to fall for a scammer) or 'einem Betrüger zum Opfer fallen' (to fall victim to a fraudster).
Leider ist meine Großmutter auf einen Telefonbetrüger hereingefallen.
Unfortunately, my grandmother fell for a phone scammer.
The word 'Betrüger' (fraudster/scammer) is often combined with other nouns to describe the type of fraud more precisely. Examples are 'Internetbetrüger' (internet scammer), 'Telefonbetrüger' (phone scammer), or 'Heiratsbetrüger' (romance scammer).
Die Polizei warnt aktuell vor Internetbetrügern, die gefälschte E-Mails versenden.
The police are currently warning about internet scammers who send fake emails.
thief
'der Dieb' and 'der Betrüger' both refer to people who do something wrong, often to get money or property. The difference lies in the method. 'der Dieb' secretly takes someone else's property. 'der Betrüger' intentionally deceives others, for example with false information or a trick. The words can be confused because in both cases someone is harmed in the end. A practical rule: if something is stolen, it is a 'Dieb'. If someone acts through lies or deception, it is a 'Betrüger'.
Wegen einer falschen Nachricht im Internet haben wir den Betrüger sofort gemeldet.
Because of a fake message online, we reported the scammer immediately.
Die Polizei sucht den Dieb, der im Park mehrere Fahrräder gestohlen hat.
The police are looking for the thief who stole several bicycles in the park.