fraud / cheating
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fraud
A deliberate deception in order to gain an unlawful advantage for oneself or others, usually of a financial nature. Fraud is a criminal offense.
Der Mann wurde wegen Betrugs in mehreren Fällen angeklagt.
The man was charged with fraud in several cases.
'Der Betrug' (fraud/cheating) is the noun that belongs to the strong verb 'betrügen' (to deceive, to cheat). When a person 'betrügt' someone (deceives/cheats someone), they commit 'Betrug' (fraud/cheating).
Er hat seine Partner betrogen, doch der Betrug kam erst Jahre später ans Licht.
He cheated his partners, but the fraud only came to light years later.
To distinguish the two meanings, pay attention to the context. Words like 'Geld' (money), 'Polizei' (police), 'Anklage' (charge/indictment), or 'Vertrag' (contract) point to financial or legal fraud. Words like 'Partner' (partner), 'Beziehung' (relationship), 'Liebe' (love), or 'trennen' (to break up/separate) point to infidelity in a relationship.
Der Betrug in ihrer Ehe war der Grund für die Scheidung.
The cheating in their marriage was the reason for the divorce.
In the legal sense, 'Betrug' (fraud) is often used with specific verbs. Common combinations are 'Betrug begehen' (to commit fraud), 'jemanden wegen Betrugs anzeigen' (to report someone for fraud), or 'Opfer eines Betrugs werden' (to become the victim of a fraud).
Leider werden immer wieder ältere Menschen Opfer von Telefon-Betrug.
Unfortunately, older people repeatedly become victims of phone fraud.
When 'Betrug' (fraud) is the reason for a legal action, the preposition 'wegen' is often used with the genitive. For example, someone is charged or convicted 'wegen Betrugs' (for fraud).
Der ehemalige Manager wurde wegen schweren Betrugs zu einer Haftstrafe verurteilt.
The former manager was sentenced to prison for serious fraud.
affair
'der Betrug' and 'die Affäre' can both occur in a relationship when someone secretly has a relationship with another person. 'die Affäre' refers to the secret romantic or sexual relationship itself. 'der Betrug' emphasizes more strongly that a person is betraying their partner and breaking trust. The words are easy to confuse because an affair is often experienced as cheating. When you are talking about the secret relationship, 'Affäre' is more precise. When you are talking about the broken trust, 'Betrug' fits better.
Für Lena war der Betrug schlimmer als der Streit danach.
For Lena, the cheating was worse than the argument afterward.
Nach einigen Wochen kam seine Affäre mit einer Kollegin heraus.
After a few weeks, his affair with a colleague came out.