Nota: La traducción de esta entrada está actualmente en revisión de calidad, por lo que parte del contenido se muestra temporalmente solo en inglés.
Esta entrada aún no se ha traducido a tu idioma, así que se muestra el original a continuación.
confidence trick
The term refers to a specific type of fraud where the perpetrator first establishes a rapport or a sense of trust with the victim. The word confidence here does not mean self-assurance, but rather the trust or faith that the victim places in the scammer. This psychological manipulation is the defining characteristic of the trick.
While a scam can be any dishonest scheme (like a phishing email from an unknown sender), a confidence trick usually involves a more personal, interpersonal interaction. It often relies on the victim's greed, vanity, or compassion to blind them to the red flags.
In casual conversation, this is frequently shortened to a con, and the perpetrator is called a con artist. The register is neutral to formal; it is used in legal contexts, police reports, and everyday storytelling to describe a deceptive plot.
Meanings
Examples
The detective realized the entire investment opportunity was just a clever confidence trick.
The detective realized the entire investment opportunity was just a clever confidence trick.
He fell for a confidence trick and lost his entire life savings in a week.
It was a classic confidence trick designed to target elderly people.
I cannot believe I was fooled by such a simple confidence trick.
The scammer used a sophisticated confidence trick to gain access to the corporate accounts.
Watch out for the street performers in this area as some use a confidence trick to steal wallets.
The plot of the movie revolves around an elaborate confidence trick involving fake diamonds.
She suspected it was a confidence trick the moment he asked for an upfront payment.