Translation guide
Describes a person who is easily deceived, taken advantage of, or an easy target. In Japanese, this is expressed through nouns describing gullible people, idiomatic phrases, and descriptive terms for victims of scams or manipulation.
Someone who is easily tricked or believes things too readily.
Slang for a person who is an easy target for scams or exploitation, like a 'sucker' or 'patsy'. Originates from the idea of a duck that is easy to catch.
彼は詐欺師にとって格好のカモだ。
He's an easy mark for con artists.
A good-natured person who is easily taken advantage of because they trust others too much. Often used affectionately or critically.
That person is so trusting, they get tricked easily.
Slang meaning an opponent or person who is easy to handle or deceive. 'チョロい' means 'easy' or 'simple-minded'.
That guy is an easy mark; you can talk him into anything.
A person who is specifically targeted and falls for a fraudulent scheme.
Idiomatic phrase literally meaning 'duck and green onion', i.e., a duck that comes with the ingredients for its own soup. Refers to a perfect, easy victim who brings everything needed for their own exploitation.
Giving away money so easily—what an easy mark.
Literally 'prey' or 'victim'. Used for someone who falls prey to a scam or bad situation. Slightly more formal or literary.
A straightforward descriptive phrase meaning 'a person who is easily deceived'. Neutral and widely understood.
Someone who is an easy opponent or can be easily defeated or manipulated in a non-fraudulent context.
カモ is slang and often used in the context of scams or exploitation, implying the person is a 'sucker'. お人好し is a personality trait meaning 'good-natured' or 'soft-hearted', and while such a person can be an easy mark, the term itself doesn't carry the same predatory connotation.
He was made an easy mark (taken advantage of).
He's so good-natured that he can't refuse requests.
Directly translating 'easy mark' as 簡単な印 (かんたんなしるし) or 易しい標的 (やさしいひょうてき) would be nonsensical. Use the idiomatic expressions provided.
高齢者が詐欺の餌食になるケースが増えている。
Cases of elderly people becoming easy marks for fraud are increasing.
He's an easy mark, so look out for him.
For him, that's an easy mark; he'll win quickly.