Translation guide
A person who cheats others out of money or property through deception. In Japanese, the most common and direct term is 詐欺師 (sagishi), but there are several other words depending on the type of fraud and context.
A person who deceives others to obtain money or valuables, often through elaborate schemes.
The standard, neutral term for a swindler or con artist. Covers a wide range of fraudulent activities.
He was swindled out of his entire fortune by a con artist.
A swindler or trickster, often with a nuance of using clever talk or sleight of hand. Slightly more colloquial than 詐欺師.
I fell for that swindler and lost a lot of money.
Literally 'fraud offender'. Used in legal or news contexts to refer to a person who has committed fraud.
The fraud offender was arrested by the police.
A person who feigns romantic interest to defraud someone, often for money or immigration benefits.
Specifically a marriage fraudster; someone who deceives a partner into marriage or a relationship for financial gain.
She was deceived by a marriage swindler and had all her savings taken.
A romance scammer, often operating online. A more recent term borrowed from English 'romance scam'.
A person who runs fraudulent investment schemes, such as Ponzi or pyramid schemes.
An investment fraudster; someone who deceives people into putting money into fake or fraudulent investments.
The investment swindler collected money from many people for a fictitious business.
A dishonest broker; often used for financial swindlers who manipulate markets or sell worthless products.
A person who uses quick tricks or confidence games in person, often on the street.
Still the most common term, but in context it can refer to street-level con artists.
A swindler was selling fake brand goods in front of the station.
Literally 'sneak thief', but can be used loosely for petty swindlers or tricksters who operate in public places. Not a direct equivalent; use with caution.
This word primarily means a petty thief or pickpocket, not a swindler. Only use if the swindling involves physical theft or sleight of hand.
詐欺師 is the standard, formal term for a swindler and is used in legal and news contexts. ペテン師 is more colloquial and often implies a smooth-talking trickster, sometimes used in a slightly less serious or even humorous way.
He was indicted as a swindler.
That guy is just a con man.
泥棒 (どろぼう) means 'thief' or 'burglar' and implies direct theft, not deception. Using it for a swindler would be incorrect unless the person also physically stole something.
I ended up sending money to a romance scammer I met on social media.
I was persuaded by a crooked broker to buy suspicious stocks.
観光地ではコソ泥や詐欺師に気をつけて。
Watch out for pickpockets and swindlers in tourist areas.