noun
A person who deceives others for money or gain; often used for fraudsters, impostors, or smooth-talking tricksters.
彼はペテン師にだまされて貯金を全部取られた。
He was tricked by a swindler and lost all his savings.
あのセールスマンはペテン師みたいなもの
That salesman is practically a con artist.
The word ペテン is believed to come from the English word 'pretend' or possibly from the Portuguese 'petena' (meaning 'trickery'), but the exact origin is uncertain. 師 means 'master' or 'specialist', so ペテン師 literally means 'master of trickery'.