cunning person; crook; sly fellow
Refers to a person who is crafty, scheming, or dishonest; somewhat literary or old-fashioned, not everyday colloquial speech.
He is a cunning fellow, contrary to his appearance.
あの奸物には気をつけろ。
Watch out for that crook.
詐欺師 means a swindler or con artist, focusing on fraud; 姦物 is broader, covering any sly or scheming person.
Standard kanji form for 'cunning person'; 姦 carries the meaning of wickedness or craftiness.
Variant kanji form using 奸, which also means crafty or wicked; less common but still encountered.
Compound of 姦 (kan, 'wickedness, craftiness') and 物 (butsu, 'person, thing'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word has been used in literary contexts to describe a cunning or dishonest individual.