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    fraud vs. scam?

    Comment
    Guten Abend,

    kann mir bitte jemand den Unterschied zwischen den beiden Wörtern (in Zusammenhang mit Computern) erklären? Beide stehen als "Betrug" (also hier gemeint: Online-Betrug) im Wörterbuch. Gibt es einen Unterschied?

    Danke!
    Author Manrico (568675) 08 Apr 16, 19:47
    Comment
    schaust du hier: http://www.skypeenglishclasses.com/english-vo...

    Fraud is a broader category of wrongdoing than a scam. Scams can belong to the broader category of fraud. A scam is generally a more minor offense than fraud, which is considered very serious.

    A politician who accepts cash for giving a construction company political favors. (fraud)
    An email telling you that you won $5 million and all you have to do is send on your bank details. (scam)
    #1Author A_monkey_in_a_silk (973106) 08 Apr 16, 20:43
    Comment
    Danke Dir! Das ist sehr hilfreich!
    #2Author Manrico (568675) 08 Apr 16, 20:47
    Comment
    See Wikipedia -


    There is certainly some overlap between the two concepts.


    #3Author eric (new york) (63613) 08 Apr 16, 21:06
    Comment
    In my opinion, the first example given in #1 isn't fraud.
    Fraud involves deception to get money or some other benefit.

    #4Author Rrabbit (1029501) 08 Apr 16, 21:28
    Comment
    I agree that the first example in #1 isn't fraud, though it could be illegal for other reasons.

    'Fraud' is a legal term as defined in the laws of a particular country or state, in a fairly formal register. You can be arrested for fraud or convicted of fraud. It can be either a noncount or count noun: the general concept of deception for gain or a particular instance or type of it. The related verb is 'to defraud (so. of sth.)'; the adjective is 'fraudulent.' More casually, you can say that a person is a fraud, that is, a fake.

    A scam is a slang term, typically used in conversation but not in law. It may refer to the same thing, just in a different context or register. It usually means a particular trick, e.g., the Chinese college scam, the Nigerian loan scam, the lost-grandchild scam. 'To scam (so. out of sth.)' is also a verb, also colloquial. A person can be a scammer or a scam artist, similar to a con man or a con artist.
    #5Author hm -- us (236141) 08 Apr 16, 22:01
    Comment
    Spannend, danke Euch. Also eher ein fließender Übergang?
    Diese "ransomware"-Gauner, die mit Schadsoftware Computer infizieren, Daten verschlüsseln und dann "Lösegeld" verlangen, damit die Daten wieder entsperrt werden, würde ich demnach aber eindeutig als "fraud" einordnen. Liege ich da richtig?
    #6Author Manrico (568675) 08 Apr 16, 22:01
    Comment
    I don't know that they would technically be fraud if there's not an element of deception. Where are they pretending to be something they're not, pretending to sell something that isn't true? In legal terms that might be something else, like maybe theft or vandalism, or some other legal term.

    But I would indeed call ransomware a scam, a trick to get money.
    #7Author hm -- us (236141) 08 Apr 16, 22:19
    Comment
    I respectfully disagree with #1. Both of those instances constitute fraud, IMO--at least in (colloquial) practice. In legal practice, the word "scam" would be too imprecise compared to the defined meaning(s) of "fraud."
    #8AuthorHappyWarrior (964133) 08 Apr 16, 23:44
     
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