How to Say "con artist" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “con artist” is “estafador” — B1 level.
Examples
El estafador me llamó diciendo que era del banco.
The scammer called me saying he was from the bank.
La policía busca a un estafador que engañó a varios ancianos.
The police are looking for a swindler who tricked several elderly people.
Ese hombre es un estafador profesional; no creas nada de lo que dice.
That man is a professional con artist; don't believe anything he says.
The '-dor' ending
In Spanish, adding '-dor' to a verb root (from 'estafar' - to swindle) describes the person who does that action, much like adding '-er' in English (swindle -> swindler).
Gender matching
This entry is for the masculine form. If you are talking about a woman, simply change the ending to '-dora' (la estafadora).
Confusing with 'mentiroso'
Mistake: “Calling someone an 'estafador' just for telling a small lie.”
Correction: Use 'mentiroso' for a liar. Use 'estafador' only when there is a trick intended to take money or property.
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