How to Say "hoax" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “hoax” is “engaño” — use 'engaño' for a general deception or trick, especially one on a larger scale that misleads people..
engaño
Examples
Todo el plan fue un engaño para robar la información.
The entire plan was a trick to steal the information.
estafa
/es-TAH-fah//esˈta.fa/
Examples
La policía está investigando una estafa por internet que afectó a muchos ancianos.
The police are investigating an internet scam that affected many elderly people.
Fui víctima de una estafa telefónica y perdí cien euros.
I was the victim of a telephone scam and lost one hundred euros.
El banco advierte a sus clientes sobre posibles estafas con tarjetas de crédito.
The bank warns its clients about possible credit card fraud.
Gender Reminder
Even though 'estafa' ends in 'a,' remember that it is a feminine noun, so you must use 'la estafa' or 'una estafa'.
Confusing the Noun and the Person
Mistake: “Usar 'la estafa' para referirse a la persona que comete el crimen.”
Correction: The crime is 'la estafa' (the scam/fraud). The person who commits the crime is 'el/la estafador/a' (the scammer/swindler).
montaje
/mon-TAH-heh//monˈtaxe/
Examples
La policía dice que el robo fue un montaje para cobrar el seguro.
The police say the robbery was a hoax to collect the insurance.
Todo este escándalo es un montaje político.
This whole scandal is a political frame-up.
Don't just think physical
Mistake: “Using 'falso' for a staged situation.”
Correction: Use 'montaje' to describe the whole fake event.
Engaño vs. Montaje
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