How to Say "to swindle" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to swindle” is “estafar” — use 'estafar' for general financial fraud or scams, especially those conducted online or through deceptive schemes..
estafar
/es-tah-FAR//estaˈfaɾ/
Examples
Intentaron estafarme con un correo falso.
They tried to scam me with a fake email.
El hombre estafó a sus clientes y huyó con el dinero.
The man swindled his clients and fled with the money.
Es fácil estafar a la gente que busca dinero rápido.
It is easy to rip off people who are looking for quick money.
The 'Personal A'
When you use 'estafar' with a person, you must use 'a' before the person's name or title, like 'Estafaron a mi vecino'.
Regular Verb Pattern
This verb follows the standard pattern for verbs ending in -ar, making it easy to conjugate once you know the basics.
Estafar vs. Robar
Mistake: “Me estafaron el teléfono en la calle.”
Correction: Me robaron el teléfono en la calle. Use 'estafar' for tricks and lies, and 'robar' for physical theft.
timar
/tee-MAHR//tiˈmaɾ/
Examples
Ten cuidado con esos correos electrónicos, solo quieren timarte.
Be careful with those emails, they just want to scam you.
Me timaron en el mercado; la fruta estaba podrida por dentro.
I got ripped off at the market; the fruit was rotten inside.
Le timaron mil euros con un anuncio de alquiler falso.
They swindled him out of a thousand euros with a fake rental ad.
Who is getting scammed?
When you use this word, the person being tricked is the 'direct receiver' of the action. This means you use pronouns like 'me,' 'te,' 'lo,' or 'la.' For example: 'Lo timaron' (They scammed him).
Talking about the amount
To mention how much someone was scammed, you usually don't need a special word in between. You can say 'Me timaron diez euros' (They scammed me ten euros).
Scamming 'from' someone
Mistake: “Me timaron cien euros de mi hermano.”
Correction: Timaron a mi hermano cien euros.
defraudar
/deh-frou-DAHR//defɾauˈðaɾ/
Examples
Fue acusado de defraudar a la hacienda pública.
He was accused of defrauding the public treasury (tax evasion).
La empresa defraudó millones de euros a sus inversores.
The company defrauded its investors of millions of euros.
No intentes defraudar al sistema; te atraparán.
Don't try to cheat the system; you'll get caught.
Defraudar vs. Robar
While both involve taking money, 'defraudar' implies trickery, paperwork, or deceit, whereas 'robar' is the general word for stealing (like taking a wallet).
Spelling the 'au' sound
Mistake: “Spelling it as 'defruadar'.”
Correction: Remember the 'au' sequence: d-e-f-r-a-u-d-a-r. It sounds like the 'ou' in the English word 'found'.
Choosing between estafar, timar, and defraudar
Related Translations
Learn Spanish with Inklingo
Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.