Maybe this can help with scam:How scams work
"Scammers give you something, such as a 'free' gift or assistance, to get something in return, such as your agreement later on. You are caught up feeling obliged to do something. Protect yourself from those sentiments by recognising the gifts and favours as nothing more than devices to influence you to return the favour." from that site.

So typically, a scam is an attempt to get a commitment from someone so that they will pay out money, without getting anything in return. Often they are a criminal fraud.

Oh, yes. The most common scams I know of are actually e-mail scams. Some e-mail will show up that says something like account frozen or something. They want verification of account details or something. Another type is like mail box or account full or something, contact them or something. I usually don't remember too much about what is in the e-mail scams because I don't open mail from any address I don't know. Usually the scam has a title that tries to instill fear or concern that something has to be done right away or big problems will result. Bank account frozen or something. So just do what they want. And fall into their trap. But I look at the 'from' address, and just delete.

Scammers commonly target the elderly to take advantage of diminished capacity, confusion etc.

Scams would also be called a rip off, i think.
Rip off is the most generic term of all those terms. It can be applied in most cases.

The plot of Chichikov in Gogol's Dead Souls is a scam. He wants to use non-existent people as collateral for a nice loan. In that case he would be scamming the bank.

If anyone ever wants immediate agreement or compliance with something, so there is no time to think it over, or no time to take home and look at details carefully, probably criminal scam. "We need you to act right away," what ever reason, don't.


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