In TOEIC word questions, fraud refers to a deceptive act or trick intended to gain something dishonestly.
▪The manager suspected fraud in the financial reports.
▪The manager suspected a deceptive act in the financial reports.
Example of a confusing word: fault (a mistake or defect)
▪The manager suspected fault in the financial reports.
▪The manager suspected a mistake in the financial reports.
"Fraud" is a noun that describes a deliberate deception to secure unfair or unlawful gain, often used in legal or financial contexts. In the sentence "The manager suspected fraud in the financial reports," it implies intentional deceit. "Fault," however, refers to a mistake or defect, which does not carry the same implication of intentional deception. Using "fault" in this context would suggest an error rather than a deliberate act of dishonesty, making "fraud" the correct choice.
Grammar examples from the TOEIC test
Fraud is used as a noun and often appears in subject or object positions in TOEIC grammar questions.
▪They detected fraud in the company's accounts.
▪They found a deceptive act in the company's accounts.
fraud
Idioms and fixed expressions in TOEIC
fraud ring
a group involved in deceptive activities
▪The authorities broke up a major fraud ring.
▪The authorities stopped a group involved in deceitful activities.
commit fraud
to carry out a deceptive act
▪He was caught trying to commit fraud.
▪He was caught trying to carry out a deceptive act.
Differences between similar words and fraud
fraud
,
deception
differences
Fraud is a specific act of dishonesty, while deception is a broader term for misleading someone.
fraud
▪She was charged with fraud.
▪She was charged with deception.
deception
▪deception – misleading someone intentionally.
▪deception means tricking someone, whereas fraud involves dishonesty to gain something.
fraud
,
scam
differences
Fraud refers to a dishonest act, while scam specifically involves tricking someone to gain money or goods.
fraud
▪They uncovered fraud in the financial statements.
▪scam involves tricking someone to take their money.
scam
▪scam – a plan to trick someone out of money.
▪scam involves tricking someone to take their money.
Words with the same origin as fraud
The origin of fraud
The word's etymology is not clear.
Word structure
The analysis of the word's composition is unclear.
Words with the same origin
The word's root is unclear or difficult to confirm.
