Je trompe ma fille avec du faux maquillage

What does “une arnaque” mean in French?

Une arnaque is a con, a scam, or simply a price that amounts to daylight robbery: 35 euros pour ça, c’est une arnaque ! The verb arnaquer is to swindle or rip someone off, and se faire arnaquer is to be taken for a ride. Dictionaries mark the whole family familier, so it belongs in conversation, reviews and comments rather than in a formal complaint.

The span is wide enough to cover a criminal operation and a harmless prank, which is why a parent can announce j’arnaque mon bébé about a joke without it sounding sinister — tone and context carry the weight. The formal word for the serious version is une escroquerie, and the person running one is un arnaqueur or, officially, un escroc.