Scam Someone Into Doing vs. Scam Someone To Do
Oxford directly documents “scam somebody into doing something” for cheating somebody so that they take an action. The cited entry supports scam + object + into + -ing; it does not establish scam + object + to-infinitive as an equivalent complement.
Use “scam someone into doing” for the directly documented pattern; do not infer equal support for “scam someone to do.”
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| cheat someone so that they take an action | scam + person + into + -ing | Use the directly documented “into + -ing” construction. |
| name what a person was cheated out of or another scam sense | use the construction for that sense | Do not force every sense of “scam” into this complement pattern. |
| infer “scam + person + to-infinitive” as an equivalent action complement | not established by the reviewed evidence | Do not generalize beyond the documented construction. |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Are you naming the action the person was deceived into taking?
If yes: Use “scam someone into doing.”
If no: If another sense is intended, use its own construction; do not infer a parallel “scam someone to do” rule from this evidence.
Examples
The caller scammed him into revealing the code.
“Into + -ing” names the action produced by the deception.
They were scammed into paying an extra fee.
The documented complement is “into + -ing.”
The guide does not treat “scam someone to do” as an equivalent complement.
The reviewed source directly supports the “into + -ing” pattern.
Further guidance
Boundary
The cited entry supports scam + object + into + -ing; it does not establish scam + object + to-infinitive as an equivalent complement.
Construction
Oxford directly documents “scam somebody into doing something” for cheating somebody so that they take an action.
Decision
Use “scam someone into doing” for the directly documented pattern; do not infer equal support for “scam someone to do.”
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- scam verb — Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries · Oxford learner-dictionary evidence directly documenting the scam someone into doing construction