scamdemic
English edit
Etymology edit
Blend of scam + pandemic. Coined by conspiracy theorists to describe the COVID-19 pandemic and the actions of governments and other organizations in response to it.
Noun edit
scamdemic (plural scamdemics)
- (informal, derogatory, neologism) A period of time where the idea of an ongoing pandemic is used to defraud the general public.
- 2020 May 1, Alexei Koseff, Trisha Thadani, “CHP arrests protesters in Sacramento who defy shelter-in-place order to demand California reopen”, in San Francisco Chronicle[1]:
- A similar protest in San Francisco drew about 40 people across the back entrance to City Hall, waving American flags and holding signs, saying things like “Scamdemic!” and “Newsom is a Dictator!”
- 2020 June 1, Craig Farrell, Ann Mooney, “Coronavirus in Ireland – McGrath calls for end to ‘scamdemic’ as TDs demand lockdown eases to help kick-start economy”, in The Irish Sun:
- “We are now at the stage where instead of having a pandemic it’s becoming a scamdemic. […] ”
- 2021 January 6, Amanda Devlin, “Piers Morgan furiously threatens to force Covid-deniers into coronavirus wards without PPE after getting sick abuse”, in The Sun:
- "They all claim it's a 'scamdemic' and say the hospitals are empty.
- 2021 September 9, Matt3rvrs [username], “Biden announces new vaccine mandates that could cover 100 million Americans”, in KTVZ[2], comments:
- Im[sic] sure ol’Barn [Barney Lerten] will chime in with the “truth” lol and keep pushing the KTVZ [a local news station] Leftist agenda.. THE SCAMDEMIC CONTINUES..
- (informal, neologism) Refers to the influx of scam cases worldwide.
- 2021 June 11, “Global Scamdemic: Scams Become Number One Online Crime”, in Cyber Security Asean[3]:
- Many factors have contributed to the global scamdemic, which stands for the influx of online scams during the pandemic on a scale never seen before: a multitude of fraud schemes and their modifications, the automation of most attack stages, the targeting of specific companies and industries, the many possibilities of concealing cybercriminal activity.
- 2023 December 10, Arman Rashid, “Growing ‘Scamdemic’ due to evolving online scams”, in The Star (Malaysia)[4]:
- Such rampant cybercrimes have raised concerns about an epidemic of scams – scamdemic – a term coined by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
Related terms edit
Translations edit
time when an idea of an ongoing pandemic is used to defraud the general public
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