 SCAM Police in the American state of Utah recently rescued a missing Chinese teenager from a freezing mountain top. Police say the 17-year-old exchange student and his family were victims of an online, kidnapping scam. Falsely acting as officials, Chinese criminals will tell a student to leave their housing. Then they demand money from the student's family in China for their safe return. A scam is a series of actions to cheat or trick people for personal gain. The words con and racket can be used in the same way.