A 'scam' would be a better word for what you describe. It's also fairly informal, so you can certainly use it in everyday conversation. I wouldn't use 'fraud' in that context. When we say 'a fraud', as a countable noun, it usually refers to a person: someone who pretends to be something they're not . As an uncountable noun, it's the technical/legal term for a whole class of crime e.g. 'He was convicted of fraud'.

add to the list some specifically internet or phone ones: e.g. phishing

A 'Sting' its sometimes referred to (London)

It was just a scam, would work. I feel like swindle implies they won.

Swindler Con Con-artist Fraud (we use this a lot) Fraudster Snakeoil salesman Crook Charlatan Cheat You can always use a thesaurus for synonyms, they will provide slang in some cases. Situations: fraud/swindle/scam (this is a common one)