诈骗 (zhà piàn) is a compound noun meaning 'fraud' or 'swindle' — an illegal act of deceiving someone to gain money, property, or other benefits. The first character 诈 (zhà) means 'to cheat' or 'to deceive', often implying cunning or deliberate trickery; the second character 骗 (piàn) means 'to defraud' or 'to swindle', emphasizing the act of misleading for personal gain. Together, they form a formal, slightly legalistic term commonly used in news reports, police announcements, and official warnings.

This word carries strong negative connotations and is rarely used lightly or humorously. It typically refers to organized or intentional deception — such as online scams, investment fraud, or identity theft — rather than simple lies or minor deceptions. In spoken Chinese, people may say ‘被骗了’ (bèi piàn le, 'I was scammed') more frequently than using 诈骗 directly, but 诈骗 remains the standard term in written and formal contexts to label the crime itself.