1.
impersonation; identity fraud; spoofing
The act of pretending to be someone else, especially to deceive others. Widely used in contexts of online fraud, phishing, fake accounts, and identity theft.
成り済ましメールに注意してください。
Please be careful of spoofing emails.
SNSで有名人の成り済ましアカウントが増えている。
Fake accounts impersonating celebrities are increasing on social media.
成り済ましによる詐欺被害が年々増加している。
Fraud damage from impersonation is increasing year by year.
銀行を装った成り済ましサイトに個人情報を入力しないでください。
Do not enter personal information on sites impersonating banks.
Originally from the verb 成り済ます (to pretend to be), this noun form has become extremely common in modern Japanese due to the rise of internet fraud and identity theft. One of the key vocabulary items for digital literacy in Japan.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 成り済ましメール: phishing email; spoofed email
- 成り済ましアカウント: fake/impersonation account
- 成り済まし詐欺: impersonation fraud
- 成り済ましサイト: fake/phishing website
- 成り済まし被害: damage from impersonation
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 偽装: disguise, camouflage — broader; hiding true identity or nature
- 詐称: false claim — claiming a title or qualification one doesn't have
- フィッシング: phishing — specifically the act of using fake communications to steal information