Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 6, 2026

Ripoff

A ripoff is a grossly unfavorable financial transaction. It originated as slang and has entered into standard English usage as a business term.

Last revised
Jun 6, 2026
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A ripoff (or rip-off) is a grossly unfavorable financial transaction. It originated as slang and has entered into standard English usage as a business term.1

Usually it refers to an incident in which a person is overcharged for something or receives goods or services not of the standard expected for the price. A ripoff is usually distinguished from a scam in that a scam involves wrongdoing such as a fraud; a ripoff may be considered excessive, but it is not illegal.

See also

See also

References

References

  1. Friedman, Jack P. (2007). Dictionary of Business Terms. Happauge, New York: Barron's Educational Series. p. 79. ISBN 9780764135347.