To deprive of some right, interest, or property, by a deceitful device; to withhold from wrongfully; to injure by embezzlement; to cheat; to overreach; as, to defraud a servant, or a creditor, or the state; with of before the thing taken or withheld
If someone defrauds you, they take something away from you or stop you from getting what belongs to you by means of tricks and lies. He pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to defraud the government allegations that he defrauded taxpayers of thousands of dollars. to trick a person or organization in order to get money from them defraud sb of sth
deprive of by deceit; "He swindled me out of my inheritance"; "She defrauded the customers who trusted her"; "the cashier gypped me when he gave me too little change"
[ di-'frod, dE- ] (transitive verb.) 14th century. Middle English, from Middle French defrauder, from Latin defraudare, from de- + fraudare to cheat, from fraud-, fraus fraud.