General:
* Fraud: Intentional misrepresentation for personal gain.
* Trickery: The use of cunning or deceit to mislead someone.
* Misleading: Causing someone to believe something that is not true.
* Duplicity: Deceitful behavior; being two-faced.
* Guile: Cunning and slyness in achieving one's ends.
* Chicanery: Deception by trickery or sophistry.
* Fallacy: A mistaken belief or an argument based on unsound reasoning.
More Specific:
* Con: A scheme or trick intended to cheat someone.
* Hoax: A deliberate deception intended to trick or fool someone.
* Sham: Something that is not genuine or authentic; a fake.
* Fabrication: A lie or made-up story.
* Misinformation: False or inaccurate information.
* Disinformation: Deliberately false information spread to deceive people.
The best word to use will depend on the specific situation and what you want to emphasize. For example, "fraud" might be a better choice than "deception" if you want to emphasize the illegal or unethical nature of the act.
It's also important to consider the connotations of each word. Some words, like "trickery," have a more playful or lighthearted connotation, while others, like "fraud," have a more serious or negative connotation.