fall for — be tricked
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
To believe something that is not true, often because someone is trying to trick or deceive you.
Say it like a native
Textbook I was deceived by their fraudulent scheme.
Native I totally fell for their scam.
'Fall for' is the natural verb for being taken in; 'was deceived by their fraudulent scheme' is a court statement.
Pattern: fall for + noun/pronoun
In use
- I can't believe I fell for that fake email and almost gave them my password.daily life
- Some people fall for online scams because the messages look very real and convincing.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ Don't fall for to his tricks.
✓ Don't fall for his tricks.
'Fall for' takes the trick/lie directly — no 'to'.
Common collocations
fall for + trick— the scam, it, the trick, his lies
Don't confuse it
Not about romantic feelings; it's about being deceived.
Related
- fall for (fall in love with) — Another meaning of 'fall for' is 'fall in love with'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.