The word 欺诈 is formed by combining two characters, each carrying a related core meaning of dishonesty: 欺 (qī), which means "to deceive" or "to bully", and 诈 (zhà), which means "to cheat" or "to swindle". They are placed together as a compound, where the two synonymous concepts reinforce and specify each other, merging into a single, stronger term that conveys the comprehensive act of deliberate deception for unfair gain, essentially meaning "fraud" or "to defraud".