To take money or property from someone through cheating or unfair means, or to strip wool from a sheep.
From Old English 'fleoc' (wool)—originally it simply meant to shear sheep, but metaphorically extended to mean stripping someone of their valuables, usually money.
The word perfectly captures how scammers work—they strip people of their money like shearing wool from sheep. The metaphor makes the deception clear: they're taking what doesn't belong to them.
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