charlatan
definition
a person who falsely claims to have special knowledge or skills
example
The self-proclaimed guru turned out to be nothing more than a charlatan, exploiting vulnerable individuals for profit.
synonyms
fraudimpostorquack
word origin — The word 'charlatan' comes from the Italian 'ciarlatano', which means 'a babbler' or 'a quack'. It is derived from 'ciarlare', meaning 'to chatter' or 'to prattle'.