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Preposition after verb

Dupe into or dupe by?

Use dupe into when someone is tricked into doing something. Use duped by to describe the source of deception.

Quick answer

Which preposition is correct with dupe?

Dupe into is the standard pattern for causing someone to do something through deception: dupe someone into signing. Dupe by is usually part of a passive structure such as be duped by an advertisement, where by introduces the source or agent of the deception rather than a fixed verb-preposition combination.

They duped him into buying fake tickets.
Thousands were duped by the online scam.
She was duped into sharing her password.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
dupe someone into + action

Tricking someone into doing something

Use into before a noun or -ing form to show the action caused by deception.

The caller duped her into sending money.
They duped investors into trusting the scheme.
2
be duped by + source

Naming the source of deception

Use by in passive clauses to identify the person, message, or thing that caused the deception.

Many customers were duped by fake reviews.
He was duped by a convincing email.
3
dupe someone with + method

Describing the deceptive method

With can introduce the tool or method used to deceive.

The seller duped buyers with edited photos.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
dupe someone into doing something
They duped him into signing the contract.
Standard pattern meaning to trick someone into an action.
be duped by someone/something
She was duped by a fake charity website.
Passive structure showing the source of deception.
dupe by
The phrase usually appears as be duped by an ad.
By is not normally selected directly by dupe in active voice.
dupe into
The scammer tried to dupe users into revealing passwords.
Standard and common with actions or results.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using by for the action

Use into before an action caused by deception.

✕ They duped him by signing the form. ✓ They duped him into signing the form.

Using into after passive dupe

After be duped, use by for the source of deception.

✕ She was duped into the fake website. ✓ She was duped by the fake website.

Forgetting the object after dupe

Dupe usually needs a person or group as the object.

✕ The scam duped into paying. ✓ The scam duped people into paying.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The company duped customers ___ buying useless insurance.
2. Many tourists were duped ___ fake booking sites.
3. The fraudster duped investors ___ false promises.

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Frequently asked questions

Can I say dupe someone to do something?

Into doing something is much more natural and standard than to do something.

Is dupe by correct in active sentences?

Usually no. By is mainly used in passive structures such as be duped by an email.

What nouns commonly follow into after dupe?

Into is often followed by -ing forms or nouns related to actions, such as paying, signing, or investing.

dabble, in, dabble, with "damage to" or "damage by"? dance to, with, on, in or for? "dangle from" or "dangle in"? dare to, for, on, as or at? dash to, into, out, from or on? daydream about, for, in, of or on? "debate in", "debate on" or "debate with"? deceive by, in, into, on or about? "decide on", "decide to" or "decide by"? declare in, by, on, to or as? decline in, by, from, to or for?

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