1. people who deceive others, especially by claiming to have skills or knowledge they do not possess; charlatans or frauds
Usage: often refers to fake doctors or medicine sellers; can apply to any type of impostor

Examples

• The traveling mountebanks sold fake remedies to unsuspecting villagers.
• She warned people not to trust the mountebanks who promised miracle cures.
• The authorities arrested several mountebanks for practicing medicine without licenses.
• These financial mountebanks convinced investors to put money into worthless schemes.
• The town was full of mountebanks during the festival, each claiming special powers.
• Don’t be fooled by those mountebanks selling expensive supplements with no proven benefits.