a person who pretends, esp. for a dishonest purpose.

an aspirant or claimant (often fol. by to )

a pretender to the throne.

a person who makes unjustified or false claims, statements, etc., as about personal status, abilities, intentions, or the like

a pretender to literary genius.

noun

charlatan , faker , fraud , humbug , impostor , mountebank , phony , quack , claimer , actor , deceiver , dissembler , fake , hypocrite , imitator , snob