The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word FAKER
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
F
A
K
E
R
Buddy explains!

The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does FAKER mean?
FAKER noun- One who fakes something.
- An impostor or impersonator.
- A thief.
- A peddler of petty things.
- A workman who dresses things up.