short con

American  

noun

Slang.

1. any simple confidence game involving a relatively small amount of money.

---

Example Sentences

Parker, a carnival worker whose showmanship and talent for the short con earned him the nickname “The Snowman,” is portrayed as an Iago-like schemer who sees Presley as the ultimate geek, ripe for exploitation.

From Washington Post • Jun. 22, 2022

It’s also a bald-faced lie, a fake promise and a short con.

From Slate • Aug. 13, 2017

Chuck was originally invented just to give Jimmy someone to care about, a reason for being other than just the short con.

From New York Times • Jun. 12, 2017

We do read about a short con called the Nouvelle Cuisine, “which involves getting a dining recommendation, coming down with horrible food poisoning, and then blaming the recommender for the illness.”

From New York Times • Nov. 9, 2015

Or capable and audacious con artist, with a specialty in the short con?

From New York Times • Apr. 6, 2015