short con
noun1
A scam that can be performed in minutes or seconds, typically aiming to rob the victim of the money or valuables they carry on them.
- It's up to me. I'm strictly short con. It's nothing but small time stuff. I can walk away from it anytime I want.1990, Jim Thompson, Donald E. Westlake, The Grifters, spoken by Roy Dillon (John Cusack):
- Another common form of short con is the shell game. This scam has the advantage of giving the criminal the ability to rip off many marks all at one location.2009, Michael Benson, Cons and Frauds, Infobase, →ISBN, page 21: