The term 'swindle, informally' can be summed up with the three-letter word 'CON'. This is an abbreviation for 'confidence game', which is a type of fraud in which a person is tricked into giving away money or property by someone posing as a trustworthy individual. The CON artist will often use deception and manipulation to convince the victim that they are getting a good deal, when in reality they are being swindled.