thimblerigging
/ˈθɪmbəlˌrɪɡɪŋ/
noun
- The act of cheating people in a game where a small object is hidden under one of three cups or thimbles that are moved around quickly.
- Thimblerigging is illegal in most places because it is a form of fraud.
- The old man was arrested for thimblerigging at the county fair.
- She lost her savings to thimblerigging before she realized it was a trick.