 A "long con" or "big con" (also, chiefly ) is a scam that unfolds over several days or weeks and involves a team of swindlers, as well as props, sets, extras, costumes, and scripted lines.It aims to rob the victim of huge sums of money or valuables, often by getting him or her to empty out banking accounts and borrow from family members.In "Confessions of a Confidence Man", Edward H. Smith lists the "six definite steps or stages of growth" of a confidence game.