A con artist is a person who engages in deceit or fraud for personal gain, often through manipulating others' trust or confidence. Con artists may use a variety of tactics, such as flattery, false promises, or manipulation, to trick their victims into giving them money or other valuable assets. They often pretend to be someone they're not, such as a representative of a legitimate company, in order to gain their victims' trust and carry out their scheme. Con artists can be very convincing, and their schemes can take many different forms, from Ponzi schemes and investment scams to impersonation and identity theft.