Historical clue formulations

• Fraudulent offer — 2026-09-22
• Rip-off — 2026-08-12
• Catfishing, for one — 2026-07-10
• Hoodwink — 2026-06-22
• Text that says "Congratulations! You've won a MacBook Pro," probably — 2026-01-18
• Hustle — 2025-11-28
• One might start "Your Social Security number has been compromised" — 2025-10-30
• An "I.R.S. agent" asking you to buy gift cards, e.g. — 2025-10-01
• Many a get-rich-quick offer — 2025-08-31
• Deal that's too good to be true, often — 2025-08-05
• Grift — 2025-07-15
• Ponzi scheme, e.g. — 2025-03-31
• Con — 2025-03-18
• Rip-off — 2024-08-04
• Hustle — 2023-12-06
• Con — 2023-08-05
• Plea for money from a foreign prince, perhaps — 2023-06-06
• Bamboozle — 2023-04-23
• Ponzi scheme, for one — 2022-09-13
• Do the hustle? — 2022-06-06
• Almost every get-rich-quick scheme — 2022-05-25
• Hustle — 2022-04-30
• Racket — 2022-04-09
• Bamboozle — 2022-02-04
• Con job — 2021-09-13
• Email about big lottery winnings, usually — 2021-07-13
• Many a get-rich-quick scheme — 2021-06-21
• Hoodwink — 2021-04-25
• Swindle — 2021-01-11
• Kind of artist — 2020-12-24
• With 41-Down, swindlers — 2020-10-03
• Swindle — 2020-06-08
• Fake I.R.S. call, e.g. — 2020-03-11
• Subject of a Better Business Bureau investigation — 2019-12-05
• Grifter's game — 2019-11-03
• Rip-off — 2019-07-23
• Racket — 2019-07-14
• Almost any offer that's too good to be true — 2019-07-08
• Pull a fast one on — 2019-07-05
• Grifter's game — 2019-05-27
• Apple varieties / Trick — 2019-04-09
• Phishing scheme, e.g. — 2019-02-27
• Ponzi scheme, e.g. — 2019-02-10
• Run a con on — 2018-06-04
• Rook or gull — 2017-05-11
• Robocall from the I.R.S., e.g. — 2017-01-25
• Attorney general's investigation target — 2016-08-14
• Deal with a huge catch — 2016-01-08
• Play for a fool — 2015-10-04
• Take for a ride — 2015-05-03