Con artists refers to Con Artist from the show Hustle who have a history of performing Confidence tricks within the series. The main characters of Hustle, are a gag of long con artists, who mainly operates in and around London, England and are considered by most of there fellow con artists to be the very best. The gang often encounter members of The police force, some honest cops doing their job and other corrupt cops trying to get something from the team.
A short con or "small con" is a fast swindle which takes just minutes. It typically aims to rob the victim of everything in his wallet.
A "long con" or "big con" (also, chiefly British English: long game) is a scam that unfolds over several days or weeks; it may involve a team of swindlers, and even 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.