The DICT Development Group

  Bunko \Bun"ko\, n. [Sf. Sp. banco bank, banca a sort of game at
     cards. Cf. Bank (in the commercial sense).]
     A kind of swindling game or scheme, originally by means of
     cards or by a sham lottery, but now used for any swindling
     tactic. [Written also bunco.]
     [1913 Webster]

  Bunco \Bun"co\, n.
     see bunko. [Written also bunko.]
     [PJC] Buncombe

  bunco
      n 1: a swindle in which you cheat at gambling or persuade a
           person to buy worthless property [syn: bunco, bunco
           game, bunko, bunko game, con, confidence trick,
           confidence game, con game, gyp, hustle, sting,
           flimflam]
      v 1: deprive of by deceit; "He swindled me out of my
           inheritance"; "She defrauded the customers who trusted
           her"; "the cashier gypped me when he gave me too little
           change" [syn: victimize, swindle, rook, goldbrick,
           nobble, diddle, bunco, defraud, scam, mulct,
           gyp, gip, hornswoggle, short-change, con]

  26 Moby Thesaurus words for "bunco":
     ballot-box stuffing, cardsharping, cheat, cheating, cozenage,
     diddle, diddling, dishonesty, dodge, fishy transaction, flam,
     flimflam, fraud, fraudulence, fraudulency, gerrymandering, graft,
     grift, gyp, gyp joint, illicit business, imposition, imposture,
     racket, scam, swindle