What does ‘grifter’ mean?

The word ‘grift’ rhymes with ‘lift’, ‘sift’ and ‘gift’. Some of us in India became aware of this word when the media in the US and UK reported that the CEO of a well-known company referred to Meghan Markle and her husband, Prince Harry, as - ‘grifters’. This slang term is mostly used in informal context to show disapproval. When you refer to someone as being a ‘grifter’ what you are suggesting is that the individual, though charming, is not to be trusted, for he is a swindler. This clever individual will find a way to trick you out of your money without any threat of violence. Other terms used to refer to such an individual are: con artist, scammer, swindler, defrauder, etc. One of the theories about the word is that it is derived from ‘grafter’, meaning corrupt individual.

The novel is about two grifters and their various scams.