prestidigitation (prĕs-tĭ-dĭj-ĭ-TĀ-shən)

Definition

(Noun) Sleight of hand, legerdemain; conjuring.

In Context

“But like a magician who focuses his audience’s attention on one hand while performing feats of prestidigitation with the other, Ponzi knew that the details of the transactions were less interesting than the promised results.”

Mitchell Zuckoff, Ponzi’s Scheme: The True Story of a Financial Legend, 2005.