1824, "one who works with a chisel," agent noun from chisel (v.). In slang sense of "swindler," attested from 1918.
Entries linking to chiseler
chisel v.
c. 1500, "to break, cut, gouge, etc. with a chisel," from chisel (n.). Slang sense of "to cheat, defraud" is first recorded in 1808 as chizzel; origin and connection to the older word are obscure (but compare slang sense of gouge; perhaps the sense is "to cut close" as in a bargain). Related: Chiseled; chiseling.