Peter Funk
/ˌpiːtə ˈfʌŋk/US slang (now historical )
noun
(A name for) a perpetrator of any of various ruses to raise prices or otherwise cheat buyers at an auction; specifically a fraudulent bidder, especially in a mock auction; a con man or swindler.
adjective
Of, relating to, or characteristic of such a ruse; worthless; sham.
Origin
Mid 19th century; earliest use found in American Whig Review. Probably from PeterFunk, the name of a character distinguished by his deceitful business practices in the novel The Perils of Pearl Street by Asa Greene; the name may in turn have been influenced by funk.