Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(Aus.) to play on a subject’s emotions; esp. in securing some form of confidence trickery, thus nerve-worker, nerve-working.

1886		Queensland Times 14 Sept. 5/5: [H]e has a very American way of ‘firing up,’ actually drawing his congregation to him by mere nerve-working, and then casting them back to their seats to listen to some graphic description of the fate of a drunkard.
1996		J. Byrell Liars, Urgers & Coat-Tuggers 191: As it transpired, when Dancer and Tananbaum had nerve-worked Audrey Dean out of that £10,000 back in ‘64 they had nonetheless agreed to a stipulation of hers.
1996		J. Byrell Liars, Urgers & Coat-Tuggers 112: Once again the whispered conference. And once again the indomitable old nerve-worker was off the hook.
1996		J. Byrell Liars, Urgers & Coat-Tuggers 48: [It] had been founded back in 1864 following and due to that silly in-fighting and nerve-working between the Victoria Turf Club and the rival Victoria Jockey Club.