Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. to place on credit.

1939		‘Hotel Sl.’ in AS XIV:3 Oct. 239/2: to cuff To borrow; to extend credit.
1949		Monteleone Criminal Sl. (rev. edn).
1950		see sense 2.

2. to swindle.

1935		Sun (N.Y.) 19 Feb. 28/1: ‘Cuffing’ [...] a car is the term for a purchase by the dealer from an individual upon a small cash payment and a series of notes which he has no intention of meeting.
1950		Goldin et al. DAUL 54/1: Cuff, v. 1. To defer payment, usually with no intention of paying; to take on credit by force or intimidation. 2. To give a verbal promise to pay. 3. To swindle, especially installment houses.