Cryptic crossword clue
Criminal thus called the shots and carried out scams 7

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word HUSTLED

I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
H
U
S
T
L
E
D

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "carried out scams" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case carried out scams = hustled.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does HUSTLED mean?

HUSTLED verb
  1. To push someone roughly, to crowd, to jostle.
  2. To rush or hurry.
  3. To bundle; to stow something quickly.
  4. To con or deceive; especially financially.
  5. To play deliberately badly at a game or sport in an attempt to encourage players to challenge.
  6. To obtain by illicit or forceful action.
  7. To sell sex; to work as a pimp.
  8. To be a prostitute, to exchange use of one's body for sexual purposes for money.
  9. To dance the hustle, a disco dance.
  10. To work.
  11. To put a lot of effort into one's work.

Latest crossword clues with full explanations