pull a trick (on someone)

To carry out a trick, deception, or practical joke (against someone). It turns out that the supposed alien visitors that people had been seeing were just a bunch of teenagers pulling a trick on the town. I've got a great plan to pull a trick on the school for April Fools' Day. The fake article had been in print in the renowned scientific journal for more than a week before its author revealed that he had pulled a trick when he decided to submit it.