HOW CON ARTISTS WORK

Con artists make money through telling lies, cheating and fooling people. They’ll take advantage of our weaknesses – loneliness, insecurity, poor health or simple ignorance. The only thing more important to a con artist is perfecting a total lack of conscience. What does the average con artist look like? A con artist is an expert at looking however he needs to look. If the con involves banking or investments, the con artist will wear a suit. If it involves home improvement scams, he’ll show up wearing chic work clothes. Even the basic guess that the con is a “he” is incorrect: there are plenty of con women, too.

You might think you can spot a con artist because he’s someone you “don’t trust.” But the term con artist is short for confidence artist – they gain your confidence just long enough to get their hands on your money. They can be very charming and persuasive. A good con artist can even make you believe he is really an old friend you haven’t seen in years.

Con artists share certain characteristics; however, even the best con can only go on for so long before people start getting suspicious. For that reason, con artists move frequently. They may have a job that they can move freely, or they might say they have such a job. Railroad worker, carnival worker and travelling salesman are all parts con artists play to cover up their ongoing moving. It would be impossible to classify every con because con artists are inventive. New technologies and laws give con artists the opportunity to create original scams. Many cons fall into a few general categories, however: street cons, business cons, Internet cons, loan cons and home improvement cons.

If You’ve Been Conned

The most street-wise person can get taken in by a con. If you’ve been victimized, what should you do? Con artists count on their victims feeling foolish and afraid to report the scam. But if you remain silent about being conned, you’re letting the con artist move on to steal from others. Write down every detail you can remember as soon as possible, while it’s fresh in your memory. Collect any documented evidence you might have as well. This includes receipts, contracts or even your own phone records, and don’t hesitate to call the authorities immediately.