The Art of the Con
Read The Art of the Con Online
Authors: R. Paul Wilson
R. Paul Wilson
Foreword by Frank Abagnale Jr.,
author of
Catch Me If You Can
LYONS PRESS
Guilford, Connecticut
Helena, Montana
An imprint of Rowman & Littlefield
Lyons Press is an imprint of Rowman & Littlefield
Distributed by NATIONAL BOOK NETWORK
Copyright © 2014 by R. Paul Wilson
All rights reserved
. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted in writing from the publisher.
All interior photos by Jason England
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Information available
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available
ISBN 978-1-4930-0060-9
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information SciencesâPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.
To Julie, Connor, and Cameronâ
for keeping me honest
| Contents |  |
Chapter One: Lessons in Larceny
Chapter Two: Scams and Scammers
Interlude:
TRUE AND FALSEâHOLLYWOOD AND THE CON MAN
Part Two:
INNER SECRETS OF THE CON GAME
Chapter Seven: Carnival of Cons
Chapter Eight: Street Got Game
Chapter Twelve: Cheating Hearts
Chapter Thirteen: Advantage Play
Chapter Fourteen: Digital Deception
OREWORD
For five years I lived as an impostor. I pretended to be a pilot, a doctor, a teacher, a lawyer, and a peace officer. I taught myself how to defraud companies out of large sums of money and became so good at lying, both in person and on paper, that I might have continued my descent into dishonesty until there was no coming back.
Thankfully, I was caught. I paid my debt to society and found that my natural ability for deception could be used legitimately. I discovered that I could use my abilities to help society by advising government agencies or corporations and, while my five years as a forger makes for a great story, an engaging book, and a successful movie, my real achievements in life came once I learned how to re-direct my talents toward detection and prevention.
The more the public knows about how criminals think and operate, the more difficult it becomes for fraudsters to succeed. We live in an unethical society where the teaching of ethics is rarely found in schools and colleges. I believe a better understanding of what is right could help the next generation recognize when something might be wrong, and I regularly advocate better education regarding the art of deception.
People need to be proactive to protect themselves. The world today is over-saturated with information and personal data that can easily find its way into the wrong hands. Social media continues to expand, technology evolves at a staggering rate, and people have learned to share too much about themselves online, where it might one day be used by a potential employer, a bank, or a scammer.
The methods and strategies used in con games are often the foundation for financial fraud or questionable business practices. Even if you never fall victim to a con game, the principles Paul identifies in this book can be found wherever businesses or individuals attempt to deceive or defraud.
This book provides invaluable insight into how professional deceivers think, and it will hopefully encourage you to protect your interests in all walks of life because whether you're traveling, conducting business, or playing poker, it never hurts to have a little “grift sense.”
Frank Abagnale Jr.
July 2014
L
ook around. Do you see a mark, a sucker, or a fish? Perhaps you're in a bookstore or an airport or just sitting at home. Wherever you are at this exact moment, I guarantee you are closeâvery closeâto the potential victim of a con game. The world is filled with people who are looking for their next “mark.” The truth is, we have all fallen for some form of deception in our lives and we all know someone who has been badly conned. A con game is a criminal act of deception where the objective is to separate a victim from something of value. It can be carefully played over time or be a quick, cunning trap designed to win, steal, or defraud.
The book you are holding is about how cons work, how con artists think, and how ordinary honest peopleâlike youâcan learn how to recognize a scam before it's too late.