The Art of the Con (10 page)

In all cases, the hustler is taking advantage of what the victims want. In Charleston, Uncle Barry wanted to protect his nephew and check out a potential business deal. Despite his air of indifference, I knew he could smell a potential opportunity but wanted to know a lot more. If his suspicions about me laundering money for the Mob were confirmed in any way, he was sure to walk away, but I had prepared a very convincing journey for Barry. Once he agreed to come along for the ride, he was hooked.

M
y driver picked up Uncle Barry and Randy at their hotel and drove a few miles out of town to Lowndes Grove, a historic South Carolina landmark that's often rented out for weddings and private events. The large white house at the heart of the property overlooks an enormous lawn, gardens, and a nearby dock. It was the perfect location to introduce Barry to one of my investors.

We had rented the place for just two hours—a small price to pay for millions of dollars in credibility. Inside, the house was almost empty, ready for any kind of function or event, so we set up a few pieces of patio furniture on the grass. By the time we arrived, John and our southern belle, Angie, who was almost wearing a tiny bikini, were in character as a wealthy businessman and his beautiful wife.

As he pulled into the estate and drove around the front lawn, Barry's reaction was everything I'd hoped for. He was sold on John's wealth from the moment he passed through the gates. But the game was still ours to lose. A slip-up or crack in the story might easily ignite Barry's suspicion. Charming, intelligent, and casual about his wealth, John was the consummate international investor, soon making Barry feel welcome and respected. Nothing was left to chance; we kept Barry focused on the surroundings, especially Angie's figure as she lay nearby, soaking up the sun.

After a few introductions, John quickly shifted the conversation toward business, giving Uncle Barry a short history of his foreign land investments and why he needed to move money out of certain countries using my services to minimize any financial loss. Barry then explained what he did for a living and was starting to be much more involved in the conversation. This was a different Barry from the one I'd met in the morning. Thanks to no more than a rented house and a tiny swimsuit, in a few short hours, Barry had opened up.

Our objective at this meeting wasn't just to lend credibility to my story; it was to begin playing Barry in an effort to make him play back. I also wanted to address his concerns about money laundering and my business having “Mafia written all over it.” I saw this as an opportunity to give the deal further veracity by turning the tables on Barry.

Once the usual pleasantries were out of the way, I shifted the conversation toward one of my biggest concerns about new clients like Randy and his Uncle Barry. Apologizing in advance, I asked them both if they had a criminal record. This question served several purposes, but its primary goal was to test Barry's reaction. Would he revert to the quiet, shrugging sphinx I'd shared breakfast with, or would he assure us that he was a suitable candidate?

This is an important test because the question is both direct and potentially offensive. Any response at all can be used to either redirect or manipulate the mark into a deeper commitment. Had he become angry, I would have diffused the situation quickly while watching to see if he was using that reaction as a way out. Many people use high emotions as an escape route or a means to avoid certain subjects, but they also use demonstrative feelings such as anger to support their position, especially when their reputation or position is questioned. I was prepared for this, but Barry's response was much friendlier. He laughed, assured us of his spotless record, and made it perfectly clear that he wanted to know more. The purpose of this meeting was to shift Barry into the position of wanting to impress us. After building Barry's confidence to this point, all I needed was for him to take a few baby steps in our direction and he was on his way to being conned.

While I explained a few details about my money transfer system, John appeared to catch up on e-mails before standing to excuse himself. John bid us farewell and returned to the house with Angie. The meeting was over, but Barry was inching closer to the prize. The story was starting to work and in the car, monitored by our hidden cameras, Uncle Barry told Randy, “This is some serious money.” Next, I needed to build on these foundations until the time was right to make Barry an offer he wouldn't refuse.

In addition to Lowndes Grove, we had also rented a local store that was a bank at one time, complete with an impressive vault and a door that weighed several tons. The location was perfect, just a short walk to the real bank with escape routes in four directions. A little set dressing and a few bad checks to pay for it all and we could quickly create a convincing backdrop for any one who became tangled in our web. I'd invited Randy and his Uncle Barry along for a more formal meeting and to perhaps get the ball rolling, but my real objective was to put the deal onto the table and force Barry to take the reins away from his nephew. I had much less time to play the mark than I needed, so there was a real chance he might break away if I came on too strong.

The office was incredibly convincing, fully furnished and dressed with some homemade certificates. The shelves of the safe were stacked high with photocopied money from around the world and under the desk were two duplicate flight cases ready for the sting. After hiring a few locals to play small parts in our little play, the stage was set and ready for my audience of one. Our actress, Robin, had prepared for her role as a regular client who'd received several large amounts of money in the past. When Barry arrived, we made sure he had a few moments to chat with her before being whisked away to conclude our latest transfer. This gave Barry and Randy a few moments to take in the sights as large amounts of money were counted from the cashier's cage for Robin to take to the bank. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a convincing “big store” might be worth a million dollars. Sometimes this can backfire when actually seeing the cash turns an interesting idea into a frightening reality; Uncle Barry immediately began to feel things were moving too quickly.

After a brief chat, I sent Robin on her way and invited Randy and his uncle to join me. I had two goals in this meeting: to explain the deal and to secure interest from Uncle Barry. All I needed was the simplest gesture of commitment to lean upon, but if Barry couldn't stand the heat, the whole game was a bust and I didn't have the luxury of time. Hidden cameras and production crews are extremely expensive and it's not feasible to follow a con for weeks without an enormous bankroll. Had this been the real deal, I'd have fifty marks lined up for months, all singing my “free money” song before taking them down simultaneously and heading to the Bahamas.

In Charleston, I had two days and one chance to fleece my mark. After explaining to Barry about international money transfers and unusual tax laws, I was forced to ask if he would be interested. The answer was exactly what I was afraid of. Barry felt he hadn't had enough time to absorb everything and was stalling the process, which is the smart thing to do; I had no choice but to increase the pressure and hope Uncle Barry didn't run for the exit. My phone rang and I stepped into the back office to take an imaginary call. With Barry and his nephew still in earshot, I pretended to talk to a money-receiving client who was letting me down. I shouted and I swore, but as I yelled at myself down an empty line, it soon became clear that there was nothing more I could do. I hung up and returned to my potential mark, who had been listening to the whole thing.

Now was my best chance to get Uncle Barry into the game. All I needed was for him to show a little interest, but, as soon as I was back at the desk, he continued right where we left off. Seemingly concerned about my fake phone call, I acted distant and unable to concentrate; I then offered to take Randy and Barry out for dinner to talk further. By way of explanation, I commented on my delinquent client who was not going to be in Charleston in time to receive John's transfer. Genial to the last, Barry joked that he'd be happy to take the money; I quickly latched onto this passing remark as a way to make Barry an offer. This was a big mistake.

Appearing to be inspired by Barry's joke, I asked him outright if he could get twenty thousand dollars before the end of the day. Right away, my mark was reeling and I knew this meant a refusal. I'd played him too hard and too fast and the more I tried to keep moving forward, the harder Barry hit the brakes. Still friendly and keen to stay involved, Barry just couldn't throw down such a large amount so quickly without compromising his business instincts. Before I could redirect, he was walking out the door with his nephew. Barry had just been wisecracking and I'd hit him with too much, too soon.

The whole scam was beginning to collapse. In the back room, the producers, who had been monitoring every second, as the British say, were having kittens. The whole production sat on a knife's edge, because if we had to bring in another mark, it was going to cost a fortune. This time, I had to agree that things weren't looking good.

But just as we were considering plan B, our cameraman on the street reported that Uncle Barry was coming back.

Line Dancing

The line is about adding layers to the story, like piling comforters onto a mark until he's warm and cozy, and most important, unable to move under the weight. The longer you play a mark, the greater the risk of them waking up or chickening out, but the extra time has a benefit as well; it also offers a chance to increase the stakes and nurture deeper faith in the lie. Along the way there are many tiny hurdles to guide the victim over before they have confidence in the deal that's being offered. Later, when trying to explain what happened, the victim often describes these hurdles piled on top of one another, like an enormous height that only a fool would jump from. This is where the real con game is played.

The hook is about getting the mark involved. The line is about building that interest into something impossible to resist. The con artist uses a variety of methods to grow the commitment, which is determined by the con man's story and his deepening relationship with the mark. An experienced scammer knows how to manipulate the victim's perspective, clamping down or stepping back as needed. Con men are adaptable, but once even a rank grifter has successfully muddled through a con game, he simply repeats the same line for the next sucker. Hustlers know from experience what the most likely outcome will be because people's actions are sadly predictable when presented with proven scenarios.

The Story

One of the most powerful aspects of a great con game is how it often
uses the truth to support a lie
.

In 1920s Paris, Count Victor Lustig, one of history's most notorious con artists, spotted a newspaper story suggesting that repairs for the Eiffel Tower could be too expensive and that the government might decide to scrap the monument. Lustig, who knew the tower was never originally intended to be a permanent landmark, saw an opportunity to construct a powerful lie based on verifiable facts.

He adopted the role of a French bureaucrat, entrusted with the delicate task of arranging to disassemble the tower, and contacted several scrap merchants with the offer of a lifetime, nicely printed on official-looking headed notepaper.

Each merchant was told to keep the situation secret for fear of public outrage, and distracted by enormous potential profits, they all agreed. Lustig received a quote from each of these businessmen to buy the tower and even convinced them to pay a healthy bribe or two. After building their confidence, Lustig picked out his best mark, accepted his offer, and bought a ticket to Austria to escape with the money. After a few weeks, it became apparent that the mark, André Poisson, had not reported Victor to the French authorities, perhaps too ashamed to admit being conned. Lustig seized on this opportunity and returned to Paris, selling the Eiffel Tower to five more suckers before fleeing to the United States once the police were finally called.

All of this hinged on a simple story, which was based on fact. The Eiffel Tower was never intended to be a permanent part of the Paris skyline, was badly in need of repair, and according to a single line in a newspaper report, the government apparently had considered selling it for scrap. All of this was true and could be easily checked or demonstrated, allowing a master con man to invent an entirely false scenario with an attractive prize and the chance to hit several marks simultaneously.

Once a mark's attention has been secured, the con man will try to satisfy and manipulate his curiosity. People are bound to have concerns or be naturally suspicious, but their desire for the bait will continue to drive them forward as long as there's fuel in the engine. If I were to say “there's scientific proof that
Star Trek
–style teleportation devices were now real and already being manufactured,” this might spark a mark's interest, but if I can't follow that up with a plausible explanation that both holds his attention
and
deepens his interest, then he will likely dismiss it and walk away. The quality of proof that I need varies depending on a mark's existing knowledge or beliefs, but even with someone who really knows a subject, there are ways to keep him on the hook and following the line.