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| how to be a con man: How To Become A Professional Con Artist Dennis M. Marlock, 2001-09-01 A fool and his money are soon parted, so the saying goes. And if the job is done right, the fool doesn't even realize it's happened until the wily con artist has moved on to the next victim or the next town. In this entertaining and eye-opening book, Dennis M. Marlock, a retired cop and chairman of the board for the international law enforcement organization Professionals Against Confidence Crime, takes the reader into the mind and greedy heart of the con man. You'll learn the mechanics behind famous swindles such as the pigeon drop, the Jamaican switch, bank-examiner schemes, three-card monte and even fortune-telling. You'll find out why a good scam artist rarely gets caught and, if he does, how he gets away with the lightest punishment or no punishment at all. If you've ever read a news story about a sucker getting taken and wondered how he could have fallen for that, you need to read this book before an honest-faced stranger offers you a deal too good to pass up. |
| how to be a con man: The Modern Con Man Todd Robbins, 2008-04-08 A whimsical resource for low-risk grifters provides a treasury of humorous tips and historical facts about the art of the con, in a volume that outlines easy-to-follow swindles that can be used to score free meals, good tickets, bar bets, and more. |
| how to be a con man: The Con Men Terry Williams, Trevor B. Milton, 2017-08 A hard-edged guide to New York City swindles, street life, and culture, through direct interviews with con artists and hustlers. |
| how to be a con man: Provenance Laney Salisbury, Aly Sujo, 2009-07-09 A tautly paced investigation of one the 20th century's most audacious art frauds, which generated hundreds of forgeries-many of them still hanging in prominent museums and private collections today Provenance is the extraordinary narrative of one of the most far-reaching and elaborate deceptions in art history. Investigative reporters Laney Salisbury and Aly Sujo brilliantly recount the tale of a great con man and unforgettable villain, John Drewe, and his sometimes unwitting accomplices. Chief among those was the struggling artist John Myatt, a vulnerable single father who was manipulated by Drewe into becoming a prolific art forger. Once Myatt had painted the pieces, the real fraud began. Drewe managed to infiltrate the archives of the upper echelons of the British art world in order to fake the provenance of Myatt's forged pieces, hoping to irrevocably legitimize the fakes while effectively rewriting art history. The story stretches from London to Paris to New York, from tony Manhattan art galleries to the esteemed Giacometti and Dubuffet associations, to the archives at the Tate Gallery. This enormous swindle resulted in the introduction of at least two hundred forged paintings, some of them breathtakingly good and most of them selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Many of these fakes are still out in the world, considered genuine and hung prominently in private houses, large galleries, and prestigious museums. And the sacred archives, undermined by John Drewe, remain tainted to this day. Provenance reads like a well-plotted thriller, filled with unforgettable characters and told at a breakneck pace. But this is most certainly not fiction; Provenance is the meticulously researched and captivating account of one of the greatest cons in the history of art forgery. |
| how to be a con man: The Confidence Game Maria Konnikova, 2017-01-10 It’s a startling and disconcerting read that should make you think twice every time a friend of a friend offers you the opportunity of a lifetime.” —Erik Larson, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dead Wake and bestselling author of Devil in the White City Think you can’t get conned? Think again. The New York Times bestselling author of Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes explains how to spot the con before they spot you. “[An] excellent study of Con Artists, stories & the human need to believe” –Neil Gaiman, via Twitter A compelling investigation into the minds, motives, and methods of con artists—and the people who fall for their cons over and over again. While cheats and swindlers may be a dime a dozen, true conmen—the Bernie Madoffs, the Jim Bakkers, the Lance Armstrongs—are elegant, outsized personalities, artists of persuasion and exploiters of trust. How do they do it? Why are they successful? And what keeps us falling for it, over and over again? These are the questions that journalist and psychologist Maria Konnikova tackles in her mesmerizing new book. From multimillion-dollar Ponzi schemes to small-time frauds, Konnikova pulls together a selection of fascinating stories to demonstrate what all cons share in common, drawing on scientific, dramatic, and psychological perspectives. Insightful and gripping, the book brings readers into the world of the con, examining the relationship between artist and victim. The Confidence Game asks not only why we believe con artists, but also examines the very act of believing and how our sense of truth can be manipulated by those around us. |
| how to be a con man: The Big Con David Maurer, 1999-07-20 The classic 1940 study of con men and con games that Luc Sante in Salon called “a bonanza of wild but credible stories, told concisely with deadpan humor, as sly and rich in atmosphere as anything this side of Mark Twain.” “Of all the grifters, the confidence man is the aristocrat,” wrote David Maurer, a proposition he definitely proved in The Big Con, one of the most colorful, well-researched, and entertaining works of criminology ever written. A professor of linguistics who specialized in underworld argot, Maurer won the trust of hundreds of swindlers, who let him in on not simply their language but their folkways and the astonishingly complex and elaborate schemes whereby unsuspecting marks, hooked by their own greed and dishonesty, were “taken off” – i.e. cheated—of thousands upon thousands of dollars. The Big Con is a treasure trove of American lingo (the write, the rag, the payoff, ropers, shills, the cold poke, the convincer, to put on the send) and indelible characters (Yellow Kid Weil, Barney the Patch, the Seldom Seen Kid, Limehouse Chappie, Larry the Lug). It served as the source for the Oscar-winning film The Sting. |
| how to be a con man: The Mind of a Con Man Leland Benton, Leland Dee Benton, 2013-11 Manipulation – The Mind of a Con Man is a book you have ever read before but it is a book you should read! I am going to take you on an adventure into the human mind and show you not only why con men do what they do but why you do the things you do too. It is a unique book describing con man games, con man tricks, con man traits, con man terms, manipulation, emotional manipulator, deception & lies. It is an eye-opening expose taking you into the mind of con men and discovering why they do what they do. This book leaves no stone unturned as it delves deeply into the subject matter. It first describes the Type 1 con men, who are individuals who work hard at the deceptive profession but then it goes even further into Type 2 con men, which you come into contact daily through friends, family, co-workers ,etc that attempt to manipulate you into doing something. This book will fascinate you and you will see yourself within its pages as you learn all about deceptive people, the ways they operate, their tricks, their games and much more. Written by one of the nation's leading behavioral scientists, Dr. Leland Benton is the author of over two dozen self-help books and nonfiction behavioral science texts. He is a best-selling Amazon author with over 200-books published on Amazon alone. You need to read this book. |
| how to be a con man: Con Artistry Instafo, Edwin Piers, 2017-04-10 Get Inside and Conquer the World of Cons The world can be a deceptive place. There are individuals out there who will do anything to gain something regardless of who they hurt or who they have to deceive. Unfortunately, this practice is only becoming more of the norm. Scammers and con artists seem to be on the rise just waiting to take anything they can from the general public. Cons are all over the news nowadays. You hear about people losing all of their investments, savings, or retirement money due to a scam that they fell into. Now you may think to yourself “Those poor people. But how could they not see that it was a scam? It’s so obvious!” For that particular scam, that may be true. However, scams aren’t always that easy to spot. Cons have a unique set of skills that can make them very difficult to detect. In fact, there are always going to be different new schemes and big opportunities that pop up every day, making it nearly impossible to keep track of what is legit and what is sham. Then how does one defend against this art of cons? Con Artistry dives head on into the world of cons so that you can safely navigate these treacherous waters without falling prey to them. Pulling back behind this curtain will reveal to you: * Con-artist methodologies used to get close to their victims * Red flags signs to watch out for to determine a con artist * Actions to always have in place to avoid being scammed * Defense techniques to decipher and lure potential cons out * Bag of tricks that cons master employed to play their games * Whistle-blower steps to expose and end the con once and for all * Insider look into all sorts of cons and how to protect against them * And much more! Con Artistry will also explore some of the famous schemes and con artists in the past. Often, by examining previous criminals, you can become more aware of how cons operate and target people. From these infamous crooks, you can learn what emotions scammers will exploit and avoid becoming a victim. As a fair warning with this knowledge of con artistry, you promise that you will use it for protection only and not take advantage of other people. |
| how to be a con man: The Con Man's Daughter Candice Curry, 2017-05-16 When Candice Curry was a little girl, she put her hand in her father's back pocket so that she wouldn't get lost in large crowds. Little did she know that as she followed him, he was plying his trade: conning people. Her family drove stolen cars, lived in stolen houses, and shopped with stolen credit cards. Drug use was regular, as were visits from strange people who were trying to track her father down. Though she eventually cut ties with her father, Candice could not ignore the scars that were left from her childhood. This is her story, one steeped in secrets but one that, ultimately, led her to a place of forgiveness and freedom. As she struggles to understand her criminal father, as well as her own imperfect life, Candice comes to realize that we are not defined by our circumstances but rather by how we react to those circumstances. She's found peace in the knowledge that God doesn't love us because we're perfect--but because he is. |
| how to be a con man: How to Cheat at Everything Simon Lovell, 2007-01-01 Gambling is more popular than ever, with multi-million dollar poker tournaments on television, gambling themed movies like Rounders gaining in popularity, and casinos opening in just about every state of the U.S. How to Cheat at Everything is a roller-coaster ride through bar bets, street hustles, carnivals, Internet fraud, big and small cons, card and dice games and more. You'll even find the exact frauds that the NYPD regard as the most common and dangerous today, and learn top tips on how to avoid each one. This inside information comes from Lovell's lifetime of experience in the field, along with additional information from both sides of the law. Not just a here's how the con works book; this guides you through the set up, the talk, the sell, everything about the con, and how you can be suckered into one. If you think that you can't be conned; then you are already halfway to being so! There is no preaching here, just a fun ripping ride through a world so few know about. You'll meet wild, eccentric and larcenous characters and you'll learn how they work their money-making deeds, all without having to risk a penny of your own money. |
| how to be a con man: The Con Men Leo Gough, 2013-10-03 Financial fraud, whether large or small is a persistent feature of the financial markets. If you scratch the surface of the investment world you'll find a continuous stream of major financial scandals which are almost unbelievable in the sheer scale of their subterfuge. The Con Men shines a spotlight on some of these gargantuan frauds from the last 25 years. It questions how these men did it, why they did it, how there were able to get away with it, proposes strategies and tactics so that the reader can avoid being swindled. |
| how to be a con man: Scam Me If You Can Frank Abagnale, 2019-08-27 Are you at risk of being scammed? Former con artist and bestselling author of Catch Me If You Can Frank Abagnale shows you how to stop scammers in their tracks. Maybe you're wondering how to make the scam phone calls stop. Perhaps someone has stolen your credit card number. Or you've been a victim of identity theft. Even if you haven't yet been the target of a crime, con artists are always out there, waiting for the right moment to steal your information, your money, and your life. As one of the world's most respected authorities on the subjects of fraud, forgery, and cyber security, Frank Abagnale knows how scammers work. In Scam Me If You Can, he reveals the latest tricks that today's scammers, hackers, and con artists use to steal your money and personal information--often online and over the phone. Using plain language and vivid examples, Abagnale reveals hundreds of tips, including: The best way to protect your phone from being hacked The only time you should ever use a debit card The one type of photo you should never post on social media The only conditions under which you should use WiFi networks at the airport The safest way to use an ATM With his simple but counterintuitive rules, Abagnale also makes use of his insider intel to paint a picture of cybercrimes that haven't become widespread yet. |
| how to be a con man: King Con Paul Willetts, 2018-08-07 The spellbinding tale of hustler Edgar Laplante—the king of Jazz Age con artists—who becomes the victim of his own dangerous game. Edgar Laplante was a smalltime grifter, an erstwhile vaudeville performer, and an unabashed charmer. But after years of playing thankless gigs and traveling with medicine shows, he decided to undertake the most demanding and bravura performance of his life. In the fall of 1917, Laplante reinvented himself as Chief White Elk: war hero, sports star, civil rights campaigner, Cherokee nation leader—and total fraud. Under the pretenses of raising money for struggling Native American reservations, Laplante dressed in buckskins and a feathered headdress and traveled throughout the American West, narrowly escaping exposure and arrest each time he left town. When the heat became too much, he embarked upon a lucrative continent-hopping tour that attracted even more enormous crowds, his cons growing in proportion to the adulation of his audience. As he moved through Europe, he spied his biggest mark on the Riviera: a prodigiously rich Hungarian countess, who was instantly smitten with the con man. The countess bankrolled a lavish trip through Italy that made Laplante a darling of the Mussolini regime and a worldwide celebrity, soaring to unimaginable heights on the wings of his lies. But then, at the pinnacle of his improbable success, Laplante’s overreaching threatened to destroy him… In King Con, Paul Willetts brings this previously untold story to life in all its surprising absurdity, showing us how our tremendous capacity for belief and our longstanding obsession with celebrity can make fools of us all—and proving that sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. |
| how to be a con man: Veritas Ariel Sabar, 2021-06-29 From the National Book Critics Circle Award-winning author comes the gripping true story of a sensational religious forgery and the scandal that shook Harvard. In 2012, Dr. Karen King, a star religion professor at Harvard, announced a breathtaking discovery just steps from the Vatican: she’d found an ancient scrap of papyrus in which Jesus calls Mary Magdalene “my wife.” The mysterious manuscript, which King provocatively titled “The Gospel of Jesus’s Wife,” had the power to topple the Roman Catholic Church. It threatened not just the all-male priesthood, but centuries of sacred teachings on marriage, sex, and women’s leadership, much of it premised on the hallowed tradition of a celibate Jesus. Award-winning journalist Ariel Sabar covered King’s announcement in Rome but left with a question that no one seemed able to answer: Where in the world did this history-making papyrus come from? Sabar’s dogged sleuthing led from the halls of Harvard Divinity School to the former headquarters of the East German Stasi before landing on the trail of a Florida man with an unbelievable past. Could a motorcycle-riding pornographer with a fake Egyptology degree and a prophetess wife have set in motion one of the greatest hoaxes of the century? A propulsive tale laced with twists and trapdoors, Veritas is an exhilarating, globe-straddling detective story about an Ivy League historian and a college dropout—and how they worked together to pass off an audacious forgery as a long-lost piece of the Bible. |
| how to be a con man: "Yellow Kid" Weil Weil Weil, 2011-01-01 Everywhere the Yellow Kid looks he sees money—too bad it's yours. |
| how to be a con man: The Lies of Locke Lamora Scott Lynch, 2007-06-26 The first book of the epic fantasy caper Gentleman Bastard Sequence about a roguish group of conmen, which George R. R. Martin says “captured me right on the first page and never let me go.” “If you haven’t read [The Lies of Locke Lamora], you should. If you have read it, you should probably read it again.”—Patrick Rothfuss An orphan’s life is harsh—and often short—in the mysterious island city of Camorr. But young Locke Lamora dodges relentless danger, becoming a thief under the tutelage of a gifted con artist. As leader of the band of light-fingered brothers known as the Gentlemen Bastards, Locke is soon infamous, fooling even the underworld’s most feared ruler. But in the shadows lurks someone still more ambitious and deadly. Faced with a bloody coup that threatens to destroy everyone and everything that holds meaning in his mercenary life, Locke vows to beat the enemy at his own brutal game—or die trying. Don’t miss any of Scott Lynch’s epic fantasy Gentleman Bastard Sequence: THE LIES OF LOCKE LAMORA • RED SEAS UNDER RED SKIES • THE REPUBLIC OF THIEVES |
| how to be a con man: The Con Artists Luke Healy, 2022-06-07 This is going to be Frank’s year. He’s going to do it all: find love, become a famous comedian, and responsibly parent his plants. But then, Giorgio gets hit by a bus. Self-assured and utterly entitled, Giorgio has always seemed like “Frank, but better.” Moving in with and caring for his estranged childhood friend quickly starts to chip away at Frank’s sense of self, as well as Giogio’s carefully curated online persona. Is Giorgio’s penchant for overindulgence truly aspirational? Or is it ultimately a red flag? The further Frank is pulled into Giorgio’s orbit, the quicker his existential dread blooms. Expectation and reality soon collide in a singular tale about trust and confidence. Luke Healy’s playful, hilarious third graphic novel uses crisp lines and physical comedy to portray an uneasy friendship between two young men on the cusp of adulting. Snippets from Frank’s middling stand-up routines are punctuated by the subtle farce of Healy’s mise-en-scène and the lively, at times scathingly pointed, banter of old friends. The Con Artists is a stylish character study that asks the question of who fools who once everyone is off-camera. |
| how to be a con man: Ponzi's Scheme Mitchell Zuckoff, 2005-03-08 You’ve heard of the scheme. Now comes the man behind it. In Mitchell Zuckoff's exhilarating book, the first nonfiction account of Charles Ponzi, we meet the charismatic rogue who launched the most famous and extraordinary scam in the annals of American finance. It was a time when anything seemed possible–instant wealth, glittering fame, fabulous luxury–and for a run of magical weeks in the spring and summer of 1920, Charles Ponzi made it all come true. Promising to double investors’ money in three months, the dapper, charming Ponzi raised the “rob Peter to pay Paul” scam to an art form and raked in millions at his office in downtown Boston. Ponzi’s Scheme is the amazing true story of the irresistible scoundrel who launched the most successful scheme of financial alchemy in modern history–and uttered the first roar of the Roaring Twenties. Ponzi may have been a charlatan, but he was also a wonderfully likable man. His intentions were noble, his manners impeccable, his sales pitch enchanting. Born to a genteel Italian family, he immigrated to the United States with big dreams but no money. Only after he became hopelessly enamored of a stenographer named Rose Gnecco and persuaded her to marry him did Ponzi light on the means to make his dreams come true. His true motive was not greed but love. With rich narrative skill, Mitchell Zuckoff conjures up the feverish atmosphere of Boston during the weeks when Ponzi’s bubble grew bigger and bigger. At the peak of his success, Ponzi was taking in more than $2 million a week. And then his house of cards came crashing down–thanks in large part to the relentless investigative reporting of Richard Grozier’s Boston Post. In Zuckoff's hands, Ponzi is no mere swindler; instead he is appealing and magnetic, a colorful and poignant figure, someone who struggled his whole life to attain great wealth and who sincerely believed–to the very end–that he could have made good on his investment promises if only he’d had enough time. Ponzi is a classic American tale of immigrant life and the dream of success, and the unexpectedly moving story of a man who–for a fleeting, illusory moment–attained it all. |
| how to be a con man: The Con Man Ed McBain, 2012-03 When a young woman's body is fished out of the 87th Precinct's river, a street-wise detective is on the clock to find the con man who killed her before he strikes again. McBain forces us to think twice about every character we meet...even those we thought we already knew. --New York Times Book Review Imagine your favorite Law & Order cast solving fresh mysteries into infinity, with no re-runs, and you have some sense of McBain's grand, ongoing accomplishment. --Entertainment Weekly |
| how to be a con man: Catch Me If You Can Frank W. Abagnale, Stan Redding, 2002-11-19 The uproarious, bestselling true story of the world's most sought-after con man, immortalized by Leonardo DiCaprio in DreamWorks' feature film of the same name, from the author of Scam Me If You Can. Frank W. Abagnale, alias Frank Williams, Robert Conrad, Frank Adams, and Robert Monjo, was one of the most daring con men, forgers, imposters, and escape artists in history. In his brief but notorious criminal career, Abagnale donned a pilot's uniform and copiloted a Pan Am jet, masqueraded as the supervising resident of a hospital, practiced law without a license, passed himself off as a college sociology professor, and cashed over $2.5 million in forged checks, all before he was twenty-one. Known by the police of twenty-six foreign countries and all fifty states as The Skywayman, Abagnale lived a sumptuous life on the lam—until the law caught up with him. Now recognized as the nation's leading authority on financial foul play, Abagnale is a charming rogue whose hilarious, stranger-than-fiction international escapades, and ingenious escapes-including one from an airplane-make Catch Me If You Can an irresistible tale of deceit. |
| how to be a con man: Duped Abby Ellin, 2019-01-15 Abby Ellin was shocked to learn that her fiancéas leading a secret life. But as she soon discovered, the world is full of people who aren't what they seem. From Abby Ellin's first date with the Commander, she was caught up in a whirlwind. Within six months he'd proposed, and they'd moved in together. But soon, his exotic stories of international espionage began to unravel. Finally, it all became clear: he was lying about who he was. After leaving him and sharing her story, she was floored to find out that her experience was far from unique. People everywhere, many of them otherwise sharp-witted and self-aware, are being deceived by their loved ones every day. In Duped, Abby Ellin studies the art and science of lying, talks to people who've had their worlds upended by duplicitous partners, and writes with great openness about her own mistakes. These remarkable stories reveal how often we encounter people whose lives beneath the surface are more improbable than we ever imagined. |
| how to be a con man: Charmers & Con Artists Sandra Scott, 2014-06-04 This is a psychological study of charmers, con artists, and their hidden alter-ego, the abusers -- how they got that way, various profile examples, and how to recover from their artistry of killing you softly with their charm. |
| how to be a con man: A Theft Hanif Kureishi, 2014-11-20 'I was beginning to love my thief, a man I barely knew, but whom I had trusted and even liked, and who had taken my savings, amongst many other crimes.' A bravura piece of very personal reportage by Hanif Kureishi about the man who stole his life savings. Nearing sixty and needing to plan for his and his children's future, Hanif Kureishi employed an accountant from a reputable firm. When the accountant recommended investing in a property scheme, Kureishi followed his advice - only to find out that the accountant was a fraudster and his entire life savings had vanished. In this thought-provoking account of his conman, Kureishi uses this theft as a way of exploring some of the contradictions and dilemmas of our lives: the true value of money; the role of deception in art; how you can love and hate simultaneously; why the financial world seems to revolve around deceit; and what we might recover from those who have stolen from us. |
| how to be a con man: Hustlers and Con Men Jay Robert Nash, 1976-01 Anecdotal accounts of the most successful, most outrageous, and most expert scammers, flim-flammers, swindlers, and sharpers of the past two hundred years provide grist for Barnum's mill |
| how to be a con man: Paikin and the Premiers Steve Paikin, 2013-09-23 A unique perspective on Ontario’s most powerful political leaders. Ontario’s fortunes and fates increasingly rest in the hands of the province’s premier. Critics say the role of premier concentrates too much power in one person, but at least that points to the one person Ontarians, and others beyond the province’s borders, ought to know all about. Few people know the modern-era premiers of Canada’s most populous province the way Steve Paikin does. He has covered Queen’s Park politics, discussed provincial issues from all perspectives with his TVO guests, and has interviewed the premiers one-on-one. Paikin and the Premiers offers a rare, uniform perspective on John Robarts, Bill Davis, Frank Miller, David Peterson, Bob Rae, Mike Harris, Ernie Eves, Dalton McGuinty, and Kathleen Wynne – from the vantage point of one of Canada’s most astute and respected journalists. |
| how to be a con man: Chasing Phil David Howard, 2017-10-31 In 1977 the FBI under J Edgar Hoover concerned itself mainly with bank robbers and communists. When Jack Brennan and Jim Wedick, two rookie agents, decide to investigate the biggest white-colour criminal in the world, Phil Kitzer Jr, they are forced to invent the undercover investigation as they go. This is the incredible globetrotting story of a case, a criminal and a friendship that changed the role of the FBI forever. |
| how to be a con man: Dare to be Great Rudy Maxa, 1977 |
| how to be a con man: Deception Linda Kristy, 2016-11-10 |
| how to be a con man: Con Man Charlie Harris, 1991-03 |
| how to be a con man: CONFESSIONS OF A CON MAN AS TOLD TO WILL IRWIN WILL. IRWIN, 2018 |
| how to be a con man: Fake Stephanie Wood, 2019-07 Women the world over are brought up to hope, even expect, to find the man of their dreams and live happily ever after. When Stephanie Wood meets a former architect turned farmer she embarks on an exhilarating romance with him. He seems compassionate, loving, truthful. They talk about the future. She falls in love. She also becomes increasingly beset by anxiety at his frequent cancellations, no-shows and bizarre excuses. She starts to wonder, who is this man? When she ends the relationship Stephanie reboots her journalism skills and embarks on a romantic investigation. She discovers a story of mind-boggling duplicity and manipulation. She learns that the man she thought she was in love with doesn't exist. She also finds she is not alone; that the world is full of smart people who have suffered at the hands of liars, cheats, narcissists, fantasists and phonies, people enormously skilled in the art of deception. In this brilliantly acute and broad-ranging book, Wood, an award-winning writer and journalist, has written a riveting, important account of contemporary love, and the resilience of those who have witnessed its darkest sides. |
| how to be a con man: The Modern Con Man Todd Robbins, 2008-12-08 Whether it's winning $50 on a bar bet, scoring seats closer to the fifty-yard line, or finagling a free meal, The Modern Con Man ensures that aspiring low-risk grifters will always come out on top. Filled with humorous facts and tables, a glossary of con terms, illustrations, the history of the con, and easy-to-follow swindles, this is the perfect gift for the hidden flim-flam artist in your life. |
| how to be a con man: The Master Con Man Robert Kyriakides, 2003 The Daily Mirror regarded him as The mastermind behind the biggest con of 2001. |
| how to be a con man: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Frauds, Scams, and Cons Duane Swierczynski, 2002-12-03 -- The main target for scams are those 50 years of age or older. -- This book will expose all the latest scams, frauds, and cons -- and can be updated yearly, if necessary, to expose all the latest schemes. Fraud -- credit card fraud, telemarketing scares, Internet scares, identity theft and hundreds of other items that are geared to separate you from your money -- is a multi-billion dollar business, both in the U.S. and worldwide. From a simple three-card monte game on a street corner to sophisticated banking and Wall Street swindles, cons, frauds and scams are destined to strike one in ten Americans this year. Check kiting, ATM scares, bankruptcy fraud, real estate scams, Nigerian money offers, and even slave reparation scams -- there are hundreds, maybe thousands, of ways to get suckered by telemarketers or just plain fast-talking swindlers. Scary stuff, right? This book identifies the myriad of scams, cons, and frauds perpetrated every minute of every day in this country, and gives cutting-edge, up-to-date advice on how you can protect yourself from unscrupulous cons of every conceivable stripe. There will also be an entertaining section on con artists through history, from the infamous grifters of the Great Depression to the masterminds of the recent Enron collapse -- perhaps one of the greatest scams in America's history. |
| how to be a con man: Death of a Con Man G. R. Williamson, 2021-01-29 The undisputed king of the confidence men of the Old West, Jefferson Randolph Smith II (Soapy Smith) ruled criminal gangs in Colorado and Alaska. No other scoundrel could match Soapy Smith’s utter audacity and unrelenting pursuit of skinning a sucker. He was a genius at running a scam, at organizing a gang of confederates, and at paying off authorities. He had the inherent ability to look a man in the eye and lie like every word was etched in stone. But, on July 8 1898, Soapy was killed in a shootout in Skagway, Alaska. At the time, newspapers attributed a man, Frank Reid, with putting the fatal bullet through Soapy’s heart. Now, 100 years later, historical research has shown that was not the case. Death of a Con Man is a concise, accurate account of the truth behind the myth. Entertaining, as well as informative, the story of the most notorious con man is told with many vintage photographs |
| how to be a con man: Con Man's Daughter Ed Dee, 2007-09-03 An ex-cop must solve his own daughter's kidnapping in this grittily authentic thriller by the incomparable Ed Dee. Ex NYPD detective Eddie Dunne must search his own past for clues when his 35-year old daughter Kate is kidnapped from her suburban New York home. While the cops wait for ransom demands and hunt down a stolen car seen leavingthe driveway, Dunne is a step ahead. He's sure that the disappearance has to do with his previous employment as a general fixer for Anatoly Lukin, legendary Brighton Beach crime boss. And while Lukin was involved in non-violent activities like Medicare fraud and gas gouging, his chief rival, Yuri Burodenko, engineered sales of Russian military weapons and was capable of extreme violence. The search turns more desperate when Dunne's former partner's head lands on his front yard. Now Dunne will do anything to find Burodenko, but there's another gangster with a score to settle with Eddie.... |
| how to be a con man: The Art of Deception Kevin D. Mitnick, William L. Simon, 2003-10-17 The world's most infamous hacker offers an insider's view of the low-tech threats to high-tech security Kevin Mitnick's exploits as a cyber-desperado and fugitive form one of the most exhaustive FBI manhunts in history and have spawned dozens of articles, books, films, and documentaries. Since his release from federal prison, in 1998, Mitnick has turned his life around and established himself as one of the most sought-after computer security experts worldwide. Now, in The Art of Deception, the world's most notorious hacker gives new meaning to the old adage, It takes a thief to catch a thief. Focusing on the human factors involved with information security, Mitnick explains why all the firewalls and encryption protocols in the world will never be enough to stop a savvy grifter intent on rifling a corporate database or an irate employee determined to crash a system. With the help of many fascinating true stories of successful attacks on business and government, he illustrates just how susceptible even the most locked-down information systems are to a slick con artist impersonating an IRS agent. Narrating from the points of view of both the attacker and the victims, he explains why each attack was so successful and how it could have been prevented in an engaging and highly readable style reminiscent of a true-crime novel. And, perhaps most importantly, Mitnick offers advice for preventing these types of social engineering hacks through security protocols, training programs, and manuals that address the human element of security. |
| how to be a con man: A Primer for Forgetting Lewis Hyde, 2019-06-18 “One of our true superstars of nonfiction” (David Foster Wallace), Lewis Hyde offers a playful and inspiring defense of forgetfulness by exploring the healing effect it can have on the human psyche. We live in a culture that prizes memory—how much we can store, the quality of what’s preserved, how we might better document and retain the moments of our life while fighting off the nightmare of losing all that we have experienced. But what if forgetfulness were seen not as something to fear—be it in the form of illness or simple absentmindedness—but rather as a blessing, a balm, a path to peace and rebirth? A Primer for Forgetting is a remarkable experiment in scholarship, autobiography, and social criticism by the author of the classics The Gift and Trickster Makes This World. It forges a new vision of forgetfulness by assembling fragments of art and writing from the ancient world to the modern, weighing the potential boons forgetfulness might offer the present moment as a creative and political force. It also turns inward, using the author’s own life and memory as a canvas upon which to extol the virtues of a concept too long taken as an evil. Drawing material from Hesiod to Jorge Luis Borges to Elizabeth Bishop to Archbishop Desmond Tutu, from myths and legends to very real and recent traumas both personal and historical, A Primer for Forgetting is a unique and remarkable synthesis that only Lewis Hyde could have produced. |
Forum - Conflict Of Nations - Forum
May 17, 2025 · Deutsches Forum. Das deutsche Team ist hier aktiv. Wir sind immer für eure Fragen, Vorschläge und Fehlerberichte da!
Conflict Of Nations - Forum
May 17, 2025 · Join the Conflict of Nations forum to discuss strategies, share tips, and connect with other players in real-time.
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May 17, 2025 · View and report anything game related. Concluded Roleplays. For reference, or for teaching purposes, here you can see the forum threads of old roleplays.
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Jan 5, 2025 · Research track types in Flashpoint games: what are they, who gets which, and how do they differ? l_c_jackson; Apr 18th 2025, 1:30am
Deutsches Forum - Conflict Of Nations - Forum
Nov 27, 2024 · Conflict Of Nations - Forum »; Forum »; Other Languages - Support »; Deutsches Forum. Das deutsche Team ist hier aktiv.
The Dont's of CON for newbies - Conflict Of Nations - Forum
Jun 27, 2018 · 5) Only annex cities if you need to produce troops more quickly and you have a surplus of resources to do it. If after a city has produced a unit, and you have to wait for a while …
Why are there so few CoN streamers on Twitch?
Nov 8, 2021 · That means a lot of streamers don't know how to effectively stream CoN. 2) Not enough strong players are interested in streaming. 3) Streamers who do stream it get very few …
CoN vs other similar games(all made by Bytro I believe) - Conflict …
Jun 5, 2021 · Hi, all. What are your thoughts on CoN compared to CoW, S1914, and S1? For me, I started by playing CoN. Then played CoW for a few days, then quit because 1.0 and 1.5 were …
Support - Conflict Of Nations - Forum
4 days ago · Access the Conflict of Nations support forum for assistance, troubleshooting, and community discussions on various game-related issues.
CoN Forum Rankings - Conflict Of Nations - Forum
Jan 6, 2023 · CoN Forum Rankings Tifo_14. General. Likes Received 1,081 Points 8,606 Posts 694 Location Czechia. 1; CoN ...
Forum - Conflict Of Nations - Forum
May 17, 2025 · Deutsches Forum. Das deutsche Team ist hier aktiv. Wir sind immer für eure Fragen, Vorschläge und Fehlerberichte da!
Conflict Of Nations - Forum
May 17, 2025 · Join the Conflict of Nations forum to discuss strategies, share tips, and connect with other players in real-time.
Game Discussion - Conflict Of Nations - Forum
May 17, 2025 · View and report anything game related. Concluded Roleplays. For reference, or for teaching purposes, here you can see the forum threads of old roleplays.
Questions & Answers - Conflict Of Nations - Forum
Jan 5, 2025 · Research track types in Flashpoint games: what are they, who gets which, and how do they differ? l_c_jackson; Apr 18th 2025, 1:30am
Deutsches Forum - Conflict Of Nations - Forum
Nov 27, 2024 · Conflict Of Nations - Forum »; Forum »; Other Languages - Support »; Deutsches Forum. Das deutsche Team ist hier aktiv.
The Dont's of CON for newbies - Conflict Of Nations - Forum
Jun 27, 2018 · 5) Only annex cities if you need to produce troops more quickly and you have a surplus of resources to do it. If after a city has produced a unit, and you have to wait for a while …
Why are there so few CoN streamers on Twitch?
Nov 8, 2021 · That means a lot of streamers don't know how to effectively stream CoN. 2) Not enough strong players are interested in streaming. 3) Streamers who do stream it get very few …
CoN vs other similar games(all made by Bytro I believe) - Conflict Of …
Jun 5, 2021 · Hi, all. What are your thoughts on CoN compared to CoW, S1914, and S1? For me, I started by playing CoN. Then played CoW for a few days, then quit because 1.0 and 1.5 were …
Support - Conflict Of Nations - Forum
4 days ago · Access the Conflict of Nations support forum for assistance, troubleshooting, and community discussions on various game-related issues.
CoN Forum Rankings - Conflict Of Nations - Forum
Jan 6, 2023 · CoN Forum Rankings Tifo_14. General. Likes Received 1,081 Points 8,606 Posts 694 Location Czechia. 1; CoN ...
