WHAT A CON ARTIST LOOKS FOR

IN A SCAM VICTIM

 

From the Powerful to the Powerless: No one is immune from a good scammer.  How you are chosen and manipulated

 The chosen • Right from the start

 Shame, guilt, and fear

 Why victims don't report fraud

 

Those whose job it is to fight fraud every day know that no one is immune to fraud, and that there are only 3 kinds of people in the world: those who have been scammed and know it; those who have been scammed and don't know; and those who haven't been scammed yet.  In fact, what is an obvious scam to one person looks like a great opportunity to another; and vice versa.

 

From the National White Collar Crime Center: Only 7% of scam victims contact an enforcement agency

"A curious finding of the research is that a wide disparity exists between how Americans believe they will react when they are victimized by a white collar crime and how they actually do react. While the number of victimizations was higher than predicted, the reporting of these crimes remained low. Only seven percent of respondents contacted an enforcement agency. Consumer protection agencies, Better Business Bureaus, and prosecutors combined received an additional 14 percent."

(Excerpt from National White Collar Crime Center /NWC3, 2002)

Why don't more victims report fraud crimes?  Because con artists are masters at instilling a sense of fear, shame, and guilt in their victims.

They are masters of domination and intimidation, artfully weaving them into their script.  And... they are masters at qualifying their prey.

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The chosen

Con artists choose you very carefully.  They are only interested in those people who can be turned around to believe in them without question, who can be manipulated to believe in their illusions.  They don't merely seek out the greedy or the weak or the stupid.  Not at all.  They seek out the needy.  They sniff and snuffle around until they find someone who has an unfulfilled desire that even you yourself may be unaware of until the carrot is dangled in front of your face.

Con artists will stalk anyone whose weaknesses or strengths can be used to advantage.  Scan through the character traits below, and you will see the con artist's menu.  As far as he is concerned any character trait can be exploited and manipulated once your needs have been established.  No one is immune.

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Right from the start

From the very moment a con artist targets you, his entire arsenal of psychological manipulation is brought into play.  You are moved from a position of control to one of no control over anything at all.  The con artist moves into the position of supreme power, regardless of how powerful you may be in real life.

How can this be?  Because you are the only character in the play who hasn't a clue as to what is really happening.  No one has given you a script to follow.  The only choice given you is to react to what the other players are saying and doing.

Reality is gone, you just doesn't know it - your real world has been completely and effectively replaced with that of the con artist and his cronies.  Smoke and mirrors.

 

You know the game is over when he starts using fear tactics to keep you off balance: how scammers stay out of jail >

 

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