How To Outsmart A Con Artist

Wouldn’t it be easy to recognize criminals if they ran around in black and white stripes toting a big bag of loot?

If only it were that obvious.

Con artists are everywhere. They could ring you on the phone, or message you from a dating website. They may even approach you in your home. These situations can lead to tragic results. Recently a Colorado senior was scammed out of her entire life savings and left penniless. The crooks claimed to be victims of a flood and asked for charity. Being a kindhearted soul, she thought she was helping them. In return, they helped themselves to her entire fortune.

Scammers can be smart, but even the best crooks have telltale giveaways. Follow our tips and you’ll learn the secrets to outsmarting a con artist.

Trust But Verify

Con artists all have one thing in common. They’re not who they say they are. Get their name and some details about them. Perhaps they claim to live in a lavish mansion in upstate New York. If they’re really living out of an RV in Oklahoma, a background check may reveal the truth. And if they don’t come up at all? Voila. Anyone credible has a background, and a history that should be fairly transparent.

Tip: No matter how genuine the person seems, trust but verify with an online background check. Ask questions. Ask for references, phone numbers, and anything else you can get your hands on. Compare it to the results of the background check and make sure everything adds up.

Spot The Signs

Do they:

• Lavish you with attention? Praise, flattery, concern... If you’re a lonely heart, be extra cautious as hustlers know exactly how to play that angle
• Have the best credentials ever? They might be a long lost heir, or perhaps graduated from an Ivy League school? Be super suspicious with wild claims to fame and fortune
• Require immediate action? They have the greatest deal in the world, but they need an answer right away. Careful. You’re about to be hornswoggled
• Have intense eye contact? Notice a lack of blinking and a fixed gaze. These are signs of sociopathic tendencies
• Have you ever met them? If they always have a reason why you can’t meet up, be on red alert
• If anybody contacts you via phone or email and offers you money — hang up. It’s the oldest con in the book. Next comes the request for cash. Refer them to your attorney or accountant. Name dropping either of those should make a con artist flee.
• You should never consider giving money to a stranger. If they demand cash, prepaid credit cards, Western Union, Green Dot cards or any type of untraceable payment method — it’s almost definitely a scam. But stay safe and never ever give money to a stranger. If you want give to a charity, find an authentic one by yourself and donate directly.

The Hook

If we imagine the workings of a con artist as a formula, it usually follows the same pattern each time.

A new person comes into your life, offering you something you desire. In return, you have to give them something in return. Once they get it, they continue to demand more until they’ve bled you dry.

Even if you think you found this person on your own, in hindsight it will be very clear that the scammer was waiting for you. A cunning crook will appeal to something that you want in order to take advantage. To know a con, you must recognize the bait that you might fall for. The best scams play off your strongest emotions. For instance:

• Financial need
• Loneliness
• Ego
• Compassion

Pay attention to what you want the most. Money? Love? Fame? Helping those in need? Be wary of anybody who suddenly appears and promises to fulfill your deepest wishes.

Tip: Don’t reveal a lot of information about yourself when chatting with anyone new. See how much they reveal with limited information. Don’t be suckered in by any grand statements or lavish stories. Keep a healthy distance and observe their behavior.

Master Illusionist

A talented con artist can adopt any identity in order to gain your trust. By searching your social media profiles, they can quickly discover some of your interests. If you graduated from Arizona State and like The Simpsons, suddenly your new online friend may be a fan of both just to get close to you. For more generalized scams, con artists may assume a position of authority, such as an investment banker or police officer. We might trust these figures more readily than others. No matter how experienced the fraudster is, all liars make mistakes. Pay attention to the details, and if any part of their story suddenly changes, be on high alert.

Tip: A good con artist will develop their new personality by mimicking what you like. Ask questions only someone experienced in your common interest would be able to answer. Keep notes if anything sounds off. If a different version of the story pops up later, you can refer to it and find out for sure.

Too Good To Be True

Is there anyone new in your life who seems a little too good to be true? Perhaps they’re extremely good looking and you have a lot in common? Running their photo through a Google reverse image search may reveal if your pen pal has poached their profile pic from someone else. Notre Dame football star Manti Te'o found himself catfished by a beautiful woman who contacted him online. A year passed where he believed they were in a relationship, then he discovered she was a total fraud. Once investigators snooped her photos, it transpired they belonged to a totally different girl. The real identity of Te’o’s “girlfriend” transpired to be a male friend of his who was in love with him. Te’o’s catfish was so involved with the hoax that he used a voice box to make his telephone voice sound female. Freaky.

Scammers are incredibly talented at adapting to their surroundings, like a cunning chameleon. Although the majority of internet scammers won’t venture outside of cyberspace, sometimes a master con artist will appear right at your doorstep.

Maria Christina Johnson found her prey on the Internet — but she was happy to meet them in real life which seemed to ‘confirm’ her identity. A sexy brunette with designer clothes and a penchant for throwing glamorous parties, she seemed to be the real deal. Until she vanished with thousands of dollars stolen from her victims.

A con artist will try to keep you slightly off balance throughout the deception. They may be unreliable, or always seem to have an excuse why they can’t meet up. Maybe they happen to live in a foreign country or have recently been in an accident. The lies will never cease, and will trap you feeling like something doesn’t add up.

Tip: If you’re speaking to someone online, you should meet within a month of getting to know them (in a public safe place). Avoid getting involved in any long distance relationships — these are gold mines for scammers. If you do meet up, ask them lots of questions about themselves. If someone seems too good to be true, do a little research on them. How many friends do they have on social media? Are any of these people from where this person claimed to grow up? Do they have an established history online? It’s very hard to fabricate an entire lifetime. Even the best con artist will have a hard time filling in all of the holes.

The Line

The short term scam immediately asks you for money. Perhaps they claim to be a foreign fund manager, or offer to sell you something of value for next to nothing. Should you find an item that’s at an unrealistically good price, think twice. But the long scam is perhaps the most heartbreaking for the victim. Especially if they believe they’ve built a real relationship with the con artist.

The goal of a con artist is not about gaining your trust. It’s making you believe that they trust you. Perhaps your new online partner has confided in you that she’s about to be evicted from her house. Or a mysterious investor claims to have top secret information that will make both of you millionaires. As humans, we yearn to help others and be trusted. It releases a chemical known as oxytocin in the brain, which is how we form attachment to friends and family. By “trusting” us, the scammer allows us to feel bonded with them, thus allowing them to have greater access to our lives. And our wallets.

Tip: As soon as anyone new in your life asks you for money, be suspicious. It’s one thing for your brother or best friend to ask for a $20 loan, but it’s another kettle of fish when a stranger demands that you help them out. Even if you think the request is genuine, refuse and see how they react.

Fear Factor

When a con artist senses you’re getting wise to their game, they may lash out and attempt to frighten you in order to regain control. Did you know only 7% of scams are reported to the police for this reason?

Con artists will stop at nothing to try and shake you down for their own benefit. They may threaten you with bogus lawsuits, violence, or claim their own lives may be in danger if you don’t pay up. If an online lover threatens to break it off over your refusal to hand over the dough, let them walk.

Tip: As soon as anybody tries to intimidate or harass you, immediately contact the authorities and never hand over a penny.

Have you ever experienced a con artist first hand? Tell us about it in the comments!

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By Ed Smith