Early in my career I was hired for a role in a documentary on fraud. Victims obtained through an ad in the newspaper would be paid to tell their story on camera. My part in the production was to interview the victims. The first surprise was the large number of people who responded; the director decided to divide the stories into categories and to interview one person in each story group. Some of the stories were so blatant that it was very difficult not to laugh. Some were so everyday ordinary that I began to realize how easily anyone could be "had".


CONfessions

After each story I would interview a police officer who gave the statistics for that particular fraud for the past year. The numbers were very sobering.

The part that could not be felt in the victims' stories was the timing, intelligence and charm of the con artist. They are very good. Some victims were too humiliated by their experience to appear on camera so their misadventure was presented by an actor.

The CON Film Festival

We filmed for a week in a glorious Victorian house. The lunches were wonderful, the director charming and supportive. When my agency called me (often) to ask if the contract had been signed I sympathized with my harried director and made excuses. Yes, you can see it coming. We did a documentary on fraud and we did not get paid!

The experience gave me a lifelong interest in Con Artists. The hobby became a business interest when as a trainer and mentor of entrepreneurs I encountered many stories of close enCONters.


It CONtinues

Entrepreneurs make ideal victims for Con Artists. We can get caught by the very qualities that make us successful.

Our positive enthusiasm

Willingness to give ideas a chance

Often work alone with no one to give us a reality check

We move fast making many decisions in a hurry allowing just aaenough time for a con to slip in

Used to creating a team to accomplish a goal

Need to trust our own judgment - so we do

Government sites across the country will keep you apprised of the frauds currently plaguing your community. It is wise to take a look periodically (March is Fraud Month).

CONsider This

A good con is recyclable every 3-5 years. People forget! Con artists are charming and can weave dreams. In a recent franchise fraud many victims mentioned that they were impressed by the beautiful offices of the fraudulent company. The components of an illusion, furniture, art, cars, computers and clothing can all be inexpensively leased. Even checking references may not be enough. The "clients" may all be relatives of the con.

CONtrasting Men and Women

In general men seem much more likely to fall for the Big Man with the Big Deal and when taken men are more likely to keep the incident to themselves. Sometimes the Con Artist gives good service and acts professionally for awhile and then the fraud takes place. In my community there is a painful story of an accountant who was creative and supportive giving superb service to his clients and then -

Anything that sounds too good to be true probably is.

Anything worthwhile can wait for 24 hours while you check it out.

CONdumb

I had a neighbour who got taken, in the same way, twice. The first time he said "why would my boss steal? He's rich". The second time he called me on a Monday morning to report that the office he had worked in for two months was empty when he arrived. Apparently his employer had a sudden urge over the weekend to live in another country. My neighbour was as puzzled the second time as he had been the first.

A colleague in the financial planning field told me that he had several clients who wanted to cash in everything they owned to reply to one of the infamous African letters. He did everything to dissuade them including bringing in a fraud officer to tell them about the extent and danger of this fraud. One response from a client was telling. He knew that the offer of millions of dollars for nothing was legitimate because there was a crest on the letter! The officer in that fraud documentary said that you cannot legislate against stupidity.

In general women fall for the Love or a Hard Luck Con story. I have had too many young clients who take out a loan to buy a boyfriend a car. He was so sad riding on the bus. Meanwhile she is on the bus and paying off a loan for a man who used the car to impress a new target and then disappeared.