How we change what others think, feel, believe and do

Confidence tricks

Techniques > Confidence tricks

There is, according to legend, a sucker born every day, and of course there are many confidence tricksters around who are all too ready to relieve them of their wealth.

Two main levers of confidence tricksters are gullibility and greed. They will exploit the incautious and naive and offer something for nothing as an appeal to our natural desires.

Articles

Gullibility: Are there easy targets?

Examples

There are more con tricks than days in the year. There are but a sample that illustrate the ingenuity of confidence tricksters -- and the gullibility of Joe Public.

The Antique Toy: Cheating the cheater.
ATM Security: Fraud at the bank machine.
Bootleg Video: Sell bootleg DVDs that are actually blank.
Charity Collection: Collecting for fake charity.
Movie Auditions: for aspiring stars.
Ponzi Scheme: The original pyramid.
Valet Parking: by car thieves.

So what

So for goodness sake be careful where you place your trust. Don't be greedy and be especially careful where you seem to be getting something very cheaply or for nothing. Don't collaborate in anything illegal, especially with people you don't know.

Also be very cautious of things that are more ordinary. It has been said that if something seems too good to be true, the confidence trickster is not that competent. The best are so persuasive and make so much sense, you never know you are on the line until it is too late.

And of course don't stoop to harming others in such ways as these. Con tricks are at best immoral and at worst highly illegal.

Confidence tricks

Articles

Examples

So what

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