Confidence tricks

Techniques > Confidence tricks

Examples | So what

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.

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.
• 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.

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.

See also

Confidence tricks links