How to Spot a Con-Artist and How to Avoid Becoming Their Victim

How to Spot a Con-Artist and How to Avoid Becoming Their Victim

Steven Burns

Solutions in Mind

Insightful Article

I’ve been fascinated by con-artists for quite some time.

In my business life, I would say I’ve worked closely with two individuals who I would regard as con-artists. 

One who has reached near mastery in the craft and another who has serious potential.

For me, being involved in a business relationship with them was deeply troubling while at the same time equally fascinating. 

Call me weird but there’s something morbidly interesting about someone who is clearly pathological but doesn’t seem to care, or in fact even notice.

Someone who is so comfortable with dishonesty, cunning and deception that you start to ask yourself if you are the one who is abnormal.

I also found it interesting that it took me such a long time to realise that they were con-artists; I wanted to believe in their inherent goodness and, perversely, this ended up working against me. 

And I wasn’t the only one. 

The individuals in question have successfully pulled the wool over thousands of people’s eyes, and still continue to do so. 

People want to believe in the potential of human kindness and honesty and, while this is undoubtedly a valuable trait, it can sometimes be their downfall.

In her excellent book, The Confidence Game, Anna Konnikova, actually goes as far as to say that intelligent, honest, well-meaning individuals are exactly the type of people who do fall for a con. 

They are the most susceptible to it because their mind struggles, and sometimes blatantly refuses, to accept that someone could be as cunningly deceptive as a con-artist can be.

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