James Metcalfe
In every single one of our lives, we will encounter a con artist with the intent of ridding us of our money, time and security. The only deviant act in society with the word ‘art’ in it, con artists are smart and tailor their whole practice to going against our better judgements and winning over our trust. This makes knowing the warning signs of such scamming all the more important.
We reached to several experts in this field for their opinions on the most vital signs to look out for when you’re about to be conned.
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#1 ‘Too Good To Be True’
If a person promises something to you, completely out of the blue and with no indication that you actually want the deal they're offering, that's a possible indication that you're being conned. Con-artists will do everything they can to get you to like and trust them, and offering an unsolicited promise is one of the most common tactics they use to make that happen. Generally if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Contributor: Will Craig from lease fetcher
#2 Time Pressures
If you feel like you’re pressured for time to make a decision, it’s most likely a bad one. Any smart decisions have to be made over time. If someone is asking you to think fast, you should be wary and reconsider what they are gaining from this versus what you’ll be losing.
Contributor: Caleb Backe from maple holistics
#3 The Rapport
One sign to look out for to know if you are being conned is when someone you don't know tries to make up a shared experience that doesn't exist. While charm doesn't always mean you are being conned it is a tactic that is used by con artists. If a con artist gets the feeling that you are unsure of their tactics they will often make false promises that are completely unsolicited.
Contributor: Andrew Rawson from traliant
#4 Trust In Your Emotions
People often search for other evidence beyond their own suspicion, because it would rather be trusting, open and positive. But even if you can’t find any evidence other than the fact that something doesn’t quite feel right, don’t move too fast to disregard that feeling. Psychoanalysts use their feelings more and more in treatment, learning to trust all of the information that those emotions provide. Don’t throw your emotions away – they are valuable.
Contributor: Dr. Claudia Luiz from claudia luiz
#5 Attempts To Control
If someone isn’t listening to you when you say “no”, they are trying to gain control over you. The best thing to do is walk away. You can’t have people like that in your life.
Contributor: Caleb Backe from maple holistics
#6 Invaluable Gut Feelings
The number one tip I always tell people is to trust your gut. If you have a feeling that something isn't right, then something isn't right. Your brain can process so much information that the conscious part of your brain can't process. Usually you will think of things after the fact and think 'oh I should have realized that.' You feel uneasy about something for a reason. Trust yourself.
Contributor: Ashley Patrick from budgets made easy
#7 Chit-Chat
One sign I noticed when I had a couple try and pass $2800 worth of fake $20 bills, was that they were exceedingly chatty, as if scared to complete the sale. For about 20 minutes, I kept thinking in my head: 'when are these guys going to pay and take their ring?'
Contributor: Lucas Horton from valeria custom jewelry
#8 Understanding
Never invest in anything that you don't understand. In a prison interview, Bernie Madoff had the nerve to actually blame his victims for their plight when he said that anyone who looked into what he said he was doing would have been able to see it was impossible to achieve. We often don't want to appear to be unintelligent and so we may not inquire enough for explanations of a particular investment. Scammers take advantage of that.
Contributor: Steven J.J. Weisman, Esq. from scamicide
#9 Trust No One
Trust me, you can't trust anyone. Too often we trust scam artists, the only criminals we refer to as artists, who take advantage of that trust to swindle us. Sometimes it is because they appear to be well credentialed authorities. Other times it may be a matter of affinity fraud where we trust someone merely because he is like us. The affinity may be religion, nationality, race, fraternal organization or any other type of affinity.
Contributor: Steven J.J. Weisman, Esq. from scamicide
#10 Credentials
Never rely on apparent credentials without independently checking out whether the person offering the investment is qualified and if he or she has had claims made against him or her. Don't trust your instincts when it comes to affinity fraud. Someone like you should be investigated even further because you should recognize your susceptibility to trust that person.
Contributor: Steven J.J. Weisman, Esq. from scamicide
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