Summary

From offers “too good to be true” to presenting false information, confidence schemes are employed worldwide for illicit financial gain. Some criminals, known as confidence men (or women), con artists, or grifters, rely on a gift for gab or lies and deception to steal money or commit other crimes. When on top of his or her game, the con artist can manipulate or trick a victim into willfully handing money over, usually in anticipation of a bogus financial return. Cons and Frauds looks at the history these moneymaking scams, how individuals and police can fight them, and what signs to look for to avoid being the next dupe on a con artist’s list.

Chapters include:

• Anatomy of a Con
• How to Avoid Common Scams
• ID Theft
• E-Cons: Scamming on the Grifter Superhighway
• Educating the Public.

• Different types of cons
• The short con versus more elaborate deceptions
• How and why cons work
• Law enforcement sting operations
• Grifter jargon
• Bribery and illegal fixes
• International efforts to inform the public about cons
• Online scams and deceptions.

Specifications

Full-color and black-and-white photographs and illustrations. Sidebars. Chronology. Bibliography. Endnotes. Further resources. Index.

About the Author(s)

Michael Benson is the author of 50 books, including the true-crime books Betrayal in Blood and Lethal Embrace. He also wrote The Encyclopedia of the JFK Assassination for Facts On File. Originally from Rochester, NY, he is a graduate of Hofstra University.