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Confessions of a convicted con-man...

by BrianMcLeod
30 replies
Knowing the playbook for how white-collar criminals and other sociopaths perpetrate their fraud goes a very long way toward keeping yourself out of their meat grinder.

The bullets below describe that playbook to the letter. If you recognize the patterns in a Warrior's conduct, WAKE UP and WALK AWAY.

Excerpted from "The Art of Spinning"
  • Sell people hope. My cousin ‘Crazy Eddie’ Antar taught me that “people live on hope” and their hopes and dreams must be fed through our spin and lies. In any situation, if possible, accentuate the positive.
  • Make excuses as long as you can. Try to have your excuses based on at least one truthful fact even if the fact is unrelated to your actions and argument.
  • When you cannot dispute the underlying facts, accept them as true but rationalize your actions. You are allowed to make mistakes as long as you have no wrongful intent. Being stupid is not a crime.
  • Always say in words you “take responsibility” but try to indirectly shift the blame on other people and factors. You need to portray yourself as a “stand up” guy or gal.
  • When you cannot defend your actions or arguments attack the messenger to detract attention from your questionable actions.
  • Always show your kindness by doing people favors. You will require the gratitude of such people to come to your aid and defend you.
  • Build up your stature, integrity, and credibility by publicizing the good deeds you have done in areas unrelated to the subject of scrutiny.
  • Build a strong base of support. Try to have surrogates and the beneficiaries of your largess stand up for you and defend you.
  • If you can, appear to take the “high road” and have your surrogates do the “dirty work” for you. After all, you cannot control the actions of your zealots.
  • When you can no longer spin, shut up. For example, offer no guidance to investors or resign for “personal reasons.” Your surrogates and so-called friends can still speak on your behalf and defend you.

* Hat Tip to my friend Caliban Darklock who shared this link yesterday in one of my favorite FB groups about persuasion as a means of discussing the psychology involved.
#confessions #conman #convicted #fraud
  • Profile picture of the author Melissahoster
    Banned
    Originally Posted by BrianMcLeod View Post

    Knowing the playbook for how white-collar criminals and other sociopaths perpetrate their fraud goes a very long way toward keeping yourself out of their meat grinder.

    The bullets below describe that playbook to the letter. If you recognize the patterns in a Warrior's conduct, WAKE UP and WALK AWAY.

    Excerpted from "The Art of Spinning"
    • Sell people hope. My cousin 'Crazy Eddie' Antar taught me that "people live on hope" and their hopes and dreams must be fed through our spin and lies. In any situation, if possible, accentuate the positive.
    • Make excuses as long as you can. Try to have your excuses based on at least one truthful fact even if the fact is unrelated to your actions and argument.
    • When you cannot dispute the underlying facts, accept them as true but rationalize your actions. You are allowed to make mistakes as long as you have no wrongful intent. Being stupid is not a crime.
    • Always say in words you "take responsibility" but try to indirectly shift the blame on other people and factors. You need to portray yourself as a "stand up" guy or gal.
    • When you cannot defend your actions or arguments attack the messenger to detract attention from your questionable actions.
    • Always show your kindness by doing people favors. You will require the gratitude of such people to come to your aid and defend you.
    • Build up your stature, integrity, and credibility by publicizing the good deeds you have done in areas unrelated to the subject of scrutiny.
    • Build a strong base of support. Try to have surrogates and the beneficiaries of your largess stand up for you and defend you.
    • If you can, appear to take the "high road" and have your surrogates do the "dirty work" for you. After all, you cannot control the actions of your zealots.
    • When you can no longer spin, shut up. For example, offer no guidance to investors or resign for "personal reasons." Your surrogates and so-called friends can still speak on your behalf and defend you.

    * Hat Tip to my friend Caliban Darklock who shared this link yesterday in one of my favorite FB groups about persuasion as a means of discussing the psychology involved.
    That's a crash course for politicians. LOL. "Sell people hope" - yeah that's what they keep doing all the time.
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    • Profile picture of the author BrianMcLeod
      Originally Posted by Melissahoster View Post

      That's a crash course for politicians. LOL. "Sell people hope" - yeah that's what they keep doing all the time.
      Just to be clear - selling hope is a predicate for virtually all sales.

      If your prospect doesn't have hope for a different experience than they're currently having, you don't have much of a prospect.

      That said, in the case of a lying liar who lies to their customer...

      Hope is like pain meds and they've got control of the IV.
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  • Profile picture of the author IrisMKH
    Originally Posted by BrianMcLeod View Post

    • Sell people hope.
    The business plan of the diet industry?
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  • Profile picture of the author Brent Stangel
    Make excuses as long as you can. Try to have your excuses based on at least one truthful fact even if the fact is unrelated to your actions and argument.
    When you cannot dispute the underlying facts, accept them as true but rationalize your actions. You are allowed to make mistakes as long as you have no wrongful intent. Being stupid is not a crime.
    Always say in words you “take responsibility” but try to indirectly shift the blame on other people and factors. You need to portray yourself as a “stand up” guy or gal.
    When you cannot defend your actions or arguments attack the messenger to detract attention from your questionable actions.
    So, you've met my ex-girlfriend!
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    Get Off The Warrior Forum Now & Don't Come Back If You Want To Succeed!
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    • Profile picture of the author BrianMcLeod
      Originally Posted by Brent Stangel View Post

      So, you've met my ex-girlfriend!
      Confidence games don't just happen in business, do they?
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      Brian McLeod
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      • Profile picture of the author Kay King
        Reading through that list I'm reminded of several people who have come and gone here and some still here....it truly is a checklist. The best cons are the ones who convince you of their sincerity every step along the way
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        • Profile picture of the author BrianMcLeod
          Originally Posted by Kay King View Post

          Reading through that list I'm reminded of several people who have come and gone here and some still here....it truly is a checklist. The best cons are the ones who convince you of their sincerity every step along the way
          Another "snake's gonna bite you" clue:

          When the spin machine goes into hyperdrive and miles of words flow forth promising to make everyone whole...

          ...featuring language like "working on", "planning to", "in the works"...

          ...accompanied by zero ACTION to do so...

          Look out.
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          Brian McLeod
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  • Profile picture of the author Lurk
    It all sounds the same to me...it really is hard to decipher con man from business man because they both use the same tools. In fact some business men become con men.... I've watched american greed and the two episodes that stuck out the most was the guy who bought the hockey team and was revered in his community only to commit a ponzi. The other episode was the guy who actually was hitting home runs with his stock picks, he invested in companies like aol, ebay, and a few others. When things got tight he perpetuated his scheme.

    As far as this forum, it is easy to see if someone is serious or not based on their ultimate action which is no action.

    Hence: Big bad investor man claim he wants to invest.

    Big bad product man dance around questions when you go to the core of how you are going to make money.

    Big bad forum poster pose as an expert to get his sig link seen with common knowledge advice. (mind warriors do this alot).

    ranted long enough.

    Last Note: This sounds like a copywriting section thread....newbies might want to check that area of the forum out, alot of post like this are happening there.
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  • Profile picture of the author EmpireMarket
    Great post!

    what an eye opener...
    It is really interesting to see how the "dark side" look like...

    The line between good and bad is often very blurry.. so is the line between businessman and a scammer
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    Check out www.therichparty.com/blog for REAL tips on how to make money online... No fluff no schemes just real honest contents..

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  • Profile picture of the author The Niche Man
    Originally Posted by BrianMcLeod View Post

    • Build up your stature, integrity, and credibility by publicizing the good deeds you have done in areas unrelated to the subject of scrutiny.
    .
    Ha, Ha ... Straight from the Donald Sterling playbook. Throw a few grand to the NAACP and those people will forget your racist habits. Plus, your players and coach will love you.
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    • Profile picture of the author Steve B
      One of the truly sad outgrowths of all this is that . . .

      Many newbies and even the more experienced who do not see what's going on may believe that this is the way Internet marketing is done . . . it's the formula for success and the ends (profit) justify the means.

      Often, crime does pay.

      Steve
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      • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
        Originally Posted by Steve B View Post

        One of the truly sad outgrowths of all this is that . . .

        Many newbies and even the more experienced who do not see what's going on may believe that this is the way Internet marketing is done . . . it's the formula for success and the ends (profit) justify the means.

        Often, crime does pay.

        Steve
        Yep, reminds me of a fairly recent thread where a "marketer" advocated making up a character and story about how an affiliate product helped the character when nothing else did, then presenting the character and story as real.

        Several other people jumped to defend the tactic, saying it was all about the money and whatever it took for them to get paid was okay. One even tried to justify it by comparing some diet plan ebook on Clickbank to a cure for cancer, saying he "owed it to people" to con them into buying through his link.

        Turned my stomach to read the posts by newbies gushing thanks for this advice...
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      • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
        Originally Posted by Steve B View Post

        One of the truly sad outgrowths of all this is that . . .

        Many newbies and even the more experienced who do not see what's going on may believe that this is the way Internet marketing is done . . . it's the formula for success and the ends (profit) justify the means.

        Often, crime does pay.

        Steve
        It may pay, but only in the short run. And by constantly burning your bridges.....you can never build momentum.

        I've only known a few real con-men. At 25, they may be smart looking, and have some money.
        But I don't know any con men that really build anything.

        Added after I made my horrific discovery;
        Wait a minute! I just realized that I followed a link, and now I'm in the Main Forum. My name is Dan Riffle.
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      • Profile picture of the author BigFrank
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        Originally Posted by Steve B View Post

        Often, crime does pay. Steve
        Of course, crime pays and pays big. That's why there is so much of it.

        Cheers. - Frank
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  • Profile picture of the author Clyde Dennis
    Reads like the playbook of every single politician I've ever heard in MY entire existence. All of them.
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  • Profile picture of the author Rbtmarshall
    I agree with what lurk says. And who's to say this thread isn't spinning itself?
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  • Profile picture of the author adamv
    I get multiple emails every day from people who are hitting some or all of the bullet points you laid out. The make money online niche must be full of sociopaths.
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    • Profile picture of the author gjabiz
      Don LaPre, Kevin Trudeau and my fav of all time...

      Gary (walk on fire) Shawkey, now rotting (thank God) away in a CA prison with no chance of being let out.

      He was a GURU super star about a decade ago, all kinds of IM products, auto ship supplements, courses, investments.

      He was a petty criminal in Akron, who rose to IM stardom...and ended up killing his investor.

      A few of the early Warriors actually endorsed and had affiliate programs with him...Gary had a personal creed, "F**K em, take their money."

      It is a Hydra Wack a Mole thing with IM. -And their success? -Even Bernie Madoff was the toast of Palm Beach, yachts, homes and art to prove it.

      Maybe Bernie could bunk with Gary Shawkey, they could write another great inspirational and motivational best seller.

      gjabiz

      PS. Gary Shawkey. NOT one of a kind.
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  • Profile picture of the author seekdefo
    I have been scammed a few times, once around $600, at other times the amounts were smaller. The characteristics described here are similar. Also a glance at any wso thread that's on it's way down would show all these.
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  • Profile picture of the author HelpingYouBeAnExpert
    You're blind those are small potatoes. The big criminals are the ones making the rules and convincing you that you are free.
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