Fact-checked by Grok 2 weeks ago

Con Man

A con man, short for confidence man or con artist, is a fraudster who manipulates victims by establishing trust through deception, typically to steal money, valuables, or services. The term "confidence man" originated in 1849, when New York authorities arrested William Thompson for approaching strangers on the street and asking, "Have you confidence in me to trust me with your watch until tomorrow?"—only to abscond with the item after receiving it.^[1] By 1889, the abbreviated form "con man" had entered common usage as a descriptor for such swindlers.^[1] The archetype of the con man emerged prominently in 19th-century America, fueled by urbanization, immigration, and economic instability that left people vulnerable to promises of quick wealth or security.^[2] These schemes often prey on psychological factors, such as the human tendency to reciprocate trust and the allure of low-risk, high-reward opportunities, allowing con men to operate across social classes and evade detection for extended periods.^[3] Common tactics include the "short con" for small, immediate gains—like the pigeon drop, where victims are tricked into "investing" in found money—and more elaborate "long cons" involving fabricated identities or investments.^[4] Notable historical examples illustrate the con man's ingenuity and impact. Charles Ponzi, an Italian immigrant in Boston, ran a massive fraud in 1920 by promising 50% returns in 45 days through supposed international reply coupon arbitrage, but he sustained payouts using funds from new investors, defrauding over 40,000 people of an estimated $15 million before the scheme collapsed.^[5] Similarly, in the 1960s, Frank Abagnale Jr. forged checks while impersonating a Pan Am pilot and other professionals before his arrest in 1969 on charges involving about $1,450 in bad checks.^[6] Such figures highlight how con men adapt to their eras, from street-level hustles to sophisticated financial manipulations, often inspiring literature, films, and ongoing efforts in fraud prevention.^[7]

Etymology and Terminology

Origin of the Term

The term "con man" originates from "confidence man," a phrase rooted in 19th-century American slang that describes a fraudster who gains the victim's trust—or "confidence"—before executing the deception.^[8] This etymology reflects the core mechanism of such scams, where the perpetrator builds rapport to lower defenses, a tactic central to early confidence games.^[9] The first documented use of "confidence man" appeared in the New York Herald on July 8, 1849, in an article titled "Arrest of the Confidence Man," reporting the arrest of William Thompson, a swindler who approached strangers on the street, dressed respectably, and asked if they had sufficient confidence in him to lend items like watches or money, only to abscond with them.^[9] Thompson's case, involving multiple thefts in New York City, captured public attention and led reporter Alexander James Houston (credited as the coiner) to apply the term in the police blotter section, marking its debut in print.^[8] The Herald's coverage, including follow-up editorials, popularized the phrase amid rising urban crime reports in antebellum America.^[9] By the 1890s, the expression evolved as "confidence game" shortened to "con," with "con man" emerging in slang dictionaries and newspapers during the Yellow Journalism era, when sensational crime stories amplified public fascination with fraudsters. For instance, an 1881 article in the New York Sun defined "con man" as a shorthand for "confidence man," reflecting its growing colloquial adoption in urban vernacular.^[10] This abbreviation facilitated broader usage in literature and media, solidifying "con man" as the standard term by the early 20th century. Regional variations include the British "con merchant," which emphasizes the deceptive trade like a vendor peddling falsehoods, and the Australian "con artist," highlighting the performative skill in the swindle, both adaptations maintaining the trust-based essence of the original.^[11] Several terms synonymous with "con man" have emerged in English slang, reflecting the deceptive nature of such figures. The word swindler, denoting a fraudster who cheats through deception, originated in 1774 as a borrowing from German Schwindler, meaning "one who cheats," derived from schwindeln "to be dizzy or cheat."^[12] Similarly, grifter refers to a confidence trickster or petty swindler, tracing back to 1906 American carnival slang as an alteration of grafter, itself slang for a thief or corrupt person engaged in "graft" or illicit gain.^[13] Hustler, in the context of fraud, describes a swindler who uses aggressive or unscrupulous tactics to obtain money, a usage rooted in early 20th-century American slang for a cheat or sharper, evolving from the verb hustle meaning to push or deceive.^[14] The term sharper , an older synonym for a professional cheat or gambler who swindles by sharp practices, dates to the 1680s as a variant of sharker, implying one who preys shrewdly like a shark.^[15] Cultural variations highlight how deception is linguistically framed across societies. In French, escroc signifies a crook or swindler, derived from the verb escroquer "to swindle," which was borrowed from Italian scroccare "to sponge or beg deceitfully," ultimately of Germanic origin and cognate with English crook.^[16] In Japanese, the term for fraud or swindle is sagi (詐欺), composed of kanji meaning "deceive" and "lie," evoking the artful misleading central to confidence tricks; a con artist is known as sagishi (詐欺師).^[17] Modern terminology has adapted to technological and specific fraudulent contexts. Scammer, a back-formation from scam (itself from 19th-century British slang for a confidence trick), gained prominence in the late 20th century with the rise of digital fraud, referring to perpetrators of online deceptions like phishing or identity theft.^[18] The phrase Ponzi schemer describes operators of pyramid-like investment frauds, named after Charles Ponzi, whose 1920 scheme in Boston promised high returns funded by new investors, defrauding thousands before collapsing. Terminology has also shifted toward gender neutrality to encompass female practitioners. The late 20th-century preference for con artist over "con man" reflects inclusive language, accommodating figures like Cassie Chadwick (1857–1907), a Canadian-born swindler who, under various aliases, nearly defrauded banks of $2 million by posing as an heiress, one of the era's most notorious female fraudsters.^[19]

Historical Development

Early Confidence Games

The precursors to modern confidence games can be traced to ancient civilizations, where deception in trade and medicine exploited trust in everyday transactions. In ancient Egypt, records from around 525 BCE describe tax collectors using inaccurate grain measures to overcharge householders and skim profits for themselves, a form of marketplace fraud that undermined communal trust in official weights and scales.^[20] These early scams relied on the victim's reliance on visible authority, such as standardized measures, foreshadowing the trust-based manipulations of later eras. In ancient Rome, fraudsters capitalized on public credulity through the sale of nonexistent or ineffective remedies, as critiqued by Pliny the Elder in his Natural History. Pliny described how the medical art's origins in divine oracles fostered ongoing gullibility, with charlatans promoting exaggerated or fabricated cures derived from living creatures to exploit the lucrative instability of the field.^[21] He highlighted societal folly in accepting fables and embellished claims, such as those surrounding the god Æsculapius, which masked fraudulent practices in healing and trade.^[21] These "credulity taxes"—deceptive premiums paid for illusory benefits—illustrated how Romans were repeatedly duped by vendors promising supernatural efficacy, a tactic that preyed on desperation and faith in expertise. By the 17th and 18th centuries, itinerant peddlers in Europe and colonial America refined trust-based deceptions through quack medicines and fortune-telling. Peddlers, often called "quacksalvers," hawked dubious salves and elixirs in markets, boasting miraculous cures with theatrical sermons and exotic ingredient claims to build false confidence before vanishing.^[22] In colonial America, these scams proliferated post-Revolution, with sellers using distraction and hype to offload worthless remedies, evading exposure by fleeing towns.^[22] Concurrently, Roma communities in Europe faced stereotypes as fortune-tellers and deceivers, with 17th-century accounts like Jacob Thomasius's labeling their palm-reading and sorcery as fraudulent tricks to justify expulsions.^[23] By the 18th century, courts in Sweden and Spain prosecuted such practices as deliberate cons rather than magic, punishing both practitioners and credulous clients who paid for illusory insights.^[23] A pivotal example of escalating financial deception occurred in 1720 with the South Sea Bubble in Britain, which influenced early stock frauds across Europe and colonial America. The South Sea Company, granted a monopoly on trade with South America, saw its shares manipulated through insider bribes and false promises of riches, leading to a speculative frenzy that collapsed and ruined thousands.^[24] Directors engaged in widespread corruption, including fraudulent accounting to inflate stock values, exposing how elite trust in chartered enterprises enabled mass deception.^[24] This event, blending folly and fraud, set precedents for exploiting investor confidence in emerging markets. These pre-19th-century schemes laid the groundwork for formalized confidence games in the following century.

Evolution in the 19th and 20th Centuries

The industrialization and urbanization of the 19th century profoundly transformed confidence games, enabling con artists to exploit emerging technologies like railroads and telegraphs for larger-scale operations. Post-Civil War America, marked by rapid economic expansion and speculative fervor during the Gilded Age, saw a surge in fake investment schemes that preyed on fortune seekers arriving via rail networks. Railroads facilitated the mobility of both victims and perpetrators, with depots in cities like Denver serving as prime hunting grounds for "bunco steerers" who lured travelers to rigged gambling houses or fraudulent stock parlors. For instance, the 1889 attempted robbery of a Denver and Rio Grande train involved conspirators accused in a plot that may have been a sting operation or confidence scheme hatched during a card game.^[25] Telegraphs further amplified these scams by allowing con men to coordinate rapidly and fabricate insider information, as seen in wire fraud schemes where operators claimed to intercept race results or stock tips for gullible marks. These technological enablers, combined with lax regulation, turned localized tricks into itinerant, multi-player frauds that capitalized on the era's risk-taking culture.^[25] In the 1920s and 1930s, Prohibition and the Great Depression introduced new vulnerabilities that evolved con games into more structured deceptions. The ban on alcohol from 1920 to 1933 fueled bootlegging cons, where fraudsters posed as suppliers or distributors to sell counterfeit liquor or extract protection payments from speakeasies, often blending illegal alcohol trade with confidence rackets in urban underworlds. Economic desperation during the Depression popularized street-level short cons like three-card monte, a sleight-of-hand game where shills encouraged bets on locating a marked card among three, only for the dealer to manipulate the outcome and abscond with winnings; this trick thrived amid widespread unemployment and migration, preying on hopes for quick cash. Linguist David W. Maurer's seminal 1940 study documented the era's "big cons," elaborate setups like the "wire" or "rag," where teams built false rapport over days to swindle marks out of thousands through phony stock or horse-race schemes, reflecting a shift toward professionalized, narrative-driven frauds.^[26]^[27] The mid-20th century brought further adaptations through mass media and postwar prosperity, expanding the reach of confidence tricks. In the 1930s, radio emerged as a tool for fraud, with con artists using broadcasts to promote bogus investment opportunities or miracle cures, exploiting the medium's novelty to build instant credibility among listeners; schemes often involved fake testimonials or urgency tactics to solicit mail-order payments that never yielded returns. Following World War II, the housing boom of the 1940s and 1950s spurred real estate flips, where scammers sold nonexistent or overvalued lots in speculative subdivisions, particularly in Florida's 1950s land rush, promising suburban dreams to veterans but delivering worthless parcels through deceptive brochures and down payments. These operations mimicked legitimate development by using printed ads and sales offices to extract funds before vanishing.^[28]^[29]^[30] Organized crime's involvement in the 1950s elevated these evolutions, with "big store" operations simulating entire legitimate enterprises to perpetrate large-scale frauds. Mob-affiliated groups rented or acquired supermarkets and wholesalers, placing massive credit orders for merchandise during peak seasons like holidays, then resold goods at discounts to controlled outlets before declaring bankruptcy and fleeing, defrauding suppliers of hundreds of thousands. Examples include the 1955 Capital Meat Market scam, where operators under false names amassed $150,000 in unpaid meat orders, and the 1957-1958 Tops All Supermarket case, involving over $150,000 in fraudulent purchases tied to New York crime figures. These schemes relied on initial small payments to establish trust, blending seamlessly with postwar retail growth to mask their criminal ties.^[31]

Methods and Techniques

Core Principles of Confidence Tricks

Confidence tricks, often referred to as cons, operate on foundational psychological and operational strategies that exploit human vulnerabilities such as greed and the desire for easy gain. A key distinction exists between the "big con" and the "small con," with the former involving elaborate, multi-stage deceptions targeting a single individual for substantial financial payouts, while the latter consists of quick, opportunistic swindles that extract smaller amounts from multiple victims in street-level settings.^[32]^[33] This differentiation underscores the big con's reliance on prolonged manipulation and theatrical staging, as opposed to the small con's brevity and minimal setup.^[32] Central to any confidence trick is the selection of "the mark," the intended victim, which requires careful reconnaissance to identify individuals exhibiting traits like greed, isolation, or a propensity for illicit opportunities. Con artists, or grifters, use intuition and observation—termed "grift sense"—to assess potential marks based on cues such as financial status, personality, and willingness to engage in dishonest schemes, ensuring the target is vulnerable yet unlikely to report the crime due to embarrassment or complicity.^[34]^[33] This process, known as the "put-up," allows the con operator to tailor the deception, prioritizing those whose cupidity can be aroused without immediate suspicion.^[34] Once selected, building rapport forms the psychological core of the operation, achieved through "the rope" and "the build-up" phases to foster false trust before the "blow-off," where the payout occurs. In the rope stage, a "roper"—often an accomplice—initiates contact and draws the mark into the scheme by presenting a tantalizing, low-risk opportunity that excites their greed, such as insider information on a profitable venture.^[34]^[33] The build-up then escalates this by staging convincing interactions, including a "tale" outlining the scheme and a "convincer" demonstrating apparent success, thereby deepening the mark's investment and suspending disbelief.^[34] Finally, the blow-off extracts the funds through a climactic maneuver, such as a simulated crisis or payout, after which the mark is "cooled out" to prevent pursuit.^[34]^[32] These phases create a seamless narrative illusion, exploiting the mark's complicity in the dishonesty.^[33] Accomplices known as "shills" play a crucial role in simulating legitimacy and reinforcing the deception, often posing as fellow participants or neutral parties to normalize the scheme. In controlled environments like fake betting parlors or casinos, shills act as planted winners or staff to lure the mark into betting larger sums, creating the appearance of easy profits and peer validation.^[34]^[33] For instance, in wire cons involving rigged telegraph betting, shills pose as successful gamblers in a staged parlor, encouraging the mark to join while ensuring controlled losses only after investment.^[34] This collaborative element heightens the con's credibility, as the mark perceives independent corroboration rather than isolation in the fraud.^[33]

Common Scam Variants

One of the earliest documented confidence tricks, the Spanish Prisoner scam, originated in the 19th century and preys on victims' sympathy by claiming a wealthy noble is imprisoned in Spain and needs financial assistance to secure release and a promised reward.^[35] The perpetrator contacts the mark via letter or modern equivalents, building a narrative of urgency and secrecy while requesting small "fees" for bribes or legal costs, which escalate without ever delivering the fictional fortune.^[34] Similarly, the pig in a poke variant exploits the impulse to acquire bargains by offering unseen goods, such as a supposedly valuable animal concealed in a bag, which upon inspection reveals a worthless substitute like a cat.^[36] This mechanic relies on the buyer's inability to verify contents beforehand, a principle rooted in medieval marketplace deceptions where sellers avoided warranties under caveat emptor doctrines.^[34] Financial scams often employ advance-fee fraud, exemplified by the "Nigerian prince" scheme, where scammers pose as distressed foreign officials or heirs needing help to access blocked funds, promising the victim a share in exchange for upfront payments covering taxes, bribes, or transfers.^[37] Victims are drawn in through unsolicited emails or letters that establish credibility with fabricated documents, only to face repeated fee demands as obstacles multiply, resulting in total losses without any payout.^[38] Investment cons like Ponzi schemes operate by recruiting investors with assurances of high returns from a nonexistent or low-yield enterprise, using funds from new participants to pay "profits" to earlier ones, creating an illusion of legitimacy until recruitment slows and the structure collapses.^[39] The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission notes that these schemes sustain themselves through exponential growth in participants, often lasting years before insolvency exposes the fraud.^[39] Romance scams, frequently involving catfishing, begin with fabricated online personas on dating sites or social media to cultivate emotional bonds, progressing to requests for money under pretexts like medical emergencies, travel costs, or business opportunities.^[40] Perpetrators, often operating from overseas, avoid in-person meetings and use urgency to extract funds via untraceable methods such as wire transfers or gift cards, leading to median losses of $2,000 per victim in 2023, according to Federal Trade Commission data; reported total losses reached $1.14 billion that year, with further increases in 2024. Modern variants often involve cryptocurrency demands.^[41]^[42] These variants intersect with identity theft when scammers harvest personal details during interactions to commit further fraud, such as opening accounts or applying for loans in the victim's name.^[43] Street-level tricks emphasize physical misdirection, as in the shell game, where an operator shuffles three cups or shells to conceal a pea or ball, inviting bets on its location while using sleight of hand to manipulate outcomes and ensure losses.^[44] This confidence game thrives on the mark's overconfidence in observation, with accomplices distracting or confirming "wins" to encourage larger wagers before the reveal.^[45] Fake charity collections deploy similar tactics by impersonating legitimate causes during crises, soliciting cash donations door-to-door or via phone with emotional appeals and counterfeit credentials to pressure immediate giving.^[46] Scammers favor irreversible payment forms like cash or prepaid cards to evade traceability, often vanishing after amassing funds from multiple marks in a short period.^[47]

Notable Figures

Pioneering Con Artists

One of the earliest figures to embody the con artist archetype was William Thompson, active in New York City during the 1840s. Approaching strangers on the street dressed as a gentleman, Thompson would engage them in conversation to build rapport before asking to borrow their watch or money as a test of mutual confidence, only to abscond with the items.^[48] His methods popularized the term "confidence man," derived from his reliance on gaining victims' trust through feigned familiarity.^[49] Thompson's arrest in 1849, as reported in contemporary newspapers, marked one of the first high-profile cases of such systematic deception in urban America.^[9] In the late 19th century, Jefferson Randolph "Soapy" Smith emerged as a notorious operator in the American West, particularly in Colorado mining towns like Creede and Denver. Smith ran elaborate scams including the "prize soap" racket, where he sold sealed bars of soap promising cash prizes hidden inside but rigged the outcomes to favor his accomplices.^[50] He also established fake telegraph offices that charged exorbitant fees for nonexistent services and oversaw shell games and crooked gambling dens.^[51] By amassing a gang of bunko artists, Smith controlled vice districts and extracted wealth from prospectors, exemplifying organized confidence crime in frontier settings until his death in 1898.^[52] Victor Lustig, operating in the 1920s, elevated forgery and impersonation to audacious levels by posing as a French government official to "sell" the Eiffel Tower for scrap metal not once, but twice. In 1925, Lustig forged official documents and stationery from the Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs, claiming the tower was to be demolished due to maintenance costs, and convinced scrap dealer André Poisson to pay a bribe of 70,000 francs.^[53] When Poisson hesitated to report the scam out of embarrassment, Lustig repeated the con with another victim months later before fleeing to the United States.^[53] His scheme highlighted the power of exploiting bureaucratic opacity and victims' greed. Among pioneering female con artists, Jeanne de Valois-Saint-Rémy orchestrated the infamous Diamond Necklace Affair in the 1780s, defrauding French nobility through masterful impersonation. Leveraging her distant royal lineage, Jeanne posed as an intimate of Queen Marie Antoinette, forging letters and staging secret meetings to convince Cardinal de Rohan that the queen desired a lavish diamond necklace worth 1.6 million livres.^[54] She facilitated the cardinal's purchase of the necklace from jewelers Boehmer and Bassenge, then had her husband and accomplices dismantle and sell the gems abroad, pocketing the proceeds. The 1785 trial exposed the fraud, damaging the monarchy's reputation, though Jeanne was convicted and whipped before escaping to London.^[55] Her exploit demonstrated how women could manipulate social hierarchies and forge elite connections for gain.

20th-Century Icons

Frank Abagnale Jr. emerged as one of the most audacious con artists of the mid-20th century, beginning his schemes in the 1960s at the age of 16 after his parents' divorce left him financially adrift.^[56] He innovated by leveraging uniforms and forged credentials to impersonate professionals, starting with a Pan Am pilot to cash fraudulent payroll checks, then a doctor, lawyer, and university teaching assistant, which allowed him to travel freely and build credibility.^[56] His forgery techniques involved altering check security features and using model airplane glue for fake Pan Am ID badges, enabling him to defraud banks and businesses of over $2.5 million across 26 countries before turning 21.^[57] Abagnale's downfall came in 1969 when French police arrested him at age 21 following an airline stewardess's tip-off; he faced extradition and imprisonment in multiple countries, later reforming to work as a fraud consultant.^[56] Charles Ponzi, an Italian immigrant, orchestrated one of the earliest large-scale investment frauds in 1920 Boston, promising investors 50% returns in just 45 days through an arbitrage scheme involving international reply coupons, though he never invested the funds.^[58] His innovation lay in using early payouts to later investors from new inflows to create an illusion of legitimacy, attracting over 40,000 participants from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds via aggressive word-of-mouth and newspaper ads.^[59] This pyramid structure defrauded investors of approximately $15 million in 1920 dollars before collapsing under scrutiny from journalist Clarence Barron and federal investigators.^[59] Ponzi's scheme unraveled in August 1920 amid bankruptcy proceedings revealing massive debts; he was convicted of mail fraud and served over 12 years in prison across U.S. and Canadian facilities.^[59] Ferdinand Waldo Demara Jr., dubbed the "Great Impostor," captivated the 1950s with his ability to assume high-stakes roles without formal training, relying on charisma, a claimed photographic memory, and on-the-fly learning from textbooks.^[60] His most daring imposture occurred during the Korean War when he stole the credentials of Dr. Joseph Cyr to pose as a surgeon-lieutenant in the Royal Canadian Navy aboard HMCS Cayuga, successfully performing numerous complex operations—including amputations and bullet extractions—on wounded soldiers using scavenged medical texts and consultations with superiors, with all patients surviving.^[60] Demara also impersonated educators, such as a high school biology teacher in Maine and a philosophy dean at a Pennsylvania college, where he taught without credentials by preparing rigorously and delegating difficult tasks.^[60] His deceptions spanned North America, but exposure came in 1951 when the real Dr. Cyr returned from vacation and alerted authorities after reading about "his" naval commendations, leading to Demara's dishonorable discharge from the Navy without criminal charges due to his wartime successes.^[60] Cassie Chadwick, born Elizabeth Bigley, exemplified early 20th-century gender-based cons by posing as the illegitimate daughter of steel magnate Andrew Carnegie in the early 1900s, exploiting societal fascination with industrial tycoons and women's limited financial access.^[61] Her method involved forging promissory notes signed by Carnegie—such as a $500,000 instrument backed by supposed $10 million in bonds held in trust—to convince bankers of her elite lineage, allowing her to live lavishly in Ohio and secure loans without collateral scrutiny.^[61] This ruse defrauded multiple banks of over $2 million through notes from institutions like the Citizens' National Bank in Oberlin ($240,000) and Herbert Newton's bank ($190,000).^[61] Chadwick's scheme collapsed in 1904 when a defaulted loan prompted Newton to investigate, revealing the forgeries; Carnegie publicly denied any connection, leading to her 1905 conviction for bank fraud and a 10-year prison sentence, from which she was released early in 1907 due to health issues.^[61]

Societal and Legal Impact

Psychological and Economic Effects

Victims of confidence scams often experience profound psychological distress, including intense shame and embarrassment that lead to self-blame and social withdrawal. This emotional response frequently results in underreporting, as victims fear judgment or ridicule, exacerbating the isolation and hindering recovery efforts.^[62] Studies indicate that such shame can mirror the trauma of interpersonal violations, prompting victims to internalize fault and avoid seeking support.^[63] In severe cases, the betrayal and financial devastation can trigger PTSD-like symptoms, such as hypervigilance, flashbacks, and intrusive thoughts about the deception. A survey of victims from the Bernard Madoff Ponzi scheme revealed that over half exhibited clinically significant PTSD symptoms, linking sudden financial ruin to heightened trauma risk.^[64] These effects are compounded by anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation, with one victim describing the ordeal as feeling "as though my mind was disintegrating," leading to numbness and persistent dread.^[63] Another elderly victim reported her phone becoming "a device of horror," fostering paranoia that eroded her daily sense of security.^[63] Economically, confidence scams impose substantial burdens, with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center reporting $6.57 billion in losses to investment fraud in the U.S. in 2024, part of total reported cybercrime losses of $16.6 billion—a 33% increase from 2023.^[65] These losses extend beyond individuals to societal costs, including diminished productivity and increased reliance on social services. On a broader level, repeated exposure to scams erodes public trust in financial institutions and digital platforms, with surveys showing that 36% of victims become less trusting of online systems post-fraud.^[66] This cynicism fosters a more guarded society, where interpersonal and institutional relationships suffer long-term suspicion. Vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, face amplified risks through affinity scams that exploit community ties, often resulting in the loss of life savings and irreversible financial insecurity. For instance, adults aged 60 and older reported losses exceeding $3.4 billion to elder fraud in 2023, with romance scams contributing significantly as total romance scam losses reached $1.3 billion in 2024.^[67]^[68]^[69] One 73-year-old victim felt "violated and abused" after losing nearly $20,000, her shame preventing her from sharing the experience widely.^[63] Long-term consequences include heightened cynicism toward others, persistent mental health challenges, and associated economic burdens from therapy and medication. Victims may grapple with depression and low self-esteem for years, as seen in a 59-year-old who, after losing $76,000 to a cryptocurrency scam, questioned his judgment and developed ongoing paranoia.^[63] Research highlights that financial fraud correlates with elevated rates of anxiety and stress, contributing to broader healthcare costs estimated in the millions annually for victim support services.^[70]

Legal Responses and Prevention

Legal responses to confidence tricks have evolved through targeted legislation aimed at prohibiting fraudulent schemes and enhancing international cooperation. In the United States, the Securities Act of 1933 serves as a foundational law, requiring full disclosure in securities offerings to prevent fraud and protect investors from deceptive practices.^[71] This act, enacted in response to the 1929 stock market crash, imposes civil and criminal liabilities for fraudulent sales of securities under Section 17(a).^[72] Complementing this, federal wire fraud statutes (18 U.S.C. § 1343) criminalize schemes to defraud using electronic communications, with penalties up to 20 years imprisonment, or 30 years if affecting financial institutions.^[73] Internationally, the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, adopted in 2000 and entering into force in 2003, promotes global cooperation to combat organized crime, including fraud-related activities such as money laundering and corruption that often underpin confidence schemes.^[74] With 194 parties as of November 2025, the convention facilitates extradition, mutual legal assistance, and information sharing to address cross-border criminal networks.^[75] Its protocols, such as those on trafficking in persons and migrant smuggling, indirectly target scam operations involving deception and exploitation.^[76] Enforcement is led by specialized agencies that investigate and prosecute confidence crimes. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) prioritizes white-collar crimes, including securities fraud, investment scams, and money laundering, through its dedicated teams that conduct complex investigations nationwide.^[77] On the international front, Interpol's cybercrime programs target social engineering scams, such as romance and investment frauds, by coordinating operations that have led to hundreds of arrests and millions in recovered funds across continents.^[78] These efforts emphasize disrupting global scam networks through joint task forces and real-time data exchange.^[79] Prevention strategies focus on public education and technological advancements to empower individuals and institutions against cons. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) provides comprehensive resources through its "Scams" portal, offering guides on recognizing common fraud tactics like phishing and investment schemes, with reports tripling for job scams from 2020 to 2024.^[80] These materials encourage reporting via ReportFraud.ftc.gov to aid in scam disruption.^[81] In banking, AI-driven fraud detection systems analyze transaction patterns in real-time to flag anomalies, with 91% of U.S. banks adopting such tools to reduce false positives and enhance accuracy over traditional methods.^[82] For instance, neural networks trained on historical data distinguish legitimate activities from fraudulent ones, preventing significant losses.^[83] Prosecution faces notable challenges, particularly in cross-border scams where jurisdictional conflicts arise due to differing national laws and evidence collection barriers.^[84] Criminals exploiting regulatory gaps across countries complicate enforcement, as extradition treaties vary and data sovereignty issues hinder international cooperation.^[85] Additionally, statutes of limitations impose time constraints; under 18 U.S.C. § 3282, most federal fraud prosecutions must commence within five years, though bank fraud extends to ten years per 18 U.S.C. § 3293.^[86] These limitations can bar cases if victims delay reporting, exacerbating economic impacts estimated in billions annually.^[87]

Representation in Culture

In Literature and Media

The portrayal of con men in literature dates back to the 19th century, where authors like Charles Dickens depicted them as embodiments of societal greed and exploitation. In The Old Curiosity Shop (1841), Daniel Quilp serves as a quintessential swindler, a grotesque dwarf who finances the protagonist Nell Trent's grandfather's gambling debts before seizing their shop and pursuing them with vengeful schemes, including framing an innocent character with false accusations.^[88] Quilp's predatory actions underscore Dickens's critique of industrial-era commerce, contrasting his inhumanity with the vulnerability of his victims. Similarly, Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884) features the Duke and the Dauphin as bumbling yet persistent grifters who join Huck and Jim on their raft, impersonating royalty to perpetrate scams across towns, such as fraudulent theatrical performances and inheritance frauds.^[89] These characters highlight 19th-century American fraudulence, exaggerating societal corruption through their greed-driven failures and eventual backlash.^[90] In film, con men often appear as clever antiheroes orchestrating elaborate deceptions against powerful foes. The Sting (1973), directed by George Roy Hill, centers on two grifters—Henry Gondorff (Paul Newman) and Johnny Hooker (Robert Redford)—who devise an intricate "big con" in 1930s Chicago to avenge a murdered partner by targeting a wealthy mobster through a fake wire room and rigged horse race.^[91] The film's episodic structure and stylish visuals emphasize their ingenuity, portraying cons as theatrical performances reliant on confidence rather than violence.^[92] Likewise, Catch Me If You Can (2002), directed by Steven Spielberg and based on the autobiography of real-life con artist Frank Abagnale Jr., follows a teenage forger (Leonardo DiCaprio) who impersonates a pilot, doctor, and lawyer to cash millions in fake checks, driven by family trauma and the thrill of assumed identities.^[93] DiCaprio's breezy charm disarms suspicion, framing Abagnale as an exhilarating trickster evading FBI agent Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks).^[94] The 1990 film adaptation of Jim Thompson's novel The Grifters, directed by Stephen Frears, shifts focus to familial cons, depicting Roy Dillon (John Cusack) navigating betrayals with his mother Lily (Anjelica Huston), a ruthless racetrack bettor, and girlfriend Myra (Annette Bening), a seductive decoy, in a web of small-time swindles marked by Oedipal tension and mutual exploitation.^[95] These depictions frequently employ thematic tropes of the con man as either a charming rogue or a villainous predator, often blurring moral lines to explore ambiguity. The charming rogue, exemplified by Abagnale's witty evasions and the Sting's strategic avengers, relies on charisma to humanize fraud as a clever rebellion against authority, while the villainous predator, like Quilp's vengeful greed or the Duke and Dauphin's escalating scams, reveals deception's destructive core.^[96] This duality creates moral ambiguity, as seen in The Grifters' portrayal of family bonds warped by inherited deceit, questioning whether cons stem from survival or inherent corruption without fully condemning the perpetrators.^[95] Such tropes, rooted in narratives like David Maurer's The Big Con (1940), reflect broader cultural fascination with fraud's psychological allure and ethical gray areas.^[96]

Modern Depictions and Lessons

In the 21st century, digital streaming platforms have prominently featured con artists in true-crime narratives, shifting focus toward real-life digital-age deceptions. The Netflix series Inventing Anna (2022), created by Shonda Rhimes, dramatizes the story of Anna Sorokin, who posed as a wealthy heiress to defraud New York high society of over $275,000 between 2013 and 2017.^[97] Similarly, the documentary The Tinder Swindler (2022), directed by Felicity Morris, exposes Simon Leviev's scheme, where he allegedly conned multiple women out of millions by fabricating a diamond magnate persona on the dating app Tinder from 2017 to 2019.^[98] In 2025, Prime Video released the docuseries ROMCON: Who the F**k is Jason Porter?, which details how Canadian con artist Jason Porter, posing as a romantic partner, scammed women including real estate broker Heather Rovet through fabricated identities and emotional manipulation.^[99] These productions highlight the vulnerabilities exploited by modern fraudsters in online social networks, portraying cons as intimate betrayals rather than elaborate heists. Podcasts have also amplified awareness of romance scams, a prevalent form of digital confidence trickery. The Dirty John podcast (2017), produced by Los Angeles Times reporter Christopher Goffard, chronicles John Meehan's manipulation of Debra Newell through online dating, illustrating tactics like fabricated identities and emotional coercion that led to financial exploitation.^[100] Such audio series underscore the psychological grooming involved in these scams, where perpetrators build trust remotely before extracting funds, often totaling millions annually in reported cases.^[101] These depictions serve significant educational purposes, fostering public recognition of scam tactics in an era of rising cyber fraud. True-crime content on platforms like Netflix has been credited with increasing viewer vigilance, as a 2025 study found that exposure to such docuseries correlates with a temporary increase in reporting of romance fraud incidents to the police in the UK.^[102] YouTube channels like Scammer Payback, run by Pierogi (real name undisclosed), demonstrate real-time scam interruptions, such as baiting tech support fraudsters to waste their time and expose operations, thereby teaching viewers identifiable red flags like urgent payment demands.^[103] This interactive format empowers audiences to disrupt scams proactively, with the channel's videos amassing millions of views to illustrate common ploys like remote access software abuse. Post-2010, portrayals of con artists in media have evolved from glamorized anti-heroes—echoing earlier cinematic tropes—to stark cautionary tales, reflecting the surge in cyber-enabled fraud that affected over 800,000 U.S. victims in 2022 alone.^[104] Series like Inventing Anna and documentaries such as The Tinder Swindler emphasize consequences and victim perspectives, countering romanticization by detailing legal repercussions and emotional tolls, thus promoting societal defenses against evolving digital threats.^[105]

References

[1]
1889'S `CON MAN' A SHORT FORM OF 1849'S `CONFIDENCE MAN'
Oct 20, 1996 · "Con man" is a shortening of the earlier phrase "confidence man," which first appeared in the New Orleans Picayune in 1849.
[2]
The 19th Century Confidence Man | Mimi Matthews
Jun 20, 2016 · In fact, the first formally recorded confidence trick was American. It took place in New York in 1849 when William Thompson conned a man out of ...
[3]
The Art of the Con and Why People Fall for It | Psychology Today
Sep 26, 2019 · By definition, a con artist is a manipulator who cheats, or tricks, others through persuading them to believe something that is not true.
[4]
Con Man - Security Through Education - Social-Engineer.org
A con man is a person who swindles or misleads his victims through the use of a confidence game. A con man knows that it's human nature to want to trust other ...
[5]
In Ponzi We Trust - Smithsonian Magazine
Ponzi's investors ran the gamut from working-class Italian immigrants like himself to cops and politicians. He even accepted money from a priest.Missing: credible | Show results with:credible
[6]
Frank Abagnale on the death of the con artist and the rise ... - WIRED
Feb 12, 2017 · A former conman who specialised in impersonation and forgery, he was portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio in the 2002 film Catch Me If You Can. His ...Missing: history | Show results with:history
[7]
[PDF] Scamming: The Misunderstood Confidence Man
us with the phrases "confidence game," "confidence man" and "con man." Thompson did not contribute to his trade any new scheme nor did he develop one.17 We ...Missing: etymology | Show results with:etymology
[8]
"Arrest of the Confidence Man," New-York Herald, 1849
This brief article from the “Police Intelligence” section of the New York Herald describes the arrest of William Thompson, whose brazen deceptions ushered ...Missing: Samuel | Show results with:Samuel
[9]
Why are "con artists" called artists? - English Stack Exchange
Dec 23, 2020 · The earliest match I've been able to find for "con man" is from "The Slang of Petty Thieves," in the [New York] Sun (June 19, 1881):. A 'con man ...
[10]
https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/555572/why-are-con-artists-called-artists
[11]
Swindler - Etymology, Origin & Meaning
Originating from German Schwindler (1774), meaning "one who cheats," the word denotes a fraudster; derived from Old High German swintilon, meaning "to be ...
[12]
Grifter - Etymology, Origin & Meaning
"Grifter" originates from 1906 carnival slang, altered from "grafter," meaning a confidence trickster; now also denotes any non-violent criminal.
[13]
HUSTLER Definition & Meaning - Dictionary.com
an enterprising person determined to succeed; go-getter. Slang., a person who employs fraudulent or unscrupulous methods to obtain money; swindler.
[14]
Sharper - Etymology, Origin & Meaning
Originating in the 1560s from the verb "sharp" meaning "to make sharp," sharpie also means a swindler or shrewd bargainer from the 1680s.Missing: con artist
[15]
escroquer - Wiktionary, the free dictionary
French. Etymology. Borrowed from Italian scroccare, from Italian crocco, of Germanic origin. By surface analysis, escroc +‎ -er. Cognate with English crook ...French · Pronunciation · Verb
[16]
詐欺, さぎ, sagi - Nihongo Master
fraud,swindle,graft - Meaning of 詐欺, さぎ, sagi. See complete explanation and more examples and pronunciation.Missing: con artist etymology
[17]
The History and Evolution of Fraud
The use of technology to perpetrate fraud dates back to the 1980s when the internet started to gain relevance. One of the first scams exploited loopholes in ...The first-ever fraud case · Top fraudsters in history · Biggest fraud losses recorded...
[18]
CHADWICK, CASSIE L. | Encyclopedia of Cleveland History
Chadwick, Cassie L. (1857-10 Oct. 1907), Cleveland's most famous con artist whose trial drew world-wide attention, was born Elizabeth Bigley in Eastwood, ...
[19]
A history of fraud: from ancient Egypt to the modern pandemic Part 1
May 27, 2020 · Let's start at the beginning and see how fraud has grown to threaten everyone from the smallest street vendor to the largest financial institution.Missing: balances | Show results with:balances
[20]
https://www.trulioo.com/blog/fraud-prevention/history-fraud
[21]
https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.02.0137:book=29:chapter=1
[22]
Quackery: A Brief History of Quack Medicines & Peddlers
Quackery refers to unproven or fraudulent medical practices, often through the sale of 'quack medicines' like 'snake oil' with deceptive sales techniques.
[23]
Full article: The gypsylorist as occultist: anti-gypsy stereotypes and ...
Aug 28, 2023 · ABSTRACT. Magic and fortune-telling have been standard elements in stereotypes about Europe's Romani minorities since the fifteenth century.Missing: scams | Show results with:scams
[24]
[PDF] The "South Sea Bubble", 1720
However, the South Sea Bubble was popularly supposed to have been caused by fraud and folly. The financial centres of Europe were interlinked and hence the ...<|separator|>
[25]
[PDF] con men and political corruption in denver 1889-1894
Maurer, The Big Con: The Story of the Confidence Man and the Confidence Game ... 63 The development of con men and bunco has been treated in depth in a ...
[26]
The Big Con: The Story of the Confidence Man - Goodreads
Rating 3.8 (1,248) David W. Maurer's The Big Con provides a fascinating look into the carefully orchestrated scams pulled off by early 20th century con men. The “big cons ...
[27]
A Brief History of Three Card Monte as a Magic Trick - Vanishing Inc.
Apr 24, 2025 · Three Card Monte, originally a street con game dating back to at least the 15th century, involves a spectator attempting to follow a "money card ...Missing: Depression | Show results with:Depression
[28]
A Century of Scams - AskTog
In the 1920s and 1930s, the quality of a radio receiver was measured by the number of vacuum tubes it featured. It was not long before manufacturers were ...
[29]
The Ages of Fraud Part 2 – United States Postal Inspection Service
Post-WWII Era (1940-1960). The most common form of fraud in the '40s and '50s were work-at-home scams, through the mail and newspaper advertisements. One of ...
[30]
A history of booms gone bad - Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Jul 25, 2009 · The next Great Florida Land Boom in the 1950s took the form of huge pre-platted subdivisions, which were basically land scams. (“Buy your piece ...<|separator|>
[31]
[PDF] ORGANIZED CRIME - Office of Justice Programs
A large store is rented and orders for merchandise placed with as many companies as possible. The size of these orders appears to indicate a successful ...
[32]
[PDF] Commercial Norms and the Fine Art of the Small Con
We focus on this sort of advantage-taking in the next part. H. PRINCIPLES OF THE SMALL CON ... THE BIG CON: THE STORY OF THE CONFIDENCE MAN AND THE CONFIDENCE ...
[33]
The big con : the story of a confidence man : Maurer, David W., author
Jun 22, 2022 · The big con : the story of a confidence man ; Publication date: 1999 ; Topics: Swindlers and swindling, Cant ; Publisher: New York : MJF Books.
[34]
[PDF] toward a rhetoric of confidence: rethinking ethos through scams ... - UA
Like the typical con artist, the forger's con relies on his or her ability to gain the confidence of the mark. But unlike most other con artists, the forger has ...
[35]
[PDF] Advance Fee Fraud on the Increase - Scholars Crossing
Sep 19, 2023 · ... Spanish prisoner letter” which was later discovered to be a scam. The scammers wrote letters to. Page 47. ADVANCE FEE FRAUD ON THE INCREASE. 47.
[36]
[PDF] Lessons Learned From the Caveat Emptor Doctrine
Apr 22, 2008 · foolish enough to buy a pig in a poke, he deserved what he got. Short of outright fraud that would mislead the buyer, the seller had no duties ...Missing: scam | Show results with:scam
[37]
[PDF] The "Nigerian" Scam - GovInfo
These advance-fee solicitations are scams. And according to the FTC, the scam artists are playing each and every consumer for a fool. Here's the play book ...Missing: mechanics | Show results with:mechanics
[38]
Nigerian Advance Fee Fraud | Office of Justice Programs
This paper examines a variant of the “advance fee” fraud scheme used by Nigerian nationals. Abstract In the “advance fee” scheme, the perpetrator attempts to ...Missing: prince scam mechanics FTC
[39]
SEC Enforcement Actions Against Ponzi Schemes - SEC.gov
Jul 11, 2019 · What Is A Ponzi Scheme? A Ponzi scheme is an investment fraud that involves the payment of purported returns to existing investors from ...Missing: mechanics | Show results with:mechanics
[40]
[PDF] Ponzi schemes Using virtual Currencies | SEC.gov
A Ponzi scheme is an investment scam that involves the payment of purported returns to existing investors from funds contributed by new investors. Ponzi scheme.Missing: mechanics | Show results with:mechanics
[41]
What to Know About Romance Scams | Consumer Advice
Romance scams involve meeting someone online, moving off the platform, and then asking for money, often for urgent needs, after building trust. Never send ...Missing: mechanics | Show results with:mechanics
[42]
Romance Scams - FBI.gov
Romance scams involve a fake online identity to gain trust, then using the illusion of a relationship to manipulate and steal money. Scammers may avoid meeting ...Missing: mechanics | Show results with:mechanics
[43]
Romance scammers' favorite lies exposed
Feb 9, 2023 · Romance scammers tell all sorts of lies to steal your heart and money, and reports to the FTC show those lies are working.Missing: mechanics | Show results with:mechanics
[44]
OperationWestminster Bridge Illegal Gambling Bishop's Ward Safer ...
The 'cup and ball', or 'shell' game, is a scam designed to deceive naïve players into believing it is possible to win money by betting on the position of a ball ...
[45]
UCSB Physicists Challenge Classical World with Quantum ...
Jan 31, 2011 · Inspired by the popular confidence trick known as "shell game," researchers at UC Santa Barbara have demonstrated the ability to hide and ...
[46]
Charity Fraud | Consumer Advice - Federal Trade Commission
Charity scammers want to get your money quickly. They often pressure you to donate right away. They ask for cash, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers.Missing: techniques | Show results with:techniques
[47]
[PDF] Tips for Avoiding Charity Scams - Secret Service
Scammers can create phishing websites or messages to steal donor credit card information during attempted donations to what a donor thinks are charitable causes ...Missing: techniques | Show results with:techniques
[48]
https://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2015/09/william-thompson-original-conman/
[49]
May I Hold Your Watch? - Forbes
Jun 10, 2002 · In 1848 William Thompson came up with a disarmingly simple trick for separating New Yorkers from their assets.
[50]
Soapy Smith – Bunko Man of the Old West - Legends of America
From Texas to Colorado, to Alaska, Smith organized groups of bunko men into gangs that operated shell games, crooked gambling, and other scams with the likes of ...
[51]
Soapy Smith and His Frontier Scams - geriwalton.com
Feb 28, 2022 · Con artist Jefferson Randolph Smith II, aka Soapy Smith, gained notoriety with his “prize soap racket.” Under a gasoline flare he would sell bars of soap at ...
[52]
The dirt on notorious conman Soapy Smith - North of 60 Mining News
Feb 1, 2024 · Considered by some to be one of the most well-known con men of the 1800s, Smith quickly organized groups of bunko men into gangs that operated ...
[53]
The Man Who Sold the Eiffel Tower. Twice. - Smithsonian Magazine
Mar 9, 2016 · Finally, in 1935, Lustig was captured after masterminding a counterfeit banknote operation so vast that it threatened to shake confidence in the ...
[54]
The incredible story of the man who sold the Eiffel Tower (twice)
Oct 22, 2024 · Lustig planned to sell the landmark in parts and as scrap metal because, in 1925, the Eiffel Tower was not exactly the revered symbol it is ...
[55]
The affair of the diamond necklace, 1784-1785 | Palace of Versailles
Cardinal Rohan intended to give Marie-Antoinette a luxurious diamond necklace to regain her favour. But an imposter posing as the queen proved cleverer than ...Missing: impersonation | Show results with:impersonation
[56]
Jeanne de la Motte, Noblewoman and Con Artist - HeadStuff
Oct 29, 2018 · Jeanne de la Motte pulled off the biggest heist of the 18th century, the theft of the Queen's Necklace. Did her con trick cause the French ...
[57]
Frank Abagnale Jr. and the Resurgence of Check Fraud - ACFE
Starting when he was just a teenager in the mid- to late-1960s, Abagnale managed to defraud banks and businesses out of more than $2.5 million by forging ...
[58]
Frank Abagnale: Catch Me If You Can | GBH - WGBH
He became notorious in the 1960s for successfully passing $2.5 million worth of meticulously forged checks across 26 countries over the course of five years, ...
[59]
Ponzi Scheme | National Postal Museum
Ponzi Scheme. In 1906 the International Universal Postal Union created International Reply Coupons as a way for people in different countries to send return ...
[60]
When Ponzi's Bubble Burst | National Archives
Feb 3, 2025 · He promised a staggering return of 50 percent interest in 90 days. By early 1920, thousands turned over their money to Ponzi in hopes of fast ...
[61]
Catch Me If You Can: How an Impostor Saved Korean War Wounded While Posing as a Surgeon | Coffee or Die
### Biography Facts About Ferdinand Waldo Demara's Impostures
[62]
The Demise of Cassie - Fraud Magazine Article
Chadwick's loans were drawn against her bonds at Wade Park. The Wade Park ... The words Fraud Magazine used as a logo with the word Fraud large and then a.
[63]
[PDF] Blame and Shame in the Context of Financial Fraud - Finra Foundation
A lack of victim reporting (due to shame or perception that reporting will be futile), leads to an inability to see the true extent of the crimes ...
[64]
The secret health hell of being scammed: 'I felt as though my mind ...
Oct 23, 2024 · Anxiety, depression and low self-esteem are commonly reported by fraud victims whose mental health is affected. Prof Mark Button, the director ...
[65]
Financial Disaster as a Risk Factor for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Jul 4, 2012 · Financial Disaster as a Risk Factor for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Internet Survey of Trauma in Victims of the Madoff Ponzi Scheme.
[66]
[PDF] 2023 INTERNET CRIME REPORT
Dec 12, 2023 · Losses to investment scams rose from $3.31 billion in 2022 to $4.57 billion in 2023—a 38% increase.
[67]
What is the emotional impact of fraud? - Lloyds Banking Group plc
Dec 5, 2024 · Some victims even experience severe mental health issues, including depression, suicidal thoughts, and increased use of antidepressants, even if ...
[68]
Retirees Are Losing Their Life Savings to Romance Scams. Here's ...
Feb 3, 2023 · The median loss from a romance scam for people 70 and older in 2021 was $9,000, according to the F.T.C., compared with $2,400 across all age ...
[69]
Financial Fraud, Mental Health, and Quality of Life: A Study on ... - NIH
Sep 6, 2019 · According to a systematic review of 47 studies, individuals affected by foreclosure reported a higher frequency of depression, anxiety, ...
[70]
Securities Act of 1933 | Wex | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute
Section 17(a) is a key anti-fraud provision in the Securities Act. It provides for liability for fraudulent sales of securities. Some courts have found an ...
[71]
Understanding the Securities Act of 1933: Key Takeaways and ...
The Securities Act of 1933 was enacted following the 1929 stock market crash to protect investors from fraud and ensure transparency in the financial markets.What Is the Securities Act of... · Understanding the Securities Act · History
[72]
959. Ten-year Statute of Limitations - Department of Justice
18 USC § 3293(2) provides for a ten-year statute of limitations for a violation of, or a conspiracy to violate, the mail or wire fraud statutes.<|control11|><|separator|>
[73]
United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime
The UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime was adopted on 15 November 2000, with 194 parties as of 12 August 2025. It includes protocols on ...
[74]
United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized - UNTC
The Convention was adopted by resolution A/RES/55/25 of 15 November 2000 at the fifty-fifth session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.
[75]
[PDF] UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION AGAINST TRANSNATIONAL ...
The purpose of this Convention is to promote cooperation to prevent and combat transnational organized crime more effectively. Article 2. Use of terms. For the ...
[76]
What is white-collar crime, and how is the FBI combating it? - FBI.gov
White-collar crime is generally non-violent in nature and includes public corruption, health care fraud, mortgage fraud, securities fraud, and money laundering.
[77]
Cybercrime - Interpol
Cybercrime is a sophisticated, global underground economy affecting everyone, with a large financial impact, and human interaction is a common vulnerability.Cybercrime Collaboration... · Our response · Be Cyber Aware · Partners
[78]
260 suspected scammers arrested in pan-African cybercrime ...
Sep 26, 2025 · Their investigations revealed USD 450,000 in financial losses, with USD 70,000 recovered. For romance scams the suspects had used fake profiles, ...Missing: confidence | Show results with:confidence
[79]
Scams | Consumer Advice
Free resources for learning money management and how to spot and avoid scams ... Reports to the FTC about job scams have tripled from 2020 to 2024 and ...How To Avoid a Scam · Top scams of 2024 · Learn about the status of FTC...
[80]
Sure ways to spot a scammer | Consumer Advice
Mar 7, 2024 · Free resources for learning money management and how to spot and avoid scams ... scam to the FTC: ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Image. How Scammers ...
[81]
AI Fraud Detection in Banking | IBM
AI models can learn to recognize the difference between suspicious activities and legitimate transactions, and they can help identify possible fraud risks.What is AI fraud detection for... · How AI is used in financial...
[82]
AI fraud detection in financial services with Elastic and GenAI
Apr 29, 2025 · The response has been decisive: 91% of US banks currently use AI for fraud detection, while 83% of anti-fraud professionals plan to incorporate ...
[83]
Examining Jurisdictional Challenges in Cross-Border Cyber ...
One of the most significant challenges in prosecuting cyber extortion cases is the collection of evidence across borders. Cybercriminals often operate from ...
[84]
Cross-Border Financial Crime: Challenges and Prevention Strategies
Oct 25, 2024 · Cross-border financial crime can involve criminals exploiting regulatory gaps in a country, weak enforcement mechanisms in companies and legal ...
[85]
Statute of Limitation in Federal Criminal Cases: An Overview
Nov 14, 2017 · Prosecution for most other federal crimes must begin within five years of the commitment of the offense. There are exceptions. Some types of ...
[86]
Statute of Limitations |Federal Crime Defense
The statute of limitations for major fraud against the United States is 7 years from the date that the crime was committed. There are instances where the ...
[87]
Analysis of Charles Dickens's The Old Curiosity Shop
May 12, 2025 · As one of Charles Dickens's early works, The Old Curiosity Shop, first published in the periodical Master Humphrey's Clock from April 1840 ...
[88]
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn The Duke & the Dauphin ...
A detailed description and in-depth analysis of The Duke & the Dauphin in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
[89]
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: Summary & Analysis - CliffsNotes
In a larger sense, the duke and the king represent the confidence men that roamed both the urban and rural landscape of nineteenth-century America, always ...Missing: scholarly | Show results with:scholarly<|separator|>
[90]
The Sting movie review & film summary (1973) | Roger Ebert
Rating 4/4 · Review by Roger Ebert“The Sting” is one of the most stylish movies of the year. That's an especially pleasant surprise because it reunites the co-stars and the director of ...
[91]
Why The Sting Is Still the Ultimate Grifter Movie - CrimeReads
Aug 27, 2020 · To the con artists and viewers of The Sting, everything happening to him is fake. Its characters operate like they're putting on a play ...
[92]
Catch Me If You Can movie review (2002) - Roger Ebert
Rating 3/4 · Review by Roger EbertThe trailer for “Catch Me If You Can” is so obvious it could have written itself. ... Maybe there are some flaws but the 2 performances carry it. And what a ...
[93]
Catch Me If You Can: Is It Based on a True Story? - SYFY
Dec 12, 2024 · Catch Me If You Can is based on the same-named autobiography of Frank Abagnale Jr., a reformed ex-con who did hard time in three different countries for almost ...<|separator|>
[94]
The Grifters movie review & film summary (1991) - Roger Ebert
Rating 4/4 · Review by Roger EbertIn “The Grifters,” it's pretty clear that they're locked into an old pattern of trust and betrayal that goes back to childhood, and that they're trying to get ...
[95]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-grifters-1991
[96]
The True Story Behind Netflix's Inventing Anna - Time Magazine
Feb 11, 2022 · Here's what to know about Inventing Anna, Shonda Rhimes' latest show for Netflix about Anna Delvey (neé Sorokin)
[97]
Who Is The Tinder Swindler? - Netflix
The Tinder Swindler Shimon Hayut a.k.a. Simon Leviev is a convicted fraudster who allegedly scammed women on the dating app. Everything to know about the ...
[98]
Woman whose real-life story is depicted in 'Dirty John' says it 'could ...
Jan 11, 2019 · Debra Newell's chilling tale of blind love and deceit captured the attention of millions who listened to the podcast "Dirty John.".
[99]
'Dirty John'-style romance scams cost Canadians millions, police say
Mar 20, 2019 · 'Dirty John'-style romance scams cost Canadians millions, police say · 'These individuals tend to be narcissistic, psychopathic, Machiavellian, ...
[100]
True crime shows might be the biggest educational tool for ...
Aug 23, 2022 · True crime shows might be the biggest educational tool for cybercrime awareness · Popular cultural depictions of fraud and cybercrime are raising ...
[101]
Scammer Payback - YouTube
Scammers are ruthless, and that is why I am here. My channel is all about bringing awareness to this critical problem with humor and fun.
[102]
Con artists and disruptors – TV's latest obsessions - BBC
Mar 8, 2022 · Intersecting with these con-artist stories right now is another sub-genre of TV show that depicts the stories of disruptive entrepreneurs – not ...
[103]
The Tinder Swindler fallout shows the dark side of Netflix fame
Feb 18, 2022 · The Tinder Swindler fallout shows the dark side of Netflix fame. This ... Simon Leviev. Instead, she foregrounded three women's first ...