Quote:
Originally Posted by oldtimes
We went to a presentation on very over priced fire alarms where the incredibly charismatic host used scare tactics and urgency as a very successful sales tool.
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Your use of the word ‘charismatic’ is right on target — both figuratively and literally. In the days before cybercrime, a con man — or a con woman — had to work the intended victim by being quite charming in-person.
There is still a lot of in-person scamming around, too. I can get downright preachy on the topic of how too many women say, “Oh, I don’t know anything about our investments or savings. My husband takes care of all that.” Hearing that can launch me into a sort of sermon about how
all wives need to get a handle on what and why and where the nest egg is — if they don’t already know because they decided to abdicate all that responsibility. (duh)
I know of at least two situations where a con man with a big smile and a long line of BS moved in on a widow who would have been financially set for life — until the scammer took almost everything. In one case, she mortgaged a paid-for house to set him up in “business.” (I know this happens through cybercrime, too, but the original scumballs are still around, working their scam.)
Last night, Mr. Boomer and I watched the movie
Catch Me If You Can. I realize things were, no doubt, Hollywoodized but the facts remain that though Frank Abagnale’s forte was his expertise in forgery, he also had to have been fantastically charismatic. Now, he uses his gifts for good and makes a whole lot of legit money doing so. I am looking forward to reading
Scam Me If You Can.