Weapons of Fraud II
I had previously written about the book Weapons of Fraud based upon the testimony of one of the authors, Anthony Pratkanis before the US Senate Special Committee on Aging. The book is free from the AARP and I can recommend it highly. The authors have taken considerable time and trouble to identify how we fall victim to fraud with reference to actual scripts of conversations confiscated from criminals convicted of fraud. The book also comes with a CD so that the actual conversations, some of which are chilling, can be heard.
The authors have made a serious effort to inform the public about how financial fraud is committed and emphasize that we are all possible targets for these con criminals, which is the authors' replacement term for "con artists". It amazes me that while everyone believes that they could be the target of a physical crime and will sometimes go to great lengths to protect their property, the same people believe that their own "common sense" will protect them from a financial or white collar swindle. Criminals take your money because they can and rationalize that if you cannot "keep" your money, then they deserve to take or have it.
The introductory chapters discuss how criminals obtain information, and profiles on their targets. They state that at the basis of every scam is the "phantom dream". "A phantom is something that a person desperately wants, but is normally completely unavailable - the hope of things unseen being real." (my emphasis). The criminal's pitch is he can make this phantom dream come true for you - you just need to believe, let him help, and you too will can join thousands or even millions already enjoying their dreams.
The concept of the phantom dream is a useful analytic device. But it is not just used by criminals, both franchises and business opportunities are often marketed as the opportunity to "be your own boss". For franchising, this is highly amusing given the highly restrictive adhesion contracts that franchisees sign.
But what is wrong with having a dream, even a phantom dream? Don't we want our reach to exceed our grasp? Isn't overreaching an admirable trait? What is wrong with desiring what is normally completely unavailable and shoot for the moon?
There is nothing wrong with having a healthy attitude with respect to goals and expectations. Generally, it can be wise to set the bar higher than what may be reasonable. However, what the criminal does does is to focus your attention on the phantom to an unhealthy degree, enabling you to be fixated and obsessed on obtaining the impossible so that rational thought and action is replaced with animal energy: let's go, go, go. Go the bank now, write a cheque now, send it to me now, do it, do it. Now.
Reviewing the transcripts of real telephone conversations between con criminals and their victims is sobering. All the more reason to treat incoming telephone calls as dangerous. Buy an answering machine, save a bank account.
