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Re: prohibition show - our apologies (Patreon)

Published:
2018-04-29 03:46:59
Imported:
2021-05

Content

Due to technical issues, we are tentatively postponing the show to tomorrow (Sunday, April 29th) at 7:30 pm central. Watch the video for more info.

Files

OUR APOLOGIES

Sorry guys.

Comments

Null

Understandable

Anonymous

Legitimately scammed 😂😂😂😫😫😭😭😭

Anonymous

Scammed

Anonymous

Scammers 😂😂😂

Anonymous

It's okay we still love you (mostly)

Anonymous

tomorrow for sure

Anonymous

Ya tried. Goddamn gremlins.

Anonymous

Yet another RV trip

Anonymous

PENIS!

T-Rx (DUBIUS)

You guys suck, but we understand! See you tomorrow, scammers!

Anonymous

It’s not like any of us have to go to church tomorrow or do something retarded like that I’m down for 2AM

Anonymous

No apologies necessary. The concept of the show does work a lot better on a Saturday though.

Anonymous

PENIS TOMORROWWOWOWOWOWOOWOWWWOWOWWWWWWWW PENIS!

Anonymous

so i got drunk for nothin

Anonymous

That's fine, audio is a finicky bitch sometimes.

Anonymous

Skip navigation Search PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS is creating a wide array of video content PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS is creating a wide array of video content Overview Posts Community FILTER All Posts TYPE Public 4 Patron Only 26 $5 17 Filter by month PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Apr 29 at 12:46am $5+ patrons Re: prohibition show - our apologies Due to technical issues, we are tentatively postponing the show to tomorrow (Sunday, April 29th) at 7:30 pm central. Watch the video for more info. 12 Likes 12 Load more comments 2 of 19 Jeremy Wood (DUBIUS) You guys suck, but we understand! See you tomorrow, scammers! 1 2min Ryleigh Lloyd saaaad 1min Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Apr 28 at 11:02pm Patrons only PROBISHUIN = DEEP FArT FIRES xcom check out privtit patron show thanks for bein patroeons.!! l1 60 Likes 60 Load more comments 4 of 398 Dan Thomas They are wasted. Rest assured they will make it right one way or another. 1 5min Marlin Benson they are PENIS HOLDERS! 2 3min Hulkster x Ashley is saying in the discord that they could be starting soon 2 4min Hulkster x well shit 3min Load 1 reply Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Apr 27 at 11:04pm Patrons only THE ZODIAC KILLER = DEEP FAT FRIED Join Us! 120 Likes 120 Load more comments 4 of 44 Cody A O'Connor Paul makes me feel squishy 2h Marlin Benson penis 1 39min Marc Geener Señor Tomát 34min Marlin Benson penís 2 26min Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Apr 22 at 6:52pm Patrons only Patrons-only show master post! Hey guys, While we work on a permanent archive solution, below is a master post of all private episodes so far. I'll keep this updated for all of you as new shows come out to make it easy to browse and watch what you want. HEAVEN’S GATE CULT = DEEP FAT FRIED: <a href="https://vimeo.com/259431677/e80a29d16a" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://vimeo.com/259431677/e80a29d16a</a> CHARLES MANSON = DEEP FAT FRIED: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKEsenspjyU" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKEsenspjyU</a> 10 DROP DEAD HANDSOME DREAMBOATS = DEEP FAT FRIED: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPmRV0tiO7s" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPmRV0tiO7s</a> CONSPIRACY THEORIES = DEEP FAT FRIED: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31rfc97PU-E" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31rfc97PU-E</a> THE END OF THE WORLD (part 2) - DEEP FAT FRIED: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmeVb2ef_lI" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmeVb2ef_lI</a> SECOND AMENDMENT = DEEP FAT FRIED: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwaYIqLakno" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwaYIqLakno</a> ANDY DICK = DEEP FAT FRIED: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oTGe0ugvzw" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oTGe0ugvzw</a> FALLOUT = DEEP FAT FRIED: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BL3wYTuqhbg" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BL3wYTuqhbg</a> Thanks! -Paul Continue reading 147 Likes 147 Load more comments 4 of 71 Stoned Dragon check back every10 to 15 min Cameron, it will be up 1d Alyssa Mason Okay! Thanks dude :) that helped me too 1d Robbie Coyne My life is being drained, every second without DFF is ageing my useless body 10 years. 1d cody steffy Hold on just a little longer.. the promise land is near, I promise. 1d Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Apr 20 at 10:29pm Patrons only MYSTERY EPISODE? WHAT WILL IT BE?! It's Fallout = Deep Fat Fried. Suspense over. Check it out. Just for PATRONS! 137 Likes 137 Load more comments 2 of 74 Henrik Rønning You guys need to shut the fuck up while there's videos rolling. This is unwatchable. 2 3d The Best Fucking Memes In The Game I'm not going to lie I'm pretty racist towards super mutants. 3d Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Apr 15 at 8:14pm ATTENTION ALL PATRONS! We have made a major update to this Patreon, and we invite you all to check out our patron page to see all of the changes being made! If you're too lazy to do that, here's a recap: You will no longer only be getting 4 (or 5) Deep Fat Fried episodes a month. You will also be getting a private episode of TJ Kirk's show Abandon Hope, a private episode of TJ and Paul's Cynics vs. Cinema, and several private Highdeology streams. You don't have to change a thing. You pay no more money. You just get more stuff. Good deal, right? Continue reading 258 Likes 258 Load more comments 2 of 97 Yishai Ben Yakov-Leib Love these guys. Paul's Ego, TJ, &amp; his bro Scotty makin comedy, commentary, argument &amp; experiment from the stable non-Racist, non-sexist heart of Troll Culture. Their stuff is hilarious, unique, informative &amp; irreverent. I predict they will be YOOOGE. I highly recommend listening &amp; supporting this smorgasbord of awesome. Support em with whatever ya can. 1 6d Rian Hutch I know deals, and this is a good deal! 2 5d Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Apr 14 at 12:53am HOW MANY VANILLA ICES DOES ANDY DICK GET? 34 361 31 108 32.5 189 658 votes total 28 Likes 28 Load more comments 2 of 7 Neil Fowlie Try to get Andy on the show. It would probably be easier than you think. 2 2w Edward Thibodeaux Was Amy Schumer too awful to use as a grade for Andy dick? 2 1w Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Apr 13 at 11:26pm Patrons only ANDY DICK = DEEP FAT FRIED Sorry we're late. We will explain why. 98 Likes 98 Load more comments 2 of 65 Dwayne Campbell oi cunts! chop chop. 1w The Best Fucking Memes In The Game 1 if by land 2 if by sea 3 is for Andy's dickery! 6d Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Apr 6 at 10:25pm $5+ patrons SECOND AMENDMENT = DEEP FAT FRIED PATRON EXCLUSIVE. 131 Likes 131 Load more comments 2 of 50 Jordi de Fouw 15:13 TJ is a reptillian confirmed 1 2w Sir Drinkalot Hahaha love it how Scotty played devil’s advocate during the WHOLE FUCKING SHOW. Just awesome 2w Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Mar 30 at 10:17pm $5+ patrons END OF THE WORLD (PART 2) - DEEP FAT FRIED Check it out, Patrons! 126 Likes 126 Load more comments 2 of 59 zack bruce You guys need to upload audio links for your patreon post 2w ROSS MAC WADE Stevie got so red at the end. Love you Stevie-pie. 1w Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Mar 29 at 10:54pm Patrons only CONSPIRACY THEORIES = DFF - PATRON GOAL SHOW! THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT! We thank you all for your amazing support of our show. You've given us more support than we ever imagined. I hope you guys enjoy this! 132 Likes 132 Load more comments 2 of 47 Elle W Do an episode on mass shootings 1 2w PrimeOtterTerritory This isn't a total debunking but the reason I don't think they have a cure for cancer is that too many rich people still die from cancer. I mean they'd not only have to hide it but also have false flags for all the elite who still die from cancer. 2d Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Mar 26 at 12:47am $5+ patrons THE END OF THE WORLD = DEEP FAT FRIED It's the end of the world as we know it and DFF feels fine! Join your favorite cynics as they DFF the End OF THE WORLD. How could it all end? Find out tonight in part one including natural disasters, asteroid collisions, and killer algae! 82 Likes 82 Load more comments 2 of 27 The Best Fucking Memes In The Game Fucking hell Paul is more pessimistic than I am. I don't really like the human race either but I don't want it to go extinct. 1mo Matt How the fuck do I get this as a podcast or something I need to download it for when I fly. Thanks 4w Write a comment ... REWARDS THE BUFFET $5 or more per month Hungry? You're a gluttonous little piggy, aren't you? So are we. That's why we created this tier. For starters, you get 4 (or 5) private DEEP FAT FRIED episodes a month! Can you clean your plate? Not full yet? Well, don't worry. TJ Kirk will be delivering you a hot, steaming platter of ABANDON HOPE - a private live show where degeneracy and debauchery are par for the course. How's aboot a movie and some popcorn for a change of pace? You'll also get a private episode of CYNICS VS. CINEMA every month, where you'll get to join Paul and TJ as they watch - and tear apart - whatever they want. Still hungry for more? Of course you are. Strap yourself in for dessert - Paul, TJ and (occasionally, if you're lucky) Scotty will fill your face with some patrons only HIGHDEOLOGY streams. That's 12 HOURS OR MORE of content every month! Aboot Careers Create on Patreon Brand Press Partners Sitemap Help Center &amp; FAQs Developers App Directory Creator Blog Creator Guides Community Guidelines Terms of Use Privacy Policy © 2018 Patreon, Inc.

Anonymous

Awww. Sorry guys. At least the intermission on Patreon was entertaining. ^.^ See everyone tomorrow. Penis.

Hulkster x

Bosh Flimshaw!

Anonymous

Ugh. Gay.. :/

Mdxfiend

it literally sounded fine to everyone but you. not sure why that makes you unable to do it but whatever

Anonymous

Well fuckit this gives me time to catch up on the archives. See y'all tomorrow🤘

Anonymous

Thanks for the update guys. :]

Anonymous

REEEEEEEE! Good luck guys, can't wait for the show

Anonymous

I feel you guys need to start testing your setup before the start of every show or get someone more qualified in fixing the issues with your setup

Anonymous

It's ok. We still love you. Shit happens.

Anonymous

how homosexual of you guys.

GC1931

S C A M M E D

Anonymous

#BlameScotty

Anonymous

ok cool

DoomKid

Gord punishing the non-believer situations

Anonymous

Can't wait guys sorry to hear bout this BS, dont drink all the moonshine to help with the stress of fixing the setup haha.

Anonymous

Translated: Paul pulled an "It's Gorilla" on the sound equipment and they won't be able to fix it until Radio Shack opens on Sunday morning.

Anonymous

yeah well guess I'll eat this pizza and hot wings and all this food that I ordered for tonight in silence then because there's literally nothing good on YouTube anymore

Anonymous

No worries y'all, it's understandable. See ya tomorrow!

Skeptical Jesus

Noooo! Now I'll have to watch DP! lol see ya'll tomorrow

Valerina

I was scammed I'll see y'all slackers in court

Anonymous
>>11919729

Aww dude I feel ya! Try to enjoy you food though man it'd okay&lt;3 Tomorrow is only a day away :)

Anonymous

Unacceptable. Pulling all support

Anonymous

:((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((99999999999999 .. i ran out of parenthassisisisisisis

Anonymous

staged

Anonymous

Windows update fuck things up?

Anonymous

Was kitty chewing on wires?

Anonymous

Admit it, you just wanted to watch DP.

Anonymous

I still can't even watch the Zodiac Killer episode. And I don't know if the problem is on Patreon, DFF, or Me.

Anonymous

Just in case anyone hasn't said it yet, Ben also had the exact same issue earlier &amp; it was because he had to change his audio settings when on the Kumite/JF/Andy's stream. No coincidence it happened on both streams, so just letting you know.

Ignar Husky

I'll be at work for most of it, like today. But I'll listen in! Scam Situatorn, again and again!

Anonymous

Suck me??

Kristofer Foster

thanks for the update guys. it's totally cool. these things happen. I never catch these things live anyway, so no big deal to me. look forward to watching tomorrow night sometime.

Dwenn

all good. love this shit.

Anonymous

Relax guys. This episode isn't even part of the schedule. No harm has been done.

Anonymous

this fox and friends interview with trump could probably use some unpacking. the entire trump campaign could be unpacked quite honestly.

Anonymous

Works for me, totally would've missed it but now I can see the madness live

Anonymous

scammed again

Anonymous

Fucking scammers

Anonymous

scam situation in my patreorn individual

Anonymous

So basically we just get a free extra 20min preview

Anonymous

Yet again, TJ dropping the ball. WHERES MY SHOW WHERE YOU KILL WHAT LITTLE BRAIN YOU HAVE LEFT!

Anonymous
>>11937990

Central time my dude. It’ll be 8:30 for you and I. Assuming we don’t get scormed agorn.

Anonymous

The fact that there's no post for the show is making me nervous, there is usually a link by now.

Anonymous
>>11938550

Haven't you learned by now they're gonna be at least 30 minutes late to their alleged start time?

Anonymous

Why are you closed?!

Ryan

2 for 2 lads

Anonymous

See you boys in half an hour

Anonymous

Why are u closed

Anonymous

Is it canceled yet?

Anonymous
>>11938981

80 minutes later TJ posts another 2 minute video. Paul is still working on the issue... They are working on attempt to simplify the audio issue further, they apologize for a second time

Anonymous

A confidence trick (synonyms include confidence game, confidence scheme, ripoff, scam and stratagem) is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their confidence, used in the classical sense of trust. Confidence tricks exploit characteristics of the human psyche, such as credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility, and greed. Contents 1 Terminology 1.1 Short and long cons 2 Stages of the con 3 Vulnerability to confidence tricks 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External links Terminology The perpetrator of a confidence trick (or "con trick") is often referred to as a confidence (or "con") man, con-artist, or a "grifter". Samuel Thompson (1821–1856) was the original "confidence man". Thompson was a clumsy swindler who asked his victims to express confidence in him by giving him money or their watch rather than gaining their confidence in a more nuanced way. A few people trusted Thompson with their money and watches.[1] Thompson was arrested in July 1849. Reporting aboot this arrest, Dr. James Houston, a reporter of the New York Herald, publicized Thompson by naming him the "Confidence Man".[2] Although Thompson was an unsuccessful scammer, he gained reputation as a genius operator mostly because Houston's satirical writing wasn't understood as such.[2] The National Police Gazette coined the term "confidence game" a few weeks after Houston first used the name, the "confidence man".[2] A confidence trick is also known as a con game, a con, a scam, a grift, a hustle, a bunko (or bunco), a swindle, a flimflam, a gaffle or a bamboozle. The intended victims are known as "marks", "suckers", "stooge", "mugu", "rube" or "gulls" (i.e., gullible). When accomplices are employed, they are known as shills. Short and long cons A short con or small con is a fast swindle which takes just minutes. It typically aims to rob the victim of everything in his or her wallet.[3] A long con or big con (also, chiefly British English: long game)[4] is a scam that unfolds over several days or weeks and involves a team of swindlers, as well as props, sets, extras, costumes, and scripted lines. It aims to rob the victim of huge sums of money or valuable things, often by getting him or her to empty out banking accounts and borrow from family members.[5] Stages of the con In Confessions of a Confidence Man, Edward H. Smith lists the "six definite steps or stages of growth" of a confidence game.[6] He notes that some steps may be omitted. Foundation Work Preparations are made in advance of the game, including the hiring of any assistants required. Approach The victim is contacted. Build-up The victim is given an opportunity to profit from a scheme. The victim's greed is encouraged, such that their rational judgment of the situation might be impaired. Pay-off or Convincer The victim receives a small payout as a demonstration of the scheme's effectiveness. This may be a real amount of money, or faked in some way. In a gambling con, the victim is allowed to win several small bets. In a stock market con, the victim is given fake dividends. The Hurrah A sudden crisis or change of events forces the victim to act immediately. This is the point at which the con succeeds or fails. The In-and-In A conspirator (in on the con, but assumes the role of an interested bystander) puts an amount of money into the same scheme as the victim, to add an appearance of legitimacy to the scheme. This can reassure the victim, and give the con man greater control when the deal has been completed. In addition, some games require a "corroboration" step, particularly those involving a "rare item". This usually includes the use of an accomplice who plays the part of an uninvolved (initially skeptical) third party, who later confirms the claims made by the con man.[6] Vulnerability to confidence tricks Confidence tricks exploit typical human characteristics such as greed, dishonesty, vanity, opportunism, lust, compassion, credulity, irresponsibility, desperation, and naïvety. As such, there is no consistent profile of a confidence trick victim; the common factor is simply that the victim relies on the good faith of the con artist. Victims of investment scams tend to show an incautious level of greed and gullibility, and many con artists target the elderly, but even alert and educated people may be taken in by other forms of a confidence trick.[7] Accomplices, also known as shills, help manipulate the mark into accepting the perpetrator's plan. In a traditional confidence trick, the mark is led to believe that he will be able to win money or some other prize by doing some task. The accomplices may pretend to be strangers who have benefited from performing the task in the past. See also Boiler room (business) Charlatan Confidence trick (books and literature) Confidence trick (television and movies) Counterfeit Hijacked journals List of con artists List of confidence tricks List of criminal enterprises, gangs and syndicates Quackery Racketeering Ripoff Scam baiting Scams in intellectual property Social engineering (security) White-collar crime References Jean Braucher &amp; Barak Orbach, "Scamming: The Misunderstood Confidence Man," 27 Yale Journal of Law &amp; Humanities 249 (2015) Braucher &amp; Orbach. David Maurer, The Big Con Archived 2016-06-24 at the Wayback Machine., Chapter Eight: "Short-Con Games" Yagoda, Ben (June 5, 2012). "'The long game'". Not One-off Britishisms. Archived from the original on July 7, 2014. This language blog, while not a reliable etymological source, provides statistically gathered usage data that demonstrates neutral as well as critical usage, and that it is of British origin, only recently making notable inroads into American English. Amy Reading, The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con Archived 2016-05-15 at the Wayback Machine., Chapter One: "Confidence" ISBN 978-0-307-47359-2 Edward H. Smith, Confessions of a Confidence Man: A Handbook for Suckers Archived 2016-04-24 at the Wayback Machine., p. 35-37. Crimes-of-persuasion.com Archived 2007-04-15 at the Wayback Machine. Fraud Victim Advice / Assistance for Consumer Scams and Investment Frauds Further reading Bell, J. Bowyer; Whaley, Barton (1982). Cheating and Deception (reprint 1991). New Brunswick (USA), London (UK): Transaction Publishers. ISBN 0-88738-868-X. Blundell, Nigel (1984) [1982]. The World's Greatest Crooks and Conmen and other mischievous malefactors. London: Octopus Books. ISBN 0-7064-2144-2. Dillon, Eamon (2008) [2008]. The Fraudsters: Sharks and Charlatans - How Con Artists Make Their Money. Merlin Publishing. ISBN 978-1-903582-82-4. Ford, Charles V. (1999) [1999]. Lies! Lies!! Lies!!!: The Psychology of Deceit. American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc. ISBN 978-0-88048-997-3. Henderson, Les (2000). Crimes of Persuasion: Schemes, scams, frauds. Coyote Ridge Publishing. ISBN 0-9687133-0-0. Kaminski, Marek M. (2004). Games Prisoners Play. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-11721-7. Konnikova, Maria (2016). The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It...Every Time. ISBN 978-0525427414. Maurer, David W. (1999) [1940]. The Big Con: The Story of the Confidence Man and the Confidence Game (reprinted). New York: Bobbs Merrill / Anchor Books. ISBN 0-385-49538-2. Maurer, David W. (1974). The American Confidence Man. Springfield: Charles C. Thomas, Publisher. ISBN 0-398-02974-1. Reading, Amy (2012). The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con. New York: Knopf. ISBN 978-0-307-47359-2. Smith, Jeff (2009). Soapy Smith: The Life and Death of a Scoundrel. Juneau: Klondike Research. ISBN 0-9819743-0-9. Sutherland, Edwin Hardin (1937). The Professional Thief (reprint 1989). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-78051-1. Weil, J.R. "Yellow Kid" (1948) [2004]. Con Man: A Master Swindler's Own Story. New York: Broadway Books. ISBN 0-7679-1737-5. Zhang, Yingyu (2017). The Book of Swindles: Selections from a Late Ming Collection. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231178631. External links Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Common scams. "Arrest of the Confidence Man" New York Herald, 1849 Dateline NBC investigation 'To Catch a Con Man' The Blonger Bros. Lou Blonger was the head of a large gang of confidence men running the Big Con in 1910s Denver Prepaid funeral scam, FBI Confidence tricks in ChinaA confidence trick (synonyms include confidence game, confidence scheme, ripoff, scam and stratagem) is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their confidence, used in the classical sense of trust. Confidence tricks exploit characteristics of the human psyche, such as credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility, and greed. Contents 1 Terminology 1.1 Short and long cons 2 Stages of the con 3 Vulnerability to confidence tricks 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External links Terminology The perpetrator of a confidence trick (or "con trick") is often referred to as a confidence (or "con") man, con-artist, or a "grifter". Samuel Thompson (1821–1856) was the original "confidence man". Thompson was a clumsy swindler who asked his victims to express confidence in him by giving him money or their watch rather than gaining their confidence in a more nuanced way. A few people trusted Thompson with their money and watches.[1] Thompson was arrested in July 1849. Reporting aboot this arrest, Dr. James Houston, a reporter of the New York Herald, publicized Thompson by naming him the "Confidence Man".[2] Although Thompson was an unsuccessful scammer, he gained reputation as a genius operator mostly because Houston's satirical writing wasn't understood as such.[2] The National Police Gazette coined the term "confidence game" a few weeks after Houston first used the name, the "confidence man".[2] A confidence trick is also known as a con game, a con, a scam, a grift, a hustle, a bunko (or bunco), a swindle, a flimflam, a gaffle or a bamboozle. The intended victims are known as "marks", "suckers", "stooge", "mugu", "rube" or "gulls" (i.e., gullible). When accomplices are employed, they are known as shills. Short and long cons A short con or small con is a fast swindle which takes just minutes. It typically aims to rob the victim of everything in his or her wallet.[3] A long con or big con (also, chiefly British English: long game)[4] is a scam that unfolds over several days or weeks and involves a team of swindlers, as well as props, sets, extras, costumes, and scripted lines. It aims to rob the victim of huge sums of money or valuable things, often by getting him or her to empty out banking accounts and borrow from family members.[5] Stages of the con In Confessions of a Confidence Man, Edward H. Smith lists the "six definite steps or stages of growth" of a confidence game.[6] He notes that some steps may be omitted. Foundation Work Preparations are made in advance of the game, including the hiring of any assistants required. Approach The victim is contacted. Build-up The victim is given an opportunity to profit from a scheme. The victim's greed is encouraged, such that their rational judgment of the situation might be impaired. Pay-off or Convincer The victim receives a small payout as a demonstration of the scheme's effectiveness. This may be a real amount of money, or faked in some way. In a gambling con, the victim is allowed to win several small bets. In a stock market con, the victim is given fake dividends. The Hurrah A sudden crisis or change of events forces the victim to act immediately. This is the point at which the con succeeds or fails. The In-and-In A conspirator (in on the con, but assumes the role of an interested bystander) puts an amount of money into the same scheme as the victim, to add an appearance of legitimacy to the scheme. This can reassure the victim, and give the con man greater control when the deal has been completed. In addition, some games require a "corroboration" step, particularly those involving a "rare item". This usually includes the use of an accomplice who plays the part of an uninvolved (initially skeptical) third party, who later confirms the claims made by the con man.[6] Vulnerability to confidence tricks Confidence tricks exploit typical human characteristics such as greed, dishonesty, vanity, opportunism, lust, compassion, credulity, irresponsibility, desperation, and naïvety. As such, there is no consistent profile of a confidence trick victim; the common factor is simply that the victim relies on the good faith of the con artist. Victims of investment scams tend to show an incautious level of greed and gullibility, and many con artists target the elderly, but even alert and educated people may be taken in by other forms of a confidence trick.[7] Accomplices, also known as shills, help manipulate the mark into accepting the perpetrator's plan. In a traditional confidence trick, the mark is led to believe that he will be able to win money or some other prize by doing some task. The accomplices may pretend to be strangers who have benefited from performing the task in the past. See also Boiler room (business) Charlatan Confidence trick (books and literature) Confidence trick (television and movies) Counterfeit Hijacked journals List of con artists List of confidence tricks List of criminal enterprises, gangs and syndicates Quackery Racketeering Ripoff Scam baiting Scams in intellectual property Social engineering (security) White-collar crime References Jean Braucher &amp; Barak Orbach, "Scamming: The Misunderstood Confidence Man," 27 Yale Journal of Law &amp; Humanities 249 (2015) Braucher &amp; Orbach. David Maurer, The Big Con Archived 2016-06-24 at the Wayback Machine., Chapter Eight: "Short-Con Games" Yagoda, Ben (June 5, 2012). "'The long game'". Not One-off Britishisms. Archived from the original on July 7, 2014. This language blog, while not a reliable etymological source, provides statistically gathered usage data that demonstrates neutral as well as critical usage, and that it is of British origin, only recently making notable inroads into American English. Amy Reading, The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con Archived 2016-05-15 at the Wayback Machine., Chapter One: "Confidence" ISBN 978-0-307-47359-2 Edward H. Smith, Confessions of a Confidence Man: A Handbook for Suckers Archived 2016-04-24 at the Wayback Machine., p. 35-37. Crimes-of-persuasion.com Archived 2007-04-15 at the Wayback Machine. Fraud Victim Advice / Assistance for Consumer Scams and Investment Frauds Further reading Bell, J. Bowyer; Whaley, Barton (1982). Cheating and Deception (reprint 1991). New Brunswick (USA), London (UK): Transaction Publishers. ISBN 0-88738-868-X. Blundell, Nigel (1984) [1982]. The World's Greatest Crooks and Conmen and other mischievous malefactors. London: Octopus Books. ISBN 0-7064-2144-2. Dillon, Eamon (2008) [2008]. The Fraudsters: Sharks and Charlatans - How Con Artists Make Their Money. Merlin Publishing. ISBN 978-1-903582-82-4. Ford, Charles V. (1999) [1999]. Lies! Lies!! Lies!!!: The Psychology of Deceit. American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc. ISBN 978-0-88048-997-3. Henderson, Les (2000). Crimes of Persuasion: Schemes, scams, frauds. Coyote Ridge Publishing. ISBN 0-9687133-0-0. Kaminski, Marek M. (2004). Games Prisoners Play. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-11721-7. Konnikova, Maria (2016). The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It...Every Time. ISBN 978-0525427414. Maurer, David W. (1999) [1940]. The Big Con: The Story of the Confidence Man and the Confidence Game (reprinted). New York: Bobbs Merrill / Anchor Books. ISBN 0-385-49538-2. Maurer, David W. (1974). The American Confidence Man. Springfield: Charles C. Thomas, Publisher. ISBN 0-398-02974-1. Reading, Amy (2012). The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con. New York: Knopf. ISBN 978-0-307-47359-2. Smith, Jeff (2009). Soapy Smith: The Life and Death of a Scoundrel. Juneau: Klondike Research. ISBN 0-9819743-0-9. Sutherland, Edwin Hardin (1937). The Professional Thief (reprint 1989). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-78051-1. Weil, J.R. "Yellow Kid" (1948) [2004]. Con Man: A Master Swindler's Own Story. New York: Broadway Books. ISBN 0-7679-1737-5. Zhang, Yingyu (2017). The Book of Swindles: Selections from a Late Ming Collection. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231178631. External links Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Common scams. "Arrest of the Confidence Man" New York Herald, 1849 Dateline NBC investigation 'To Catch a Con Man' The Blonger Bros. Lou Blonger was the head of a large gang of confidence men running the Big Con in 1910s Denver Prepaid funeral scam, FBI Confidence tricks in ChinaA confidence trick (synonyms include confidence game, confidence scheme, ripoff, scam and stratagem) is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their confidence, used in the classical sense of trust. Confidence tricks exploit characteristics of the human psyche, such as credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility, and greed. Contents 1 Terminology 1.1 Short and long cons 2 Stages of the con 3 Vulnerability to confidence tricks 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External links Terminology The perpetrator of a confidence trick (or "con trick") is often referred to as a confidence (or "con") man, con-artist, or a "grifter". Samuel Thompson (1821–1856) was the original "confidence man". Thompson was a clumsy swindler who asked his victims to express confidence in him by giving him money or their watch rather than gaining their confidence in a more nuanced way. A few people trusted Thompson with their money and watches.[1] Thompson was arrested in July 1849. Reporting aboot this arrest, Dr. James Houston, a reporter of the New York Herald, publicized Thompson by naming him the "Confidence Man".[2] Although Thompson was an unsuccessful scammer, he gained reputation as a genius operator mostly because Houston's satirical writing wasn't understood as such.[2] The National Police Gazette coined the term "confidence game" a few weeks after Houston first used the name, the "confidence man".[2] A confidence trick is also known as a con game, a con, a scam, a grift, a hustle, a bunko (or bunco), a swindle, a flimflam, a gaffle or a bamboozle. The intended victims are known as "marks", "suckers", "stooge", "mugu", "rube" or "gulls" (i.e., gullible). When accomplices are employed, they are known as shills. Short and long cons A short con or small con is a fast swindle which takes just minutes. It typically aims to rob the victim of everything in his or her wallet.[3] A long con or big con (also, chiefly British English: long game)[4] is a scam that unfolds over several days or weeks and involves a team of swindlers, as well as props, sets, extras, costumes, and scripted lines. It aims to rob the victim of huge sums of money or valuable things, often by getting him or her to empty out banking accounts and borrow from family members.[5] Stages of the con In Confessions of a Confidence Man, Edward H. Smith lists the "six definite steps or stages of growth" of a confidence game.[6] He notes that some steps may be omitted. Foundation Work Preparations are made in advance of the game, including the hiring of any assistants required. Approach The victim is contacted. Build-up The victim is given an opportunity to profit from a scheme. The victim's greed is encouraged, such that their rational judgment of the situation might be impaired. Pay-off or Convincer The victim receives a small payout as a demonstration of the scheme's effectiveness. This may be a real amount of money, or faked in some way. In a gambling con, the victim is allowed to win several small bets. In a stock market con, the victim is given fake dividends. The Hurrah A sudden crisis or change of events forces the victim to act immediately. This is the point at which the con succeeds or fails. The In-and-In A conspirator (in on the con, but assumes the role of an interested bystander) puts an amount of money into the same scheme as the victim, to add an appearance of legitimacy to the scheme. This can reassure the victim, and give the con man greater control when the deal has been completed. In addition, some games require a "corroboration" step, particularly those involving a "rare item". This usually includes the use of an accomplice who plays the part of an uninvolved (initially skeptical) third party, who later confirms the claims made by the con man.[6] Vulnerability to confidence tricks Confidence tricks exploit typical human characteristics such as greed, dishonesty, vanity, opportunism, lust, compassion, credulity, irresponsibility, desperation, and naïvety. As such, there is no consistent profile of a confidence trick victim; the common factor is simply that the victim relies on the good faith of the con artist. Victims of investment scams tend to show an incautious level of greed and gullibility, and many con artists target the elderly, but even alert and educated people may be taken in by other forms of a confidence trick.[7] Accomplices, also known as shills, help manipulate the mark into accepting the perpetrator's plan. In a traditional confidence trick, the mark is led to believe that he will be able to win money or some other prize by doing some task. The accomplices may pretend to be strangers who have benefited from performing the task in the past. See also Boiler room (business) Charlatan Confidence trick (books and literature) Confidence trick (television and movies) Counterfeit Hijacked journals List of con artists List of confidence tricks List of criminal enterprises, gangs and syndicates Quackery Racketeering Ripoff Scam baiting Scams in intellectual property Social engineering (security) White-collar crime References Jean Braucher &amp; Barak Orbach, "Scamming: The Misunderstood Confidence Man," 27 Yale Journal of Law &amp; Humanities 249 (2015) Braucher &amp; Orbach. David Maurer, The Big Con Archived 2016-06-24 at the Wayback Machine., Chapter Eight: "Short-Con Games" Yagoda, Ben (June 5, 2012). "'The long game'". Not One-off Britishisms. Archived from the original on July 7, 2014. This language blog, while not a reliable etymological source, provides statistically gathered usage data that demonstrates neutral as well as critical usage, and that it is of British origin, only recently making notable inroads into American English. Amy Reading, The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con Archived 2016-05-15 at the Wayback Machine., Chapter One: "Confidence" ISBN 978-0-307-47359-2 Edward H. Smith, Confessions of a Confidence Man: A Handbook for Suckers Archived 2016-04-24 at the Wayback Machine., p. 35-37. Crimes-of-persuasion.com Archived 2007-04-15 at the Wayback Machine. Fraud Victim Advice / Assistance for Consumer Scams and Investment Frauds Further reading Bell, J. Bowyer; Whaley, Barton (1982). Cheating and Deception (reprint 1991). New Brunswick (USA), London (UK): Transaction Publishers. ISBN 0-88738-868-X. Blundell, Nigel (1984) [1982]. The World's Greatest Crooks and Conmen and other mischievous malefactors. London: Octopus Books. ISBN 0-7064-2144-2. Dillon, Eamon (2008) [2008]. The Fraudsters: Sharks and Charlatans - How Con Artists Make Their Money. Merlin Publishing. ISBN 978-1-903582-82-4. Ford, Charles V. (1999) [1999]. Lies! Lies!! Lies!!!: The Psychology of Deceit. American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc. ISBN 978-0-88048-997-3. Henderson, Les (2000). Crimes of Persuasion: Schemes, scams, frauds. Coyote Ridge Publishing. ISBN 0-9687133-0-0. Kaminski, Marek M. (2004). Games Prisoners Play. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-11721-7. Konnikova, Maria (2016). The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It...Every Time. ISBN 978-0525427414. Maurer, David W. (1999) [1940]. The Big Con: The Story of the Confidence Man and the Confidence Game (reprinted). New York: Bobbs Merrill / Anchor Books. ISBN 0-385-49538-2. Maurer, David W. (1974). The American Confidence Man. Springfield: Charles C. Thomas, Publisher. ISBN 0-398-02974-1. Reading, Amy (2012). The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con. New York: Knopf. ISBN 978-0-307-47359-2. Smith, Jeff (2009). Soapy Smith: The Life and Death of a Scoundrel. Juneau: Klondike Research. ISBN 0-9819743-0-9. Sutherland, Edwin Hardin (1937). The Professional Thief (reprint 1989). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-78051-1. Weil, J.R. "Yellow Kid" (1948) [2004]. Con Man: A Master Swindler's Own Story. New York: Broadway Books. ISBN 0-7679-1737-5. Zhang, Yingyu (2017). The Book of Swindles: Selections from a Late Ming Collection. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231178631. External links Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Common scams. "Arrest of the Confidence Man" New York Herald, 1849 Dateline NBC investigation 'To Catch a Con Man' The Blonger Bros. Lou Blonger was the head of a large gang of confidence men running the Big Con in 1910s Denver Prepaid funeral scam, FBI Confidence tricks in ChinaA confidence trick (synonyms include confidence game, confidence scheme, ripoff, scam and stratagem) is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their confidence, used in the classical sense of trust. Confidence tricks exploit characteristics of the human psyche, such as credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility, and greed. Contents 1 Terminology 1.1 Short and long cons 2 Stages of the con 3 Vulnerability to confidence tricks 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External links Terminology The perpetrator of a confidence trick (or "con trick") is often referred to as a confidence (or "con") man, con-artist, or a "grifter". Samuel Thompson (1821–1856) was the original "confidence man". Thompson was a clumsy swindler who asked his victims to express confidence in him by giving him money or their watch rather than gaining their confidence in a more nuanced way. A few people trusted Thompson with their money and watches.[1] Thompson was arrested in July 1849. Reporting aboot this arrest, Dr. James Houston, a reporter of the New York Herald, publicized Thompson by naming him the "Confidence Man".[2] Although Thompson was an unsuccessful scammer, he gained reputation as a genius operator mostly because Houston's satirical writing wasn't understood as such.[2] The National Police Gazette coined the term "confidence game" a few weeks after Houston first used the name, the "confidence man".[2] A confidence trick is also known as a con game, a con, a scam, a grift, a hustle, a bunko (or bunco), a swindle, a flimflam, a gaffle or a bamboozle. The intended victims are known as "marks", "suckers", "stooge", "mugu", "rube" or "gulls" (i.e., gullible). When accomplices are employed, they are known as shills. Short and long cons A short con or small con is a fast swindle which takes just minutes. It typically aims to rob the victim of everything in his or her wallet.[3] A long con or big con (also, chiefly British English: long game)[4] is a scam that unfolds over several days or weeks and involves a team of swindlers, as well as props, sets, extras, costumes, and scripted lines. It aims to rob the victim of huge sums of money or valuable things, often by getting him or her to empty out banking accounts and borrow from family members.[5] Stages of the con In Confessions of a Confidence Man, Edward H. Smith lists the "six definite steps or stages of growth" of a confidence game.[6] He notes that some steps may be omitted. Foundation Work Preparations are made in advance of the game, including the hiring of any assistants required. Approach The victim is contacted. Build-up The victim is given an opportunity to profit from a scheme. The victim's greed is encouraged, such that their rational judgment of the situation might be impaired. Pay-off or Convincer The victim receives a small payout as a demonstration of the scheme's effectiveness. This may be a real amount of money, or faked in some way. In a gambling con, the victim is allowed to win several small bets. In a stock market con, the victim is given fake dividends. The Hurrah A sudden crisis or change of events forces the victim to act immediately. This is the point at which the con succeeds or fails. The In-and-In A conspirator (in on the con, but assumes the role of an interested bystander) puts an amount of money into the same scheme as the victim, to add an appearance of legitimacy to the scheme. This can reassure the victim, and give the con man greater control when the deal has been completed. In addition, some games require a "corroboration" step, particularly those involving a "rare item". This usually includes the use of an accomplice who plays the part of an uninvolved (initially skeptical) third party, who later confirms the claims made by the con man.[6] Vulnerability to confidence tricks Confidence tricks exploit typical human characteristics such as greed, dishonesty, vanity, opportunism, lust, compassion, credulity, irresponsibility, desperation, and naïvety. As such, there is no consistent profile of a confidence trick victim; the common factor is simply that the victim relies on the good faith of the con artist. Victims of investment scams tend to show an incautious level of greed and gullibility, and many con artists target the elderly, but even alert and educated people may be taken in by other forms of a confidence trick.[7] Accomplices, also known as shills, help manipulate the mark into accepting the perpetrator's plan. In a traditional confidence trick, the mark is led to believe that he will be able to win money or some other prize by doing some task. The accomplices may pretend to be strangers who have benefited from performing the task in the past. See also Boiler room (business) Charlatan Confidence trick (books and literature) Confidence trick (television and movies) Counterfeit Hijacked journals List of con artists List of confidence tricks List of criminal enterprises, gangs and syndicates Quackery Racketeering Ripoff Scam baiting Scams in intellectual property Social engineering (security) White-collar crime References Jean Braucher &amp; Barak Orbach, "Scamming: The Misunderstood Confidence Man," 27 Yale Journal of Law &amp; Humanities 249 (2015) Braucher &amp; Orbach. David Maurer, The Big Con Archived 2016-06-24 at the Wayback Machine., Chapter Eight: "Short-Con Games" Yagoda, Ben (June 5, 2012). "'The long game'". Not One-off Britishisms. Archived from the original on July 7, 2014. This language blog, while not a reliable etymological source, provides statistically gathered usage data that demonstrates neutral as well as critical usage, and that it is of British origin, only recently making notable inroads into American English. Amy Reading, The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con Archived 2016-05-15 at the Wayback Machine., Chapter One: "Confidence" ISBN 978-0-307-47359-2 Edward H. Smith, Confessions of a Confidence Man: A Handbook for Suckers Archived 2016-04-24 at the Wayback Machine., p. 35-37. Crimes-of-persuasion.com Archived 2007-04-15 at the Wayback Machine. Fraud Victim Advice / Assistance for Consumer Scams and Investment Frauds Further reading Bell, J. Bowyer; Whaley, Barton (1982). Cheating and Deception (reprint 1991). New Brunswick (USA), London (UK): Transaction Publishers. ISBN 0-88738-868-X. Blundell, Nigel (1984) [1982]. The World's Greatest Crooks and Conmen and other mischievous malefactors. London: Octopus Books. ISBN 0-7064-2144-2. Dillon, Eamon (2008) [2008]. The Fraudsters: Sharks and Charlatans - How Con Artists Make Their Money. Merlin Publishing. ISBN 978-1-903582-82-4. Ford, Charles V. (1999) [1999]. Lies! Lies!! Lies!!!: The Psychology of Deceit. American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc. ISBN 978-0-88048-997-3. Henderson, Les (2000). Crimes of Persuasion: Schemes, scams, frauds. Coyote Ridge Publishing. ISBN 0-9687133-0-0. Kaminski, Marek M. (2004). Games Prisoners Play. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-11721-7. Konnikova, Maria (2016). The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It...Every Time. ISBN 978-0525427414. Maurer, David W. (1999) [1940]. The Big Con: The Story of the Confidence Man and the Confidence Game (reprinted). New York: Bobbs Merrill / Anchor Books. ISBN 0-385-49538-2. Maurer, David W. (1974). The American Confidence Man. Springfield: Charles C. Thomas, Publisher. ISBN 0-398-02974-1. Reading, Amy (2012). The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con. New York: Knopf. ISBN 978-0-307-47359-2. Smith, Jeff (2009). Soapy Smith: The Life and Death of a Scoundrel. Juneau: Klondike Research. ISBN 0-9819743-0-9. Sutherland, Edwin Hardin (1937). The Professional Thief (reprint 1989). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-78051-1. Weil, J.R. "Yellow Kid" (1948) [2004]. Con Man: A Master Swindler's Own Story. New York: Broadway Books. ISBN 0-7679-1737-5. Zhang, Yingyu (2017). The Book of Swindles: Selections from a Late Ming Collection. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231178631. External links Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Common scams. "Arrest of the Confidence Man" New York Herald, 1849 Dateline NBC investigation 'To Catch a Con Man' The Blonger Bros. Lou Blonger was the head of a large gang of confidence men running the Big Con in 1910s Denver Prepaid funeral scam, FBI Confidence tricks in ChinaA confidence trick (synonyms include confidence game, confidence scheme, ripoff, scam and stratagem) is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their confidence, used in the classical sense of trust. Confidence tricks exploit characteristics of the human psyche, such as credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility, and greed. Contents 1 Terminology 1.1 Short and long cons 2 Stages of the con 3 Vulnerability to confidence tricks 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External links Terminology The perpetrator of a confidence trick (or "con trick") is often referred to as a confidence (or "con") man, con-artist, or a "grifter". Samuel Thompson (1821–1856) was the original "confidence man". Thompson was a clumsy swindler who asked his victims to express confidence in him by giving him money or their watch rather than gaining their confidence in a more nuanced way. A few people trusted Thompson with their money and watches.[1] Thompson was arrested in July 1849. Reporting aboot this arrest, Dr. James Houston, a reporter of the New York Herald, publicized Thompson by naming him the "Confidence Man".[2] Although Thompson was an unsuccessful scammer, he gained reputation as a genius operator mostly because Houston's satirical writing wasn't understood as such.[2] The National Police Gazette coined the term "confidence game" a few weeks after Houston first used the name, the "confidence man".[2] A confidence trick is also known as a con game, a con, a scam, a grift, a hustle, a bunko (or bunco), a swindle, a flimflam, a gaffle or a bamboozle. The intended victims are known as "marks", "suckers", "stooge", "mugu", "rube" or "gulls" (i.e., gullible). When accomplices are employed, they are known as shills. Short and long cons A short con or small con is a fast swindle which takes just minutes. It typically aims to rob the victim of everything in his or her wallet.[3] A long con or big con (also, chiefly British English: long game)[4] is a scam that unfolds over several days or weeks and involves a team of swindlers, as well as props, sets, extras, costumes, and scripted lines. It aims to rob the victim of huge sums of money or valuable things, often by getting him or her to empty out banking accounts and borrow from family members.[5] Stages of the con In Confessions of a Confidence Man, Edward H. Smith lists the "six definite steps or stages of growth" of a confidence game.[6] He notes that some steps may be omitted. Foundation Work Preparations are made in advance of the game, including the hiring of any assistants required. Approach The victim is contacted. Build-up The victim is given an opportunity to profit from a scheme. The victim's greed is encouraged, such that their rational judgment of the situation might be impaired. Pay-off or Convincer The victim receives a small payout as a demonstration of the scheme's effectiveness. This may be a real amount of money, or faked in some way. In a gambling con, the victim is allowed to win several small bets. In a stock market con, the victim is given fake dividends. The Hurrah A sudden crisis or change of events forces the victim to act immediately. This is the point at which the con succeeds or fails. The In-and-In A conspirator (in on the con, but assumes the role of an interested bystander) puts an amount of money into the same scheme as the victim, to add an appearance of legitimacy to the scheme. This can reassure the victim, and give the con man greater control when the deal has been completed. In addition, some games require a "corroboration" step, particularly those involving a "rare item". This usually includes the use of an accomplice who plays the part of an uninvolved (initially skeptical) third party, who later confirms the claims made by the con man.[6] Vulnerability to confidence tricks Confidence tricks exploit typical human characteristics such as greed, dishonesty, vanity, opportunism, lust, compassion, credulity, irresponsibility, desperation, and naïvety. As such, there is no consistent profile of a confidence trick victim; the common factor is simply that the victim relies on the good faith of the con artist. Victims of investment scams tend to show an incautious level of greed and gullibility, and many con artists target the elderly, but even alert and educated people may be taken in by other forms of a confidence trick.[7] Accomplices, also known as shills, help manipulate the mark into accepting the perpetrator's plan. In a traditional confidence trick, the mark is led to believe that he will be able to win money or some other prize by doing some task. The accomplices may pretend to be strangers who have benefited from performing the task in the past. See also Boiler room (business) Charlatan Confidence trick (books and literature) Confidence trick (television and movies) Counterfeit Hijacked journals List of con artists List of confidence tricks List of criminal enterprises, gangs and syndicates Quackery Racketeering Ripoff Scam baiting Scams in intellectual property Social engineering (security) White-collar crime References Jean Braucher &amp; Barak Orbach, "Scamming: The Misunderstood Confidence Man," 27 Yale Journal of Law &amp; Humanities 249 (2015) Braucher &amp; Orbach. David Maurer, The Big Con Archived 2016-06-24 at the Wayback Machine., Chapter Eight: "Short-Con Games" Yagoda, Ben (June 5, 2012). "'The long game'". Not One-off Britishisms. Archived from the original on July 7, 2014. This language blog, while not a reliable etymological source, provides statistically gathered usage data that demonstrates neutral as well as critical usage, and that it is of British origin, only recently making notable inroads into American English. Amy Reading, The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con Archived 2016-05-15 at the Wayback Machine., Chapter One: "Confidence" ISBN 978-0-307-47359-2 Edward H. Smith, Confessions of a Confidence Man: A Handbook for Suckers Archived 2016-04-24 at the Wayback Machine., p. 35-37. Crimes-of-persuasion.com Archived 2007-04-15 at the Wayback Machine. Fraud Victim Advice / Assistance for Consumer Scams and Investment Frauds Further reading Bell, J. Bowyer; Whaley, Barton (1982). Cheating and Deception (reprint 1991). New Brunswick (USA), London (UK): Transaction Publishers. ISBN 0-88738-868-X. Blundell, Nigel (1984) [1982]. The World's Greatest Crooks and Conmen and other mischievous malefactors. London: Octopus Books. ISBN 0-7064-2144-2. Dillon, Eamon (2008) [2008]. The Fraudsters: Sharks and Charlatans - How Con Artists Make Their Money. Merlin Publishing. ISBN 978-1-903582-82-4. Ford, Charles V. (1999) [1999]. Lies! Lies!! Lies!!!: The Psychology of Deceit. American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc. ISBN 978-0-88048-997-3. Henderson, Les (2000). Crimes of Persuasion: Schemes, scams, frauds. Coyote Ridge Publishing. ISBN 0-9687133-0-0. Kaminski, Marek M. (2004). Games Prisoners Play. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-11721-7. Konnikova, Maria (2016). The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It...Every Time. ISBN 978-0525427414. Maurer, David W. (1999) [1940]. The Big Con: The Story of the Confidence Man and the Confidence Game (reprinted). New York: Bobbs Merrill / Anchor Books. ISBN 0-385-49538-2. Maurer, David W. (1974). The American Confidence Man. Springfield: Charles C. Thomas, Publisher. ISBN 0-398-02974-1. Reading, Amy (2012). The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con. New York: Knopf. ISBN 978-0-307-47359-2. Smith, Jeff (2009). Soapy Smith: The Life and Death of a Scoundrel. Juneau: Klondike Research. ISBN 0-9819743-0-9. Sutherland, Edwin Hardin (1937). The Professional Thief (reprint 1989). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-78051-1. Weil, J.R. "Yellow Kid" (1948) [2004]. Con Man: A Master Swindler's Own Story. New York: Broadway Books. ISBN 0-7679-1737-5. Zhang, Yingyu (2017). The Book of Swindles: Selections from a Late Ming Collection. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231178631. External links Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Common scams. "Arrest of the Confidence Man" New York Herald, 1849 Dateline NBC investigation 'To Catch a Con Man' The Blonger Bros. Lou Blonger was the head of a large gang of confidence men running the Big Con in 1910s Denver Prepaid funeral scam, FBI Confidence tricks in ChinaA confidence trick (synonyms include confidence game, confidence scheme, ripoff, scam and stratagem) is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their confidence, used in the classical sense of trust. Confidence tricks exploit characteristics of the human psyche, such as credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility, and greed. Contents 1 Terminology 1.1 Short and long cons 2 Stages of the con 3 Vulnerability to confidence tricks 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External links Terminology The perpetrator of a confidence trick (or "con trick") is often referred to as a confidence (or "con") man, con-artist, or a "grifter". Samuel Thompson (1821–1856) was the original "confidence man". Thompson was a clumsy swindler who asked his victims to express confidence in him by giving him money or their watch rather than gaining their confidence in a more nuanced way. A few people trusted Thompson with their money and watches.[1] Thompson was arrested in July 1849. Reporting aboot this arrest, Dr. James Houston, a reporter of the New York Herald, publicized Thompson by naming him the "Confidence Man".[2] Although Thompson was an unsuccessful scammer, he gained reputation as a genius operator mostly because Houston's satirical writing wasn't understood as such.[2] The National Police Gazette coined the term "confidence game" a few weeks after Houston first used the name, the "confidence man".[2] A confidence trick is also known as a con game, a con, a scam, a grift, a hustle, a bunko (or bunco), a swindle, a flimflam, a gaffle or a bamboozle. The intended victims are known as "marks", "suckers", "stooge", "mugu", "rube" or "gulls" (i.e., gullible). When accomplices are employed, they are known as shills. Short and long cons A short con or small con is a fast swindle which takes just minutes. It typically aims to rob the victim of everything in his or her wallet.[3] A long con or big con (also, chiefly British English: long game)[4] is a scam that unfolds over several days or weeks and involves a team of swindlers, as well as props, sets, extras, costumes, and scripted lines. It aims to rob the victim of huge sums of money or valuable things, often by getting him or her to empty out banking accounts and borrow from family members.[5] Stages of the con In Confessions of a Confidence Man, Edward H. Smith lists the "six definite steps or stages of growth" of a confidence game.[6] He notes that some steps may be omitted. Foundation Work Preparations are made in advance of the game, including the hiring of any assistants required. Approach The victim is contacted. Build-up The victim is given an opportunity to profit from a scheme. The victim's greed is encouraged, such that their rational judgment of the situation might be impaired. Pay-off or Convincer The victim receives a small payout as a demonstration of the scheme's effectiveness. This may be a real amount of money, or faked in some way. In a gambling con, the victim is allowed to win several small bets. In a stock market con, the victim is given fake dividends. The Hurrah A sudden crisis or change of events forces the victim to act immediately. This is the point at which the con succeeds or fails. The In-and-In A conspirator (in on the con, but assumes the role of an interested bystander) puts an amount of money into the same scheme as the victim, to add an appearance of legitimacy to the scheme. This can reassure the victim, and give the con man greater control when the deal has been completed. In addition, some games require a "corroboration" step, particularly those involving a "rare item". This usually includes the use of an accomplice who plays the part of an uninvolved (initially skeptical) third party, who later confirms the claims made by the con man.[6] Vulnerability to confidence tricks Confidence tricks exploit typical human characteristics such as greed, dishonesty, vanity, opportunism, lust, compassion, credulity, irresponsibility, desperation, and naïvety. As such, there is no consistent profile of a confidence trick victim; the common factor is simply that the victim relies on the good faith of the con artist. Victims of investment scams tend to show an incautious level of greed and gullibility, and many con artists target the elderly, but even alert and educated people may be taken in by other forms of a confidence trick.[7] Accomplices, also known as shills, help manipulate the mark into accepting the perpetrator's plan. In a traditional confidence trick, the mark is led to believe that he will be able to win money or some other prize by doing some task. The accomplices may pretend to be strangers who have benefited from performing the task in the past. See also Boiler room (business) Charlatan Confidence trick (books and literature) Confidence trick (television and movies) Counterfeit Hijacked journals List of con artists List of confidence tricks List of criminal enterprises, gangs and syndicates Quackery Racketeering Ripoff Scam baiting Scams in intellectual property Social engineering (security) White-collar crime References Jean Braucher &amp; Barak Orbach, "Scamming: The Misunderstood Confidence Man," 27 Yale Journal of Law &amp; Humanities 249 (2015) Braucher &amp; Orbach. David Maurer, The Big Con Archived 2016-06-24 at the Wayback Machine., Chapter Eight: "Short-Con Games" Yagoda, Ben (June 5, 2012). "'The long game'". Not One-off Britishisms. Archived from the original on July 7, 2014. This language blog, while not a reliable etymological source, provides statistically gathered usage data that demonstrates neutral as well as critical usage, and that it is of British origin, only recently making notable inroads into American English. Amy Reading, The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con Archived 2016-05-15 at the Wayback Machine., Chapter One: "Confidence" ISBN 978-0-307-47359-2 Edward H. Smith, Confessions of a Confidence Man: A Handbook for Suckers Archived 2016-04-24 at the Wayback Machine., p. 35-37. Crimes-of-persuasion.com Archived 2007-04-15 at the Wayback Machine. Fraud Victim Advice / Assistance for Consumer Scams and Investment Frauds Further reading Bell, J. Bowyer; Whaley, Barton (1982). Cheating and Deception (reprint 1991). New Brunswick (USA), London (UK): Transaction Publishers. ISBN 0-88738-868-X. Blundell, Nigel (1984) [1982]. The World's Greatest Crooks and Conmen and other mischievous malefactors. London: Octopus Books. ISBN 0-7064-2144-2. Dillon, Eamon (2008) [2008]. The Fraudsters: Sharks and Charlatans - How Con Artists Make Their Money. Merlin Publishing. ISBN 978-1-903582-82-4. Ford, Charles V. (1999) [1999]. Lies! Lies!! Lies!!!: The Psychology of Deceit. American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc. ISBN 978-0-88048-997-3. Henderson, Les (2000). Crimes of Persuasion: Schemes, scams, frauds. Coyote Ridge Publishing. ISBN 0-9687133-0-0. Kaminski, Marek M. (2004). Games Prisoners Play. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-11721-7. Konnikova, Maria (2016). The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It...Every Time. ISBN 978-0525427414. Maurer, David W. (1999) [1940]. The Big Con: The Story of the Confidence Man and the Confidence Game (reprinted). New York: Bobbs Merrill / Anchor Books. ISBN 0-385-49538-2. Maurer, David W. (1974). The American Confidence Man. Springfield: Charles C. Thomas, Publisher. ISBN 0-398-02974-1. Reading, Amy (2012). The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con. New York: Knopf. ISBN 978-0-307-47359-2. Smith, Jeff (2009). Soapy Smith: The Life and Death of a Scoundrel. Juneau: Klondike Research. ISBN 0-9819743-0-9. Sutherland, Edwin Hardin (1937). The Professional Thief (reprint 1989). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-78051-1. Weil, J.R. "Yellow Kid" (1948) [2004]. Con Man: A Master Swindler's Own Story. New York: Broadway Books. ISBN 0-7679-1737-5. Zhang, Yingyu (2017). The Book of Swindles: Selections from a Late Ming Collection. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231178631. External links Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Common scams. "Arrest of the Confidence Man" New York Herald, 1849 Dateline NBC investigation 'To Catch a Con Man' The Blonger Bros. Lou Blonger was the head of a large gang of confidence men running the Big Con in 1910s Denver Prepaid funeral scam, FBI Confidence tricks in ChinaA confidence trick (synonyms include confidence game, confidence scheme, ripoff, scam and stratagem) is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their confidence, used in the classical sense of trust. Confidence tricks exploit characteristics of the human psyche, such as credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility, and greed. Contents 1 Terminology 1.1 Short and long cons 2 Stages of the con 3 Vulnerability to confidence tricks 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External links Terminology The perpetrator of a confidence trick (or "con trick") is often referred to as a confidence (or "con") man, con-artist, or a "grifter". Samuel Thompson (1821–1856) was the original "confidence man". Thompson was a clumsy swindler who asked his victims to express confidence in him by giving him money or their watch rather than gaining their confidence in a more nuanced way. A few people trusted Thompson with their money and watches.[1] Thompson was arrested in July 1849. Reporting aboot this arrest, Dr. James Houston, a reporter of the New York Herald, publicized Thompson by naming him the "Confidence Man".[2] Although Thompson was an unsuccessful scammer, he gained reputation as a genius operator mostly because Houston's satirical writing wasn't understood as such.[2] The National Police Gazette coined the term "confidence game" a few weeks after Houston first used the name, the "confidence man".[2] A confidence trick is also known as a con game, a con, a scam, a grift, a hustle, a bunko (or bunco), a swindle, a flimflam, a gaffle or a bamboozle. The intended victims are known as "marks", "suckers", "stooge", "mugu", "rube" or "gulls" (i.e., gullible). When accomplices are employed, they are known as shills. Short and long cons A short con or small con is a fast swindle which takes just minutes. It typically aims to rob the victim of everything in his or her wallet.[3] A long con or big con (also, chiefly British English: long game)[4] is a scam that unfolds over several days or weeks and involves a team of swindlers, as well as props, sets, extras, costumes, and scripted lines. It aims to rob the victim of huge sums of money or valuable things, often by getting him or her to empty out banking accounts and borrow from family members.[5] Stages of the con In Confessions of a Confidence Man, Edward H. Smith lists the "six definite steps or stages of growth" of a confidence game.[6] He notes that some steps may be omitted. Foundation Work Preparations are made in advance of the game, including the hiring of any assistants required. Approach The victim is contacted. Build-up The victim is given an opportunity to profit from a scheme. The victim's greed is encouraged, such that their rational judgment of the situation might be impaired. Pay-off or Convincer The victim receives a small payout as a demonstration of the scheme's effectiveness. This may be a real amount of money, or faked in some way. In a gambling con, the victim is allowed to win several small bets. In a stock market con, the victim is given fake dividends. The Hurrah A sudden crisis or change of events forces the victim to act immediately. This is the point at which the con succeeds or fails. The In-and-In A conspirator (in on the con, but assumes the role of an interested bystander) puts an amount of money into the same scheme as the victim, to add an appearance of legitimacy to the scheme. This can reassure the victim, and give the con man greater control when the deal has been completed. In addition, some games require a "corroboration" step, particularly those involving a "rare item". This usually includes the use of an accomplice who plays the part of an uninvolved (initially skeptical) third party, who later confirms the claims made by the con man.[6] Vulnerability to confidence tricks Confidence tricks exploit typical human characteristics such as greed, dishonesty, vanity, opportunism, lust, compassion, credulity, irresponsibility, desperation, and naïvety. As such, there is no consistent profile of a confidence trick victim; the common factor is simply that the victim relies on the good faith of the con artist. Victims of investment scams tend to show an incautious level of greed and gullibility, and many con artists target the elderly, but even alert and educated people may be taken in by other forms of a confidence trick.[7] Accomplices, also known as shills, help manipulate the mark into accepting the perpetrator's plan. In a traditional confidence trick, the mark is led to believe that he will be able to win money or some other prize by doing some task. The accomplices may pretend to be strangers who have benefited from performing the task in the past. See also Boiler room (business) Charlatan Confidence trick (books and literature) Confidence trick (television and movies) Counterfeit Hijacked journals List of con artists List of confidence tricks List of criminal enterprises, gangs and syndicates Quackery Racketeering Ripoff Scam baiting Scams in intellectual property Social engineering (security) White-collar crime References Jean Braucher &amp; Barak Orbach, "Scamming: The Misunderstood Confidence Man," 27 Yale Journal of Law &amp; Humanities 249 (2015) Braucher &amp; Orbach. David Maurer, The Big Con Archived 2016-06-24 at the Wayback Machine., Chapter Eight: "Short-Con Games" Yagoda, Ben (June 5, 2012). "'The long game'". Not One-off Britishisms. Archived from the original on July 7, 2014. This language blog, while not a reliable etymological source, provides statistically gathered usage data that demonstrates neutral as well as critical usage, and that it is of British origin, only recently making notable inroads into American English. Amy Reading, The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con Archived 2016-05-15 at the Wayback Machine., Chapter One: "Confidence" ISBN 978-0-307-47359-2 Edward H. Smith, Confessions of a Confidence Man: A Handbook for Suckers Archived 2016-04-24 at the Wayback Machine., p. 35-37. Crimes-of-persuasion.com Archived 2007-04-15 at the Wayback Machine. Fraud Victim Advice / Assistance for Consumer Scams and Investment Frauds Further reading Bell, J. Bowyer; Whaley, Barton (1982). Cheating and Deception (reprint 1991). New Brunswick (USA), London (UK): Transaction Publishers. ISBN 0-88738-868-X. Blundell, Nigel (1984) [1982]. The World's Greatest Crooks and Conmen and other mischievous malefactors. London: Octopus Books. ISBN 0-7064-2144-2. Dillon, Eamon (2008) [2008]. The Fraudsters: Sharks and Charlatans - How Con Artists Make Their Money. Merlin Publishing. ISBN 978-1-903582-82-4. Ford, Charles V. (1999) [1999]. Lies! Lies!! Lies!!!: The Psychology of Deceit. American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc. ISBN 978-0-88048-997-3. Henderson, Les (2000). Crimes of Persuasion: Schemes, scams, frauds. Coyote Ridge Publishing. ISBN 0-9687133-0-0. Kaminski, Marek M. (2004). Games Prisoners Play. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-11721-7. Konnikova, Maria (2016). The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It...Every Time. ISBN 978-0525427414. Maurer, David W. (1999) [1940]. The Big Con: The Story of the Confidence Man and the Confidence Game (reprinted). New York: Bobbs Merrill / Anchor Books. ISBN 0-385-49538-2. Maurer, David W. (1974). The American Confidence Man. Springfield: Charles C. Thomas, Publisher. ISBN 0-398-02974-1. Reading, Amy (2012). The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con. New York: Knopf. ISBN 978-0-307-47359-2. Smith, Jeff (2009). Soapy Smith: The Life and Death of a Scoundrel. Juneau: Klondike Research. ISBN 0-9819743-0-9. Sutherland, Edwin Hardin (1937). The Professional Thief (reprint 1989). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-78051-1. Weil, J.R. "Yellow Kid" (1948) [2004]. Con Man: A Master Swindler's Own Story. New York: Broadway Books. ISBN 0-7679-1737-5. Zhang, Yingyu (2017). The Book of Swindles: Selections from a Late Ming Collection. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231178631. External links Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Common scams. "Arrest of the Confidence Man" New York Herald, 1849 Dateline NBC investigation 'To Catch a Con Man' The Blonger Bros. Lou Blonger was the head of a large gang of confidence men running the Big Con in 1910s Denver Prepaid funeral scam, FBI Confidence tricks in ChinaA confidence trick (synonyms include confidence game, confidence scheme, ripoff, scam and stratagem) is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their confidence, used in the classical sense of trust. Confidence tricks exploit characteristics of the human psyche, such as credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility, and greed. Contents 1 Terminology 1.1 Short and long cons 2 Stages of the con 3 Vulnerability to confidence tricks 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External links Terminology The perpetrator of a confidence trick (or "con trick") is often referred to as a confidence (or "con") man, con-artist, or a "grifter". Samuel Thompson (1821–1856) was the original "confidence man". Thompson was a clumsy swindler who asked his victims to express confidence in him by giving him money or their watch rather than gaining their confidence in a more nuanced way. A few people trusted Thompson with their money and watches.[1] Thompson was arrested in July 1849. Reporting aboot this arrest, Dr. James Houston, a reporter of the New York Herald, publicized Thompson by naming him the "Confidence Man".[2] Although Thompson was an unsuccessful scammer, he gained reputation as a genius operator mostly because Houston's satirical writing wasn't understood as such.[2] The National Police Gazette coined the term "confidence game" a few weeks after Houston first used the name, the "confidence man".[2] A confidence trick is also known as a con game, a con, a scam, a grift, a hustle, a bunko (or bunco), a swindle, a flimflam, a gaffle or a bamboozle. The intended victims are known as "marks", "suckers", "stooge", "mugu", "rube" or "gulls" (i.e., gullible). When accomplices are employed, they are known as shills. Short and long cons A short con or small con is a fast swindle which takes just minutes. It typically aims to rob the victim of everything in his or her wallet.[3] A long con or big con (also, chiefly British English: long game)[4] is a scam that unfolds over several days or weeks and involves a team of swindlers, as well as props, sets, extras, costumes, and scripted lines. It aims to rob the victim of huge sums of money or valuable things, often by getting him or her to empty out banking accounts and borrow from family members.[5] Stages of the con In Confessions of a Confidence Man, Edward H. Smith lists the "six definite steps or stages of growth" of a confidence game.[6] He notes that some steps may be omitted. Foundation Work Preparations are made in advance of the game, including the hiring of any assistants required. Approach The victim is contacted. Build-up The victim is given an opportunity to profit from a scheme. The victim's greed is encouraged, such that their rational judgment of the situation might be impaired. Pay-off or Convincer The victim receives a small payout as a demonstration of the scheme's effectiveness. This may be a real amount of money, or faked in some way. In a gambling con, the victim is allowed to win several small bets. In a stock market con, the victim is given fake dividends. The Hurrah A sudden crisis or change of events forces the victim to act immediately. This is the point at which the con succeeds or fails. The In-and-In A conspirator (in on the con, but assumes the role of an interested bystander) puts an amount of money into the same scheme as the victim, to add an appearance of legitimacy to the scheme. This can reassure the victim, and give the con man greater control when the deal has been completed. In addition, some games require a "corroboration" step, particularly those involving a "rare item". This usually includes the use of an accomplice who plays the part of an uninvolved (initially skeptical) third party, who later confirms the claims made by the con man.[6] Vulnerability to confidence tricks Confidence tricks exploit typical human characteristics such as greed, dishonesty, vanity, opportunism, lust, compassion, credulity, irresponsibility, desperation, and naïvety. As such, there is no consistent profile of a confidence trick victim; the common factor is simply that the victim relies on the good faith of the con artist. Victims of investment scams tend to show an incautious level of greed and gullibility, and many con artists target the elderly, but even alert and educated people may be taken in by other forms of a confidence trick.[7] Accomplices, also known as shills, help manipulate the mark into accepting the perpetrator's plan. In a traditional confidence trick, the mark is led to believe that he will be able to win money or some other prize by doing some task. The accomplices may pretend to be strangers who have benefited from performing the task in the past. See also Boiler room (business) Charlatan Confidence trick (books and literature) Confidence trick (television and movies) Counterfeit Hijacked journals List of con artists List of confidence tricks List of criminal enterprises, gangs and syndicates Quackery Racketeering Ripoff Scam baiting Scams in intellectual property Social engineering (security) White-collar crime References Jean Braucher &amp; Barak Orbach, "Scamming: The Misunderstood Confidence Man," 27 Yale Journal of Law &amp; Humanities 249 (2015) Braucher &amp; Orbach. David Maurer, The Big Con Archived 2016-06-24 at the Wayback Machine., Chapter Eight: "Short-Con Games" Yagoda, Ben (June 5, 2012). "'The long game'". Not One-off Britishisms. Archived from the original on July 7, 2014. This language blog, while not a reliable etymological source, provides statistically gathered usage data that demonstrates neutral as well as critical usage, and that it is of British origin, only recently making notable inroads into American English. Amy Reading, The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con Archived 2016-05-15 at the Wayback Machine., Chapter One: "Confidence" ISBN 978-0-307-47359-2 Edward H. Smith, Confessions of a Confidence Man: A Handbook for Suckers Archived 2016-04-24 at the Wayback Machine., p. 35-37. Crimes-of-persuasion.com Archived 2007-04-15 at the Wayback Machine. Fraud Victim Advice / Assistance for Consumer Scams and Investment Frauds Further reading Bell, J. Bowyer; Whaley, Barton (1982). Cheating and Deception (reprint 1991). New Brunswick (USA), London (UK): Transaction Publishers. ISBN 0-88738-868-X. Blundell, Nigel (1984) [1982]. The World's Greatest Crooks and Conmen and other mischievous malefactors. London: Octopus Books. ISBN 0-7064-2144-2. Dillon, Eamon (2008) [2008]. The Fraudsters: Sharks and Charlatans - How Con Artists Make Their Money. Merlin Publishing. ISBN 978-1-903582-82-4. Ford, Charles V. (1999) [1999]. Lies! Lies!! Lies!!!: The Psychology of Deceit. American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc. ISBN 978-0-88048-997-3. Henderson, Les (2000). Crimes of Persuasion: Schemes, scams, frauds. Coyote Ridge Publishing. ISBN 0-9687133-0-0. Kaminski, Marek M. (2004). Games Prisoners Play. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-11721-7. Konnikova, Maria (2016). The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It...Every Time. ISBN 978-0525427414. Maurer, David W. (1999) [1940]. The Big Con: The Story of the Confidence Man and the Confidence Game (reprinted). New York: Bobbs Merrill / Anchor Books. ISBN 0-385-49538-2. Maurer, David W. (1974). The American Confidence Man. Springfield: Charles C. Thomas, Publisher. ISBN 0-398-02974-1. Reading, Amy (2012). The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con. New York: Knopf. ISBN 978-0-307-47359-2. Smith, Jeff (2009). Soapy Smith: The Life and Death of a Scoundrel. Juneau: Klondike Research. ISBN 0-9819743-0-9. Sutherland, Edwin Hardin (1937). The Professional Thief (reprint 1989). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-78051-1. Weil, J.R. "Yellow Kid" (1948) [2004]. Con Man: A Master Swindler's Own Story. New York: Broadway Books. ISBN 0-7679-1737-5. Zhang, Yingyu (2017). The Book of Swindles: Selections from a Late Ming Collection. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231178631. External links Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Common scams. "Arrest of the Confidence Man" New York Herald, 1849 Dateline NBC investigation 'To Catch a Con Man' The Blonger Bros. Lou Blonger was the head of a large gang of confidence men running the Big Con in 1910s Denver Prepaid funeral scam, FBI Confidence tricks in ChinaA confidence trick (synonyms include confidence game, confidence scheme, ripoff, scam and stratagem) is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their confidence, used in the classical sense of trust. Confidence tricks exploit characteristics of the human psyche, such as credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility, and greed. Contents 1 Terminology 1.1 Short and long cons 2 Stages of the con 3 Vulnerability to confidence tricks 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External links Terminology The perpetrator of a confidence trick (or "con trick") is often referred to as a confidence (or "con") man, con-artist, or a "grifter". Samuel Thompson (1821–1856) was the original "confidence man". Thompson was a clumsy swindler who asked his victims to express confidence in him by giving him money or their watch rather than gaining their confidence in a more nuanced way. A few people trusted Thompson with their money and watches.[1] Thompson was arrested in July 1849. Reporting aboot this arrest, Dr. James Houston, a reporter of the New York Herald, publicized Thompson by naming him the "Confidence Man".[2] Although Thompson was an unsuccessful scammer, he gained reputation as a genius operator mostly because Houston's satirical writing wasn't understood as such.[2] The National Police Gazette coined the term "confidence game" a few weeks after Houston first used the name, the "confidence man".[2] A confidence trick is also known as a con game, a con, a scam, a grift, a hustle, a bunko (or bunco), a swindle, a flimflam, a gaffle or a bamboozle. The intended victims are known as "marks", "suckers", "stooge", "mugu", "rube" or "gulls" (i.e., gullible). When accomplices are employed, they are known as shills. Short and long cons A short con or small con is a fast swindle which takes just minutes. It typically aims to rob the victim of everything in his or her wallet.[3] A long con or big con (also, chiefly British English: long game)[4] is a scam that unfolds over several days or weeks and involves a team of swindlers, as well as props, sets, extras, costumes, and scripted lines. It aims to rob the victim of huge sums of money or valuable things, often by getting him or her to empty out banking accounts and borrow from family members.[5] Stages of the con In Confessions of a Confidence Man, Edward H. Smith lists the "six definite steps or stages of growth" of a confidence game.[6] He notes that some steps may be omitted. Foundation Work Preparations are made in advance of the game, including the hiring of any assistants required. Approach The victim is contacted. Build-up The victim is given an opportunity to profit from a scheme. The victim's greed is encouraged, such that their rational judgment of the situation might be impaired. Pay-off or Convincer The victim receives a small payout as a demonstration of the scheme's effectiveness. This may be a real amount of money, or faked in some way. In a gambling con, the victim is allowed to win several small bets. In a stock market con, the victim is given fake dividends. The Hurrah A sudden crisis or change of events forces the victim to act immediately. This is the point at which the con succeeds or fails. The In-and-In A conspirator (in on the con, but assumes the role of an interested bystander) puts an amount of money into the same scheme as the victim, to add an appearance of legitimacy to the scheme. This can reassure the victim, and give the con man greater control when the deal has been completed. In addition, some games require a "corroboration" step, particularly those involving a "rare item". This usually includes the use of an accomplice who plays the part of an uninvolved (initially skeptical) third party, who later confirms the claims made by the con man.[6] Vulnerability to confidence tricks Confidence tricks exploit typical human characteristics such as greed, dishonesty, vanity, opportunism, lust, compassion, credulity, irresponsibility, desperation, and naïvety. As such, there is no consistent profile of a confidence trick victim; the common factor is simply that the victim relies on the good faith of the con artist. Victims of investment scams tend to show an incautious level of greed and gullibility, and many con artists target the elderly, but even alert and educated people may be taken in by other forms of a confidence trick.[7] Accomplices, also known as shills, help manipulate the mark into accepting the perpetrator's plan. In a traditional confidence trick, the mark is led to believe that he will be able to win money or some other prize by doing some task. The accomplices may pretend to be strangers who have benefited from performing the task in the past. See also Boiler room (business) Charlatan Confidence trick (books and literature) Confidence trick (television and movies) Counterfeit Hijacked journals List of con artists List of confidence tricks List of criminal enterprises, gangs and syndicates Quackery Racketeering Ripoff Scam baiting Scams in intellectual property Social engineering (security) White-collar crime References Jean Braucher &amp; Barak Orbach, "Scamming: The Misunderstood Confidence Man," 27 Yale Journal of Law &amp; Humanities 249 (2015) Braucher &amp; Orbach. David Maurer, The Big Con Archived 2016-06-24 at the Wayback Machine., Chapter Eight: "Short-Con Games" Yagoda, Ben (June 5, 2012). "'The long game'". Not One-off Britishisms. Archived from the original on July 7, 2014. This language blog, while not a reliable etymological source, provides statistically gathered usage data that demonstrates neutral as well as critical usage, and that it is of British origin, only recently making notable inroads into American English. Amy Reading, The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con Archived 2016-05-15 at the Wayback Machine., Chapter One: "Confidence" ISBN 978-0-307-47359-2 Edward H. Smith, Confessions of a Confidence Man: A Handbook for Suckers Archived 2016-04-24 at the Wayback Machine., p. 35-37. Crimes-of-persuasion.com Archived 2007-04-15 at the Wayback Machine. Fraud Victim Advice / Assistance for Consumer Scams and Investment Frauds Further reading Bell, J. Bowyer; Whaley, Barton (1982). Cheating and Deception (reprint 1991). New Brunswick (USA), London (UK): Transaction Publishers. ISBN 0-88738-868-X. Blundell, Nigel (1984) [1982]. The World's Greatest Crooks and Conmen and other mischievous malefactors. London: Octopus Books. ISBN 0-7064-2144-2. Dillon, Eamon (2008) [2008]. The Fraudsters: Sharks and Charlatans - How Con Artists Make Their Money. Merlin Publishing. ISBN 978-1-903582-82-4. Ford, Charles V. (1999) [1999]. Lies! Lies!! Lies!!!: The Psychology of Deceit. American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc. ISBN 978-0-88048-997-3. Henderson, Les (2000). Crimes of Persuasion: Schemes, scams, frauds. Coyote Ridge Publishing. ISBN 0-9687133-0-0. Kaminski, Marek M. (2004). Games Prisoners Play. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-11721-7. Konnikova, Maria (2016). The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It...Every Time. ISBN 978-0525427414. Maurer, David W. (1999) [1940]. The Big Con: The Story of the Confidence Man and the Confidence Game (reprinted). New York: Bobbs Merrill / Anchor Books. ISBN 0-385-49538-2. Maurer, David W. (1974). The American Confidence Man. Springfield: Charles C. Thomas, Publisher. ISBN 0-398-02974-1. Reading, Amy (2012). The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con. New York: Knopf. ISBN 978-0-307-47359-2. Smith, Jeff (2009). Soapy Smith: The Life and Death of a Scoundrel. Juneau: Klondike Research. ISBN 0-9819743-0-9. Sutherland, Edwin Hardin (1937). The Professional Thief (reprint 1989). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-78051-1. Weil, J.R. "Yellow Kid" (1948) [2004]. Con Man: A Master Swindler's Own Story. New York: Broadway Books. ISBN 0-7679-1737-5. Zhang, Yingyu (2017). The Book of Swindles: Selections from a Late Ming Collection. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231178631. External links Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Common scams. "Arrest of the Confidence Man" New York Herald, 1849 Dateline NBC investigation 'To Catch a Con Man' The Blonger Bros. Lou Blonger was the head of a large gang of confidence men running the Big Con in 1910s Denver Prepaid funeral scam, FBI Confidence tricks in ChinaA confidence trick (synonyms include confidence game, confidence scheme, ripoff, scam and stratagem) is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their confidence, used in the classical sense of trust. Confidence tricks exploit characteristics of the human psyche, such as credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility, and greed. Contents 1 Terminology 1.1 Short and long cons 2 Stages of the con 3 Vulnerability to confidence tricks 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External links Terminology The perpetrator of a confidence trick (or "con trick") is often referred to as a confidence (or "con") man, con-artist, or a "grifter". Samuel Thompson (1821–1856) was the original "confidence man". Thompson was a clumsy swindler who asked his victims to express confidence in him by giving him money or their watch rather than gaining their confidence in a more nuanced way. A few people trusted Thompson with their money and watches.[1] Thompson was arrested in July 1849. Reporting aboot this arrest, Dr. James Houston, a reporter of the New York Herald, publicized Thompson by naming him the "Confidence Man".[2] Although Thompson was an unsuccessful scammer, he gained reputation as a genius operator mostly because Houston's satirical writing wasn't understood as such.[2] The National Police Gazette coined the term "confidence game" a few weeks after Houston first used the name, the "confidence man".[2] A confidence trick is also known as a con game, a con, a scam, a grift, a hustle, a bunko (or bunco), a swindle, a flimflam, a gaffle or a bamboozle. The intended victims are known as "marks", "suckers", "stooge", "mugu", "rube" or "gulls" (i.e., gullible). When accomplices are employed, they are known as shills. Short and long cons A short con or small con is a fast swindle which takes just minutes. It typically aims to rob the victim of everything in his or her wallet.[3] A long con or big con (also, chiefly British English: long game)[4] is a scam that unfolds over several days or weeks and involves a team of swindlers, as well as props, sets, extras, costumes, and scripted lines. It aims to rob the victim of huge sums of money or valuable things, often by getting him or her to empty out banking accounts and borrow from family members.[5] Stages of the con In Confessions of a Confidence Man, Edward H. Smith lists the "six definite steps or stages of growth" of a confidence game.[6] He notes that some steps may be omitted. Foundation Work Preparations are made in advance of the game, including the hiring of any assistants required. Approach The victim is contacted. Build-up The victim is given an opportunity to profit from a scheme. The victim's greed is encouraged, such that their rational judgment of the situation might be impaired. Pay-off or Convincer The victim receives a small payout as a demonstration of the scheme's effectiveness. This may be a real amount of money, or faked in some way. In a gambling con, the victim is allowed to win several small bets. In a stock market con, the victim is given fake dividends. The Hurrah A sudden crisis or change of events forces the victim to act immediately. This is the point at which the con succeeds or fails. The In-and-In A conspirator (in on the con, but assumes the role of an interested bystander) puts an amount of money into the same scheme as the victim, to add an appearance of legitimacy to the scheme. This can reassure the victim, and give the con man greater control when the deal has been completed. In addition, some games require a "corroboration" step, particularly those involving a "rare item". This usually includes the use of an accomplice who plays the part of an uninvolved (initially skeptical) third party, who later confirms the claims made by the con man.[6] Vulnerability to confidence tricks Confidence tricks exploit typical human characteristics such as greed, dishonesty, vanity, opportunism, lust, compassion, credulity, irresponsibility, desperation, and naïvety. As such, there is no consistent profile of a confidence trick victim; the common factor is simply that the victim relies on the good faith of the con artist. Victims of investment scams tend to show an incautious level of greed and gullibility, and many con artists target the elderly, but even alert and educated people may be taken in by other forms of a confidence trick.[7] Accomplices, also known as shills, help manipulate the mark into accepting the perpetrator's plan. In a traditional confidence trick, the mark is led to believe that he will be able to win money or some other prize by doing some task. The accomplices may pretend to be strangers who have benefited from performing the task in the past. See also Boiler room (business) Charlatan Confidence trick (books and literature) Confidence trick (television and movies) Counterfeit Hijacked journals List of con artists List of confidence tricks List of criminal enterprises, gangs and syndicates Quackery Racketeering Ripoff Scam baiting Scams in intellectual property Social engineering (security) White-collar crime References Jean Braucher &amp; Barak Orbach, "Scamming: The Misunderstood Confidence Man," 27 Yale Journal of Law &amp; Humanities 249 (2015) Braucher &amp; Orbach. David Maurer, The Big Con Archived 2016-06-24 at the Wayback Machine., Chapter Eight: "Short-Con Games" Yagoda, Ben (June 5, 2012). "'The long game'". Not One-off Britishisms. Archived from the original on July 7, 2014. This language blog, while not a reliable etymological source, provides statistically gathered usage data that demonstrates neutral as well as critical usage, and that it is of British origin, only recently making notable inroads into American English. Amy Reading, The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con Archived 2016-05-15 at the Wayback Machine., Chapter One: "Confidence" ISBN 978-0-307-47359-2 Edward H. Smith, Confessions of a Confidence Man: A Handbook for Suckers Archived 2016-04-24 at the Wayback Machine., p. 35-37. Crimes-of-persuasion.com Archived 2007-04-15 at the Wayback Machine. Fraud Victim Advice / Assistance for Consumer Scams and Investment Frauds Further reading Bell, J. Bowyer; Whaley, Barton (1982). Cheating and Deception (reprint 1991). New Brunswick (USA), London (UK): Transaction Publishers. ISBN 0-88738-868-X. Blundell, Nigel (1984) [1982]. The World's Greatest Crooks and Conmen and other mischievous malefactors. London: Octopus Books. ISBN 0-7064-2144-2. Dillon, Eamon (2008) [2008]. The Fraudsters: Sharks and Charlatans - How Con Artists Make Their Money. Merlin Publishing. ISBN 978-1-903582-82-4. Ford, Charles V. (1999) [1999]. Lies! Lies!! Lies!!!: The Psychology of Deceit. American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc. ISBN 978-0-88048-997-3. Henderson, Les (2000). Crimes of Persuasion: Schemes, scams, frauds. Coyote Ridge Publishing. ISBN 0-9687133-0-0. Kaminski, Marek M. (2004). Games Prisoners Play. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-11721-7. Konnikova, Maria (2016). The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It...Every Time. ISBN 978-0525427414. Maurer, David W. (1999) [1940]. The Big Con: The Story of the Confidence Man and the Confidence Game (reprinted). New York: Bobbs Merrill / Anchor Books. ISBN 0-385-49538-2. Maurer, David W. (1974). The American Confidence Man. Springfield: Charles C. Thomas, Publisher. ISBN 0-398-02974-1. Reading, Amy (2012). The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con. New York: Knopf. ISBN 978-0-307-47359-2. Smith, Jeff (2009). Soapy Smith: The Life and Death of a Scoundrel. Juneau: Klondike Research. ISBN 0-9819743-0-9. Sutherland, Edwin Hardin (1937). The Professional Thief (reprint 1989). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-78051-1. Weil, J.R. "Yellow Kid" (1948) [2004]. Con Man: A Master Swindler's Own Story. New York: Broadway Books. ISBN 0-7679-1737-5. Zhang, Yingyu (2017). The Book of Swindles: Selections from a Late Ming Collection. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231178631. External links Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Common scams. "Arrest of the Confidence Man" New York Herald, 1849 Dateline NBC investigation 'To Catch a Con Man' The Blonger Bros. Lou Blonger was the head of a large gang of confidence men running the Big Con in 1910s Denver Prepaid funeral scam, FBI Confidence tricks in ChinaA confidence trick (synonyms include confidence game, confidence scheme, ripoff, scam and stratagem) is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their confidence, used in the classical sense of trust. Confidence tricks exploit characteristics of the human psyche, such as credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility, and greed. Contents 1 Terminology 1.1 Short and long cons 2 Stages of the con 3 Vulnerability to confidence tricks 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External links Terminology The perpetrator of a confidence trick (or "con trick") is often referred to as a confidence (or "con") man, con-artist, or a "grifter". Samuel Thompson (1821–1856) was the original "confidence man". Thompson was a clumsy swindler who asked his victims to express confidence in him by giving him money or their watch rather than gaining their confidence in a more nuanced way. A few people trusted Thompson with their money and watches.[1] Thompson was arrested in July 1849. Reporting aboot this arrest, Dr. James Houston, a reporter of the New York Herald, publicized Thompson by naming him the "Confidence Man".[2] Although Thompson was an unsuccessful scammer, he gained reputation as a genius operator mostly because Houston's satirical writing wasn't understood as such.[2] The National Police Gazette coined the term "confidence game" a few weeks after Houston first used the name, the "confidence man".[2] A confidence trick is also known as a con game, a con, a scam, a grift, a hustle, a bunko (or bunco), a swindle, a flimflam, a gaffle or a bamboozle. The intended victims are known as "marks", "suckers", "stooge", "mugu", "rube" or "gulls" (i.e., gullible). When accomplices are employed, they are known as shills. Short and long cons A short con or small con is a fast swindle which takes just minutes. It typically aims to rob the victim of everything in his or her wallet.[3] A long con or big con (also, chiefly British English: long game)[4] is a scam that unfolds over several days or weeks and involves a team of swindlers, as well as props, sets, extras, costumes, and scripted lines. It aims to rob the victim of huge sums of money or valuable things, often by getting him or her to empty out banking accounts and borrow from family members.[5] Stages of the con In Confessions of a Confidence Man, Edward H. Smith lists the "six definite steps or stages of growth" of a confidence game.[6] He notes that some steps may be omitted. Foundation Work Preparations are made in advance of the game, including the hiring of any assistants required. Approach The victim is contacted. Build-up The victim is given an opportunity to profit from a scheme. The victim's greed is encouraged, such that their rational judgment of the situation might be impaired. Pay-off or Convincer The victim receives a small payout as a demonstration of the scheme's effectiveness. This may be a real amount of money, or faked in some way. In a gambling con, the victim is allowed to win several small bets. In a stock market con, the victim is given fake dividends. The Hurrah A sudden crisis or change of events forces the victim to act immediately. This is the point at which the con succeeds or fails. The In-and-In A conspirator (in on the con, but assumes the role of an interested bystander) puts an amount of money into the same scheme as the victim, to add an appearance of legitimacy to the scheme. This can reassure the victim, and give the con man greater control when the deal has been completed. In addition, some games require a "corroboration" step, particularly those involving a "rare item". This usually includes the use of an accomplice who plays the part of an uninvolved (initially skeptical) third party, who later confirms the claims made by the con man.[6] Vulnerability to confidence tricks Confidence tricks exploit typical human characteristics such as greed, dishonesty, vanity, opportunism, lust, compassion, credulity, irresponsibility, desperation, and naïvety. As such, there is no consistent profile of a confidence trick victim; the common factor is simply that the victim relies on the good faith of the con artist. Victims of investment scams tend to show an incautious level of greed and gullibility, and many con artists target the elderly, but even alert and educated people may be taken in by other forms of a confidence trick.[7] Accomplices, also known as shills, help manipulate the mark into accepting the perpetrator's plan. In a traditional confidence trick, the mark is led to believe that he will be able to win money or some other prize by doing some task. The accomplices may pretend to be strangers who have benefited from performing the task in the past. See also Boiler room (business) Charlatan Confidence trick (books and literature) Confidence trick (television and movies) Counterfeit Hijacked journals List of con artists List of confidence tricks List of criminal enterprises, gangs and syndicates Quackery Racketeering Ripoff Scam baiting Scams in intellectual property Social engineering (security) White-collar crime References Jean Braucher &amp; Barak Orbach, "Scamming: The Misunderstood Confidence Man," 27 Yale Journal of Law &amp; Humanities 249 (2015) Braucher &amp; Orbach. David Maurer, The Big Con Archived 2016-06-24 at the Wayback Machine., Chapter Eight: "Short-Con Games" Yagoda, Ben (June 5, 2012). "'The long game'". Not One-off Britishisms. Archived from the original on July 7, 2014. This language blog, while not a reliable etymological source, provides statistically gathered usage data that demonstrates neutral as well as critical usage, and that it is of British origin, only recently making notable inroads into American English. Amy Reading, The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con Archived 2016-05-15 at the Wayback Machine., Chapter One: "Confidence" ISBN 978-0-307-47359-2 Edward H. Smith, Confessions of a Confidence Man: A Handbook for Suckers Archived 2016-04-24 at the Wayback Machine., p. 35-37. Crimes-of-persuasion.com Archived 2007-04-15 at the Wayback Machine. Fraud Victim Advice / Assistance for Consumer Scams and Investment Frauds Further reading Bell, J. Bowyer; Whaley, Barton (1982). Cheating and Deception (reprint 1991). New Brunswick (USA), London (UK): Transaction Publishers. ISBN 0-88738-868-X. Blundell, Nigel (1984) [1982]. The World's Greatest Crooks and Conmen and other mischievous malefactors. London: Octopus Books. ISBN 0-7064-2144-2. Dillon, Eamon (2008) [2008]. The Fraudsters: Sharks and Charlatans - How Con Artists Make Their Money. Merlin Publishing. ISBN 978-1-903582-82-4. Ford, Charles V. (1999) [1999]. Lies! Lies!! Lies!!!: The Psychology of Deceit. American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc. ISBN 978-0-88048-997-3. Henderson, Les (2000). Crimes of Persuasion: Schemes, scams, frauds. Coyote Ridge Publishing. ISBN 0-9687133-0-0. Kaminski, Marek M. (2004). Games Prisoners Play. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-11721-7. Konnikova, Maria (2016). The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It...Every Time. ISBN 978-0525427414. Maurer, David W. (1999) [1940]. The Big Con: The Story of the Confidence Man and the Confidence Game (reprinted). New York: Bobbs Merrill / Anchor Books. ISBN 0-385-49538-2. Maurer, David W. (1974). The American Confidence Man. Springfield: Charles C. Thomas, Publisher. ISBN 0-398-02974-1. Reading, Amy (2012). The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con. New York: Knopf. ISBN 978-0-307-47359-2. Smith, Jeff (2009). Soapy Smith: The Life and Death of a Scoundrel. Juneau: Klondike Research. ISBN 0-9819743-0-9. Sutherland, Edwin Hardin (1937). The Professional Thief (reprint 1989). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-78051-1. Weil, J.R. "Yellow Kid" (1948) [2004]. Con Man: A Master Swindler's Own Story. New York: Broadway Books. ISBN 0-7679-1737-5. Zhang, Yingyu (2017). The Book of Swindles: Selections from a Late Ming Collection. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231178631. External links Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Common scams. "Arrest of the Confidence Man" New York Herald, 1849 Dateline NBC investigation 'To Catch a Con Man' The Blonger Bros. Lou Blonger was the head of a large gang of confidence men running the Big Con in 1910s Denver Prepaid funeral scam, FBI Confidence tricks in ChinaA confidence trick (synonyms include confidence game, confidence scheme, ripoff, scam and stratagem) is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their confidence, used in the classical sense of trust. Confidence tricks exploit characteristics of the human psyche, such as credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility, and greed. Contents 1 Terminology 1.1 Short and long cons 2 Stages of the con 3 Vulnerability to confidence tricks 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External links Terminology The perpetrator of a confidence trick (or "con trick") is often referred to as a confidence (or "con") man, con-artist, or a "grifter". Samuel Thompson (1821–1856) was the original "confidence man". Thompson was a clumsy swindler who asked his victims to express confidence in him by giving him money or their watch rather than gaining their confidence in a more nuanced way. A few people trusted Thompson with their money and watches.[1] Thompson was arrested in July 1849. Reporting aboot this arrest, Dr. James Houston, a reporter of the New York Herald, publicized Thompson by naming him the "Confidence Man".[2] Although Thompson was an unsuccessful scammer, he gained reputation as a genius operator mostly because Houston's satirical writing wasn't understood as such.[2] The National Police Gazette coined the term "confidence game" a few weeks after Houston first used the name, the "confidence man".[2] A confidence trick is also known as a con game, a con, a scam, a grift, a hustle, a bunko (or bunco), a swindle, a flimflam, a gaffle or a bamboozle. The intended victims are known as "marks", "suckers", "stooge", "mugu", "rube" or "gulls" (i.e., gullible). When accomplices are employed, they are known as shills. Short and long cons A short con or small con is a fast swindle which takes just minutes. It typically aims to rob the victim of everything in his or her wallet.[3] A long con or big con (also, chiefly British English: long game)[4] is a scam that unfolds over several days or weeks and involves a team of swindlers, as well as props, sets, extras, costumes, and scripted lines. It aims to rob the victim of huge sums of money or valuable things, often by getting him or her to empty out banking accounts and borrow from family members.[5] Stages of the con In Confessions of a Confidence Man, Edward H. Smith lists the "six definite steps or stages of growth" of a confidence game.[6] He notes that some steps may be omitted. Foundation Work Preparations are made in advance of the game, including the hiring of any assistants required. Approach The victim is contacted. Build-up The victim is given an opportunity to profit from a scheme. The victim's greed is encouraged, such that their rational judgment of the situation might be impaired. Pay-off or Convincer The victim receives a small payout as a demonstration of the scheme's effectiveness. This may be a real amount of money, or faked in some way. In a gambling con, the victim is allowed to win several small bets. In a stock market con, the victim is given fake dividends. The Hurrah A sudden crisis or change of events forces the victim to act immediately. This is the point at which the con succeeds or fails. The In-and-In A conspirator (in on the con, but assumes the role of an interested bystander) puts an amount of money into the same scheme as the victim, to add an appearance of legitimacy to the scheme. This can reassure the victim, and give the con man greater control when the deal has been completed. In addition, some games require a "corroboration" step, particularly those involving a "rare item". This usually includes the use of an accomplice who plays the part of an uninvolved (initially skeptical) third party, who later confirms the claims made by the con man.[6] Vulnerability to confidence tricks Confidence tricks exploit typical human characteristics such as greed, dishonesty, vanity, opportunism, lust, compassion, credulity, irresponsibility, desperation, and naïvety. As such, there is no consistent profile of a confidence trick victim; the common factor is simply that the victim relies on the good faith of the con artist. Victims of investment scams tend to show an incautious level of greed and gullibility, and many con artists target the elderly, but even alert and educated people may be taken in by other forms of a confidence trick.[7] Accomplices, also known as shills, help manipulate the mark into accepting the perpetrator's plan. In a traditional confidence trick, the mark is led to believe that he will be able to win money or some other prize by doing some task. The accomplices may pretend to be strangers who have benefited from performing the task in the past. See also Boiler room (business) Charlatan Confidence trick (books and literature) Confidence trick (television and movies) Counterfeit Hijacked journals List of con artists List of confidence tricks List of criminal enterprises, gangs and syndicates Quackery Racketeering Ripoff Scam baiting Scams in intellectual property Social engineering (security) White-collar crime References Jean Braucher &amp; Barak Orbach, "Scamming: The Misunderstood Confidence Man," 27 Yale Journal of Law &amp; Humanities 249 (2015) Braucher &amp; Orbach. David Maurer, The Big Con Archived 2016-06-24 at the Wayback Machine., Chapter Eight: "Short-Con Games" Yagoda, Ben (June 5, 2012). "'The long game'". Not One-off Britishisms. Archived from the original on July 7, 2014. This language blog, while not a reliable etymological source, provides statistically gathered usage data that demonstrates neutral as well as critical usage, and that it is of British origin, only recently making notable inroads into American English. Amy Reading, The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con Archived 2016-05-15 at the Wayback Machine., Chapter One: "Confidence" ISBN 978-0-307-47359-2 Edward H. Smith, Confessions of a Confidence Man: A Handbook for Suckers Archived 2016-04-24 at the Wayback Machine., p. 35-37. Crimes-of-persuasion.com Archived 2007-04-15 at the Wayback Machine. Fraud Victim Advice / Assistance for Consumer Scams and Investment Frauds Further reading Bell, J. Bowyer; Whaley, Barton (1982). Cheating and Deception (reprint 1991). New Brunswick (USA), London (UK): Transaction Publishers. ISBN 0-88738-868-X. Blundell, Nigel (1984) [1982]. The World's Greatest Crooks and Conmen and other mischievous malefactors. London: Octopus Books. ISBN 0-7064-2144-2. Dillon, Eamon (2008) [2008]. The Fraudsters: Sharks and Charlatans - How Con Artists Make Their Money. Merlin Publishing. ISBN 978-1-903582-82-4. Ford, Charles V. (1999) [1999]. Lies! Lies!! Lies!!!: The Psychology of Deceit. American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc. ISBN 978-0-88048-997-3. Henderson, Les (2000). Crimes of Persuasion: Schemes, scams, frauds. Coyote Ridge Publishing. ISBN 0-9687133-0-0. Kaminski, Marek M. (2004). Games Prisoners Play. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-11721-7. Konnikova, Maria (2016). The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It...Every Time. ISBN 978-0525427414. Maurer, David W. (1999) [1940]. The Big Con: The Story of the Confidence Man and the Confidence Game (reprinted). New York: Bobbs Merrill / Anchor Books. ISBN 0-385-49538-2. Maurer, David W. (1974). The American Confidence Man. Springfield: Charles C. Thomas, Publisher. ISBN 0-398-02974-1. Reading, Amy (2012). The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con. New York: Knopf. ISBN 978-0-307-47359-2. Smith, Jeff (2009). Soapy Smith: The Life and Death of a Scoundrel. Juneau: Klondike Research. ISBN 0-9819743-0-9. Sutherland, Edwin Hardin (1937). The Professional Thief (reprint 1989). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-78051-1. Weil, J.R. "Yellow Kid" (1948) [2004]. Con Man: A Master Swindler's Own Story. New York: Broadway Books. ISBN 0-7679-1737-5. Zhang, Yingyu (2017). The Book of Swindles: Selections from a Late Ming Collection. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231178631. External links Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Common scams. "Arrest of the Confidence Man" New York Herald, 1849 Dateline NBC investigation 'To Catch a Con Man' The Blonger Bros. Lou Blonger was the head of a large gang of confidence men running the Big Con in 1910s Denver Prepaid funeral scam, FBI Confidence tricks in ChinaA confidence trick (synonyms include confidence game, confidence scheme, ripoff, scam and stratagem) is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their confidence, used in the classical sense of trust. Confidence tricks exploit characteristics of the human psyche, such as credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility, and greed. Contents 1 Terminology 1.1 Short and long cons 2 Stages of the con 3 Vulnerability to confidence tricks 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External links Terminology The perpetrator of a confidence trick (or "con trick") is often referred to as a confidence (or "con") man, con-artist, or a "grifter". Samuel Thompson (1821–1856) was the original "confidence man". Thompson was a clumsy swindler who asked his victims to express confidence in him by giving him money or their watch rather than gaining their confidence in a more nuanced way. A few people trusted Thompson with their money and watches.[1] Thompson was arrested in July 1849. Reporting aboot this arrest, Dr. James Houston, a reporter of the New York Herald, publicized Thompson by naming him the "Confidence Man".[2] Although Thompson was an unsuccessful scammer, he gained reputation as a genius operator mostly because Houston's satirical writing wasn't understood as such.[2] The National Police Gazette coined the term "confidence game" a few weeks after Houston first used the name, the "confidence man".[2] A confidence trick is also known as a con game, a con, a scam, a grift, a hustle, a bunko (or bunco), a swindle, a flimflam, a gaffle or a bamboozle. The intended victims are known as "marks", "suckers", "stooge", "mugu", "rube" or "gulls" (i.e., gullible). When accomplices are employed, they are known as shills. Short and long cons A short con or small con is a fast swindle which takes just minutes. It typically aims to rob the victim of everything in his or her wallet.[3] A long con or big con (also, chiefly British English: long game)[4] is a scam that unfolds over several days or weeks and involves a team of swindlers, as well as props, sets, extras, costumes, and scripted lines. It aims to rob the victim of huge sums of money or valuable things, often by getting him or her to empty out banking accounts and borrow from family members.[5] Stages of the con In Confessions of a Confidence Man, Edward H. Smith lists the "six definite steps or stages of growth" of a confidence game.[6] He notes that some steps may be omitted. Foundation Work Preparations are made in advance of the game, including the hiring of any assistants required. Approach The victim is contacted. Build-up The victim is given an opportunity to profit from a scheme. The victim's greed is encouraged, such that their rational judgment of the situation might be impaired. Pay-off or Convincer The victim receives a small payout as a demonstration of the scheme's effectiveness. This may be a real amount of money, or faked in some way. In a gambling con, the victim is allowed to win several small bets. In a stock market con, the victim is given fake dividends. The Hurrah A sudden crisis or change of events forces the victim to act immediately. This is the point at which the con succeeds or fails. The In-and-In A conspirator (in on the con, but assumes the role of an interested bystander) puts an amount of money into the same scheme as the victim, to add an appearance of legitimacy to the scheme. This can reassure the victim, and give the con man greater control when the deal has been completed. In addition, some games require a "corroboration" step, particularly those involving a "rare item". This usually includes the use of an accomplice who plays the part of an uninvolved (initially skeptical) third party, who later confirms the claims made by the con man.[6] Vulnerability to confidence tricks Confidence tricks exploit typical human characteristics such as greed, dishonesty, vanity, opportunism, lust, compassion, credulity, irresponsibility, desperation, and naïvety. As such, there is no consistent profile of a confidence trick victim; the common factor is simply that the victim relies on the good faith of the con artist. Victims of investment scams tend to show an incautious level of greed and gullibility, and many con artists target the elderly, but even alert and educated people may be taken in by other forms of a confidence trick.[7] Accomplices, also known as shills, help manipulate the mark into accepting the perpetrator's plan. In a traditional confidence trick, the mark is led to believe that he will be able to win money or some other prize by doing some task. The accomplices may pretend to be strangers who have benefited from performing the task in the past. See also Boiler room (business) Charlatan Confidence trick (books and literature) Confidence trick (television and movies) Counterfeit Hijacked journals List of con artists List of confidence tricks List of criminal enterprises, gangs and syndicates Quackery Racketeering Ripoff Scam baiting Scams in intellectual property Social engineering (security) White-collar crime References Jean Braucher &amp; Barak Orbach, "Scamming: The Misunderstood Confidence Man," 27 Yale Journal of Law &amp; Humanities 249 (2015) Braucher &amp; Orbach. David Maurer, The Big Con Archived 2016-06-24 at the Wayback Machine., Chapter Eight: "Short-Con Games" Yagoda, Ben (June 5, 2012). "'The long game'". Not One-off Britishisms. Archived from the original on July 7, 2014. This language blog, while not a reliable etymological source, provides statistically gathered usage data that demonstrates neutral as well as critical usage, and that it is of British origin, only recently making notable inroads into American English. Amy Reading, The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con Archived 2016-05-15 at the Wayback Machine., Chapter One: "Confidence" ISBN 978-0-307-47359-2 Edward H. Smith, Confessions of a Confidence Man: A Handbook for Suckers Archived 2016-04-24 at the Wayback Machine., p. 35-37. Crimes-of-persuasion.com Archived 2007-04-15 at the Wayback Machine. Fraud Victim Advice / Assistance for Consumer Scams and Investment Frauds Further reading Bell, J. Bowyer; Whaley, Barton (1982). Cheating and Deception (reprint 1991). New Brunswick (USA), London (UK): Transaction Publishers. ISBN 0-88738-868-X. Blundell, Nigel (1984) [1982]. The World's Greatest Crooks and Conmen and other mischievous malefactors. London: Octopus Books. ISBN 0-7064-2144-2. Dillon, Eamon (2008) [2008]. The Fraudsters: Sharks and Charlatans - How Con Artists Make Their Money. Merlin Publishing. ISBN 978-1-903582-82-4. Ford, Charles V. (1999) [1999]. Lies! Lies!! Lies!!!: The Psychology of Deceit. American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc. ISBN 978-0-88048-997-3. Henderson, Les (2000). Crimes of Persuasion: Schemes, scams, frauds. Coyote Ridge Publishing. ISBN 0-9687133-0-0. Kaminski, Marek M. (2004). Games Prisoners Play. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-11721-7. Konnikova, Maria (2016). The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It...Every Time. ISBN 978-0525427414. Maurer, David W. (1999) [1940]. The Big Con: The Story of the Confidence Man and the Confidence Game (reprinted). New York: Bobbs Merrill / Anchor Books. ISBN 0-385-49538-2. Maurer, David W. (1974). The American Confidence Man. Springfield: Charles C. Thomas, Publisher. ISBN 0-398-02974-1. Reading, Amy (2012). The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con. New York: Knopf. ISBN 978-0-307-47359-2. Smith, Jeff (2009). Soapy Smith: The Life and Death of a Scoundrel. Juneau: Klondike Research. ISBN 0-9819743-0-9. Sutherland, Edwin Hardin (1937). The Professional Thief (reprint 1989). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-78051-1. Weil, J.R. "Yellow Kid" (1948) [2004]. Con Man: A Master Swindler's Own Story. New York: Broadway Books. ISBN 0-7679-1737-5. Zhang, Yingyu (2017). The Book of Swindles: Selections from a Late Ming Collection. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231178631. External links Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Common scams. "Arrest of the Confidence Man" New York Herald, 1849 Dateline NBC investigation 'To Catch a Con Man' The Blonger Bros. Lou Blonger was the head of a large gang of confidence men running the Big Con in 1910s Denver Prepaid funeral scam, FBI Confidence tricks in ChinaA confidence trick (synonyms include confidence game, confidence scheme, ripoff, scam and stratagem) is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their confidence, used in the classical sense of trust. Confidence tricks exploit characteristics of the human psyche, such as credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility, and greed. Contents 1 Terminology 1.1 Short and long cons 2 Stages of the con 3 Vulnerability to confidence tricks 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External links Terminology The perpetrator of a confidence trick (or "con trick") is often referred to as a confidence (or "con") man, con-artist, or a "grifter". Samuel Thompson (1821–1856) was the original "confidence man". Thompson was a clumsy swindler who asked his victims to express confidence in him by giving him money or their watch rather than gaining their confidence in a more nuanced way. A few people trusted Thompson with their money and watches.[1] Thompson was arrested in July 1849. Reporting aboot this arrest, Dr. James Houston, a reporter of the New York Herald, publicized Thompson by naming him the "Confidence Man".[2] Although Thompson was an unsuccessful scammer, he gained reputation as a genius operator mostly because Houston's satirical writing wasn't understood as such.[2] The National Police Gazette coined the term "confidence game" a few weeks after Houston first used the name, the "confidence man".[2] A confidence trick is also known as a con game, a con, a scam, a grift, a hustle, a bunko (or bunco), a swindle, a flimflam, a gaffle or a bamboozle. The intended victims are known as "marks", "suckers", "stooge", "mugu", "rube" or "gulls" (i.e., gullible). When accomplices are employed, they are known as shills. Short and long cons A short con or small con is a fast swindle which takes just minutes. It typically aims to rob the victim of everything in his or her wallet.[3] A long con or big con (also, chiefly British English: long game)[4] is a scam that unfolds over several days or weeks and involves a team of swindlers, as well as props, sets, extras, costumes, and scripted lines. It aims to rob the victim of huge sums of money or valuable things, often by getting him or her to empty out banking accounts and borrow from family members.[5] Stages of the con In Confessions of a Confidence Man, Edward H. Smith lists the "six definite steps or stages of growth" of a confidence game.[6] He notes that some steps may be omitted. Foundation Work Preparations are made in advance of the game, including the hiring of any assistants required. Approach The victim is contacted. Build-up The victim is given an opportunity to profit from a scheme. The victim's greed is encouraged, such that their rational judgment of the situation might be impaired. Pay-off or Convincer The victim receives a small payout as a demonstration of the scheme's effectiveness. This may be a real amount of money, or faked in some way. In a gambling con, the victim is allowed to win several small bets. In a stock market con, the victim is given fake dividends. The Hurrah A sudden crisis or change of events forces the victim to act immediately. This is the point at which the con succeeds or fails. The In-and-In A conspirator (in on the con, but assumes the role of an interested bystander) puts an amount of money into the same scheme as the victim, to add an appearance of legitimacy to the scheme. This can reassure the victim, and give the con man greater control when the deal has been completed. In addition, some games require a "corroboration" step, particularly those involving a "rare item". This usually includes the use of an accomplice who plays the part of an uninvolved (initially skeptical) third party, who later confirms the claims made by the con man.[6] Vulnerability to confidence tricks Confidence tricks exploit typical human characteristics such as greed, dishonesty, vanity, opportunism, lust, compassion, credulity, irresponsibility, desperation, and naïvety. As such, there is no consistent profile of a confidence trick victim; the common factor is simply that the victim relies on the good faith of the con artist. Victims of investment scams tend to show an incautious level of greed and gullibility, and many con artists target the elderly, but even alert and educated people may be taken in by other forms of a confidence trick.[7] Accomplices, also known as shills, help manipulate the mark into accepting the perpetrator's plan. In a traditional confidence trick, the mark is led to believe that he will be able to win money or some other prize by doing some task. The accomplices may pretend to be strangers who have benefited from performing the task in the past. See also Boiler room (business) Charlatan Confidence trick (books and literature) Confidence trick (television and movies) Counterfeit Hijacked journals List of con artists List of confidence tricks List of criminal enterprises, gangs and syndicates Quackery Racketeering Ripoff Scam baiting Scams in intellectual property Social engineering (security) White-collar crime References Jean Braucher &amp; Barak Orbach, "Scamming: The Misunderstood Confidence Man," 27 Yale Journal of Law &amp; Humanities 249 (2015) Braucher &amp; Orbach. David Maurer, The Big Con Archived 2016-06-24 at the Wayback Machine., Chapter Eight: "Short-Con Games" Yagoda, Ben (June 5, 2012). "'The long game'". Not One-off Britishisms. Archived from the original on July 7, 2014. This language blog, while not a reliable etymological source, provides statistically gathered usage data that demonstrates neutral as well as critical usage, and that it is of British origin, only recently making notable inroads into American English. Amy Reading, The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con Archived 2016-05-15 at the Wayback Machine., Chapter One: "Confidence" ISBN 978-0-307-47359-2 Edward H. Smith, Confessions of a Confidence Man: A Handbook for Suckers Archived 2016-04-24 at the Wayback Machine., p. 35-37. Crimes-of-persuasion.com Archived 2007-04-15 at the Wayback Machine. Fraud Victim Advice / Assistance for Consumer Scams and Investment Frauds Further reading Bell, J. Bowyer; Whaley, Barton (1982). Cheating and Deception (reprint 1991). New Brunswick (USA), London (UK): Transaction Publishers. ISBN 0-88738-868-X. Blundell, Nigel (1984) [1982]. The World's Greatest Crooks and Conmen and other mischievous malefactors. London: Octopus Books. ISBN 0-7064-2144-2. Dillon, Eamon (2008) [2008]. The Fraudsters: Sharks and Charlatans - How Con Artists Make Their Money. Merlin Publishing. ISBN 978-1-903582-82-4. Ford, Charles V. (1999) [1999]. Lies! Lies!! Lies!!!: The Psychology of Deceit. American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc. ISBN 978-0-88048-997-3. Henderson, Les (2000). Crimes of Persuasion: Schemes, scams, frauds. Coyote Ridge Publishing. ISBN 0-9687133-0-0. Kaminski, Marek M. (2004). Games Prisoners Play. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-11721-7. Konnikova, Maria (2016). The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It...Every Time. ISBN 978-0525427414. Maurer, David W. (1999) [1940]. The Big Con: The Story of the Confidence Man and the Confidence Game (reprinted). New York: Bobbs Merrill / Anchor Books. ISBN 0-385-49538-2. Maurer, David W. (1974). The American Confidence Man. Springfield: Charles C. Thomas, Publisher. ISBN 0-398-02974-1. Reading, Amy (2012). The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con. New York: Knopf. ISBN 978-0-307-47359-2. Smith, Jeff (2009). Soapy Smith: The Life and Death of a Scoundrel. Juneau: Klondike Research. ISBN 0-9819743-0-9. Sutherland, Edwin Hardin (1937). The Professional Thief (reprint 1989). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-78051-1. Weil, J.R. "Yellow Kid" (1948) [2004]. Con Man: A Master Swindler's Own Story. New York: Broadway Books. ISBN 0-7679-1737-5. Zhang, Yingyu (2017). The Book of Swindles: Selections from a Late Ming Collection. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231178631. External links Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Common scams. "Arrest of the Confidence Man" New York Herald, 1849 Dateline NBC investigation 'To Catch a Con Man' The Blonger Bros. Lou Blonger was the head of a large gang of confidence men running the Big Con in 1910s Denver Prepaid funeral scam, FBI Confidence tricks in ChinaA confidence trick (synonyms include confidence game, confidence scheme, ripoff, scam and stratagem) is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their confidence, used in the classical sense of trust. Confidence tricks exploit characteristics of the human psyche, such as credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility, and greed. Contents 1 Terminology 1.1 Short and long cons 2 Stages of the con 3 Vulnerability to confidence tricks 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External links Terminology The perpetrator of a confidence trick (or "con trick") is often referred to as a confidence (or "con") man, con-artist, or a "grifter". Samuel Thompson (1821–1856) was the original "confidence man". Thompson was a clumsy swindler who asked his victims to express confidence in him by giving him money or their watch rather than gaining their confidence in a more nuanced way. A few people trusted Thompson with their money and watches.[1] Thompson was arrested in July 1849. Reporting aboot this arrest, Dr. James Houston, a reporter of the New York Herald, publicized Thompson by naming him the "Confidence Man".[2] Although Thompson was an unsuccessful scammer, he gained reputation as a genius operator mostly because Houston's satirical writing wasn't understood as such.[2] The National Police Gazette coined the term "confidence game" a few weeks after Houston first used the name, the "confidence man".[2] A confidence trick is also known as a con game, a con, a scam, a grift, a hustle, a bunko (or bunco), a swindle, a flimflam, a gaffle or a bamboozle. The intended victims are known as "marks", "suckers", "stooge", "mugu", "rube" or "gulls" (i.e., gullible). When accomplices are employed, they are known as shills. Short and long cons A short con or small con is a fast swindle which takes just minutes. It typically aims to rob the victim of everything in his or her wallet.[3] A long con or big con (also, chiefly British English: long game)[4] is a scam that unfolds over several days or weeks and involves a team of swindlers, as well as props, sets, extras, costumes, and scripted lines. It aims to rob the victim of huge sums of money or valuable things, often by getting him or her to empty out banking accounts and borrow from family members.[5] Stages of the con In Confessions of a Confidence Man, Edward H. Smith lists the "six definite steps or stages of growth" of a confidence game.[6] He notes that some steps may be omitted. Foundation Work Preparations are made in advance of the game, including the hiring of any assistants required. Approach The victim is contacted. Build-up The victim is given an opportunity to profit from a scheme. The victim's greed is encouraged, such that their rational judgment of the situation might be impaired. Pay-off or Convincer The victim receives a small payout as a demonstration of the scheme's effectiveness. This may be a real amount of money, or faked in some way. In a gambling con, the victim is allowed to win several small bets. In a stock market con, the victim is given fake dividends. The Hurrah A sudden crisis or change of events forces the victim to act immediately. This is the point at which the con succeeds or fails. The In-and-In A conspirator (in on the con, but assumes the role of an interested bystander) puts an amount of money into the same scheme as the victim, to add an appearance of legitimacy to the scheme. This can reassure the victim, and give the con man greater control when the deal has been completed. In addition, some games require a "corroboration" step, particularly those involving a "rare item". This usually includes the use of an accomplice who plays the part of an uninvolved (initially skeptical) third party, who later confirms the claims made by the con man.[6] Vulnerability to confidence tricks Confidence tricks exploit typical human characteristics such as greed, dishonesty, vanity, opportunism, lust, compassion, credulity, irresponsibility, desperation, and naïvety. As such, there is no consistent profile of a confidence trick victim; the common factor is simply that the victim relies on the good faith of the con artist. Victims of investment scams tend to show an incautious level of greed and gullibility, and many con artists target the elderly, but even alert and educated people may be taken in by other forms of a confidence trick.[7] Accomplices, also known as shills, help manipulate the mark into accepting the perpetrator's plan. In a traditional confidence trick, the mark is led to believe that he will be able to win money or some other prize by doing some task. The accomplices may pretend to be strangers who have benefited from performing the task in the past. See also Boiler room (business) Charlatan Confidence trick (books and literature) Confidence trick (television and movies) Counterfeit Hijacked journals List of con artists List of confidence tricks List of criminal enterprises, gangs and syndicates Quackery Racketeering Ripoff Scam baiting Scams in intellectual property Social engineering (security) White-collar crime References Jean Braucher &amp; Barak Orbach, "Scamming: The Misunderstood Confidence Man," 27 Yale Journal of Law &amp; Humanities 249 (2015) Braucher &amp; Orbach. David Maurer, The Big Con Archived 2016-06-24 at the Wayback Machine., Chapter Eight: "Short-Con Games" Yagoda, Ben (June 5, 2012). "'The long game'". Not One-off Britishisms. Archived from the original on July 7, 2014. This language blog, while not a reliable etymological source, provides statistically gathered usage data that demonstrates neutral as well as critical usage, and that it is of British origin, only recently making notable inroads into American English. Amy Reading, The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con Archived 2016-05-15 at the Wayback Machine., Chapter One: "Confidence" ISBN 978-0-307-47359-2 Edward H. Smith, Confessions of a Confidence Man: A Handbook for Suckers Archived 2016-04-24 at the Wayback Machine., p. 35-37. Crimes-of-persuasion.com Archived 2007-04-15 at the Wayback Machine. Fraud Victim Advice / Assistance for Consumer Scams and Investment Frauds Further reading Bell, J. Bowyer; Whaley, Barton (1982). Cheating and Deception (reprint 1991). New Brunswick (USA), London (UK): Transaction Publishers. ISBN 0-88738-868-X. Blundell, Nigel (1984) [1982]. The World's Greatest Crooks and Conmen and other mischievous malefactors. London: Octopus Books. ISBN 0-7064-2144-2. Dillon, Eamon (2008) [2008]. The Fraudsters: Sharks and Charlatans - How Con Artists Make Their Money. Merlin Publishing. ISBN 978-1-903582-82-4. Ford, Charles V. (1999) [1999]. Lies! Lies!! Lies!!!: The Psychology of Deceit. American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc. ISBN 978-0-88048-997-3. Henderson, Les (2000). Crimes of Persuasion: Schemes, scams, frauds. Coyote Ridge Publishing. ISBN 0-9687133-0-0. Kaminski, Marek M. (2004). Games Prisoners Play. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-11721-7. Konnikova, Maria (2016). The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It...Every Time. ISBN 978-0525427414. Maurer, David W. (1999) [1940]. The Big Con: The Story of the Confidence Man and the Confidence Game (reprinted). New York: Bobbs Merrill / Anchor Books. ISBN 0-385-49538-2. Maurer, David W. (1974). The American Confidence Man. Springfield: Charles C. Thomas, Publisher. ISBN 0-398-02974-1. Reading, Amy (2012). The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con. New York: Knopf. ISBN 978-0-307-47359-2. Smith, Jeff (2009). Soapy Smith: The Life and Death of a Scoundrel. Juneau: Klondike Research. ISBN 0-9819743-0-9. Sutherland, Edwin Hardin (1937). The Professional Thief (reprint 1989). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-78051-1. Weil, J.R. "Yellow Kid" (1948) [2004]. Con Man: A Master Swindler's Own Story. New York: Broadway Books. ISBN 0-7679-1737-5. Zhang, Yingyu (2017). The Book of Swindles: Selections from a Late Ming Collection. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231178631. External links Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Common scams. "Arrest of the Confidence Man" New York Herald, 1849 Dateline NBC investigation 'To Catch a Con Man' The Blonger Bros. Lou Blonger was the head of a large gang of confidence men running the Big Con in 1910s Denver Prepaid funeral scam, FBI Confidence tricks in ChinaA confidence trick (synonyms include confidence game, confidence scheme, ripoff, scam and stratagem) is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their confidence, used in the classical sense of trust. Confidence tricks exploit characteristics of the human psyche, such as credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility, and greed. Contents 1 Terminology 1.1 Short and long cons 2 Stages of the con 3 Vulnerability to confidence tricks 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External links Terminology The perpetrator of a confidence trick (or "con trick") is often referred to as a confidence (or "con") man, con-artist, or a "grifter". Samuel Thompson (1821–1856) was the original "confidence man". Thompson was a clumsy swindler who asked his victims to express confidence in him by giving him money or their watch rather than gaining their confidence in a more nuanced way. A few people trusted Thompson with their money and watches.[1] Thompson was arrested in July 1849. Reporting aboot this arrest, Dr. James Houston, a reporter of the New York Herald, publicized Thompson by naming him the "Confidence Man".[2] Although Thompson was an unsuccessful scammer, he gained reputation as a genius operator mostly because Houston's satirical writing wasn't understood as such.[2] The National Police Gazette coined the term "confidence game" a few weeks after Houston first used the name, the "confidence man".[2] A confidence trick is also known as a con game, a con, a scam, a grift, a hustle, a bunko (or bunco), a swindle, a flimflam, a gaffle or a bamboozle. The intended victims are known as "marks", "suckers", "stooge", "mugu", "rube" or "gulls" (i.e., gullible). When accomplices are employed, they are known as shills. Short and long cons A short con or small con is a fast swindle which takes just minutes. It typically aims to rob the victim of everything in his or her wallet.[3] A long con or big con (also, chiefly British English: long game)[4] is a scam that unfolds over several days or weeks and involves a team of swindlers, as well as props, sets, extras, costumes, and scripted lines. It aims to rob the victim of huge sums of money or valuable things, often by getting him or her to empty out banking accounts and borrow from family members.[5] Stages of the con In Confessions of a Confidence Man, Edward H. Smith lists the "six definite steps or stages of growth" of a confidence game.[6] He notes that some steps may be omitted. Foundation Work Preparations are made in advance of the game, including the hiring of any assistants required. Approach The victim is contacted. Build-up The victim is given an opportunity to profit from a scheme. The victim's greed is encouraged, such that their rational judgment of the situation might be impaired. Pay-off or Convincer The victim receives a small payout as a demonstration of the scheme's effectiveness. This may be a real amount of money, or faked in some way. In a gambling con, the victim is allowed to win several small bets. In a stock market con, the victim is given fake dividends. The Hurrah A sudden crisis or change of events forces the victim to act immediately. This is the point at which the con succeeds or fails. The In-and-In A conspirator (in on the con, but assumes the role of an interested bystander) puts an amount of money into the same scheme as the victim, to add an appearance of legitimacy to the scheme. This can reassure the victim, and give the con man greater control when the deal has been completed. In addition, some games require a "corroboration" step, particularly those involving a "rare item". This usually includes the use of an accomplice who plays the part of an uninvolved (initially skeptical) third party, who later confirms the claims made by the con man.[6] Vulnerability to confidence tricks Confidence tricks exploit typical human characteristics such as greed, dishonesty, vanity, opportunism, lust, compassion, credulity, irresponsibility, desperation, and naïvety. As such, there is no consistent profile of a confidence trick victim; the common factor is simply that the victim relies on the good faith of the con artist. Victims of investment scams tend to show an incautious level of greed and gullibility, and many con artists target the elderly, but even alert and educated people may be taken in by other forms of a confidence trick.[7] Accomplices, also known as shills, help manipulate the mark into accepting the perpetrator's plan. In a traditional confidence trick, the mark is led to believe that he will be able to win money or some other prize by doing some task. The accomplices may pretend to be strangers who have benefited from performing the task in the past. See also Boiler room (business) Charlatan Confidence trick (books and literature) Confidence trick (television and movies) Counterfeit Hijacked journals List of con artists List of confidence tricks List of criminal enterprises, gangs and syndicates Quackery Racketeering Ripoff Scam baiting Scams in intellectual property Social engineering (security) White-collar crime References Jean Braucher &amp; Barak Orbach, "Scamming: The Misunderstood Confidence Man," 27 Yale Journal of Law &amp; Humanities 249 (2015) Braucher &amp; Orbach. David Maurer, The Big Con Archived 2016-06-24 at the Wayback Machine., Chapter Eight: "Short-Con Games" Yagoda, Ben (June 5, 2012). "'The long game'". Not One-off Britishisms. Archived from the original on July 7, 2014. This language blog, while not a reliable etymological source, provides statistically gathered usage data that demonstrates neutral as well as critical usage, and that it is of British origin, only recently making notable inroads into American English. Amy Reading, The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con Archived 2016-05-15 at the Wayback Machine., Chapter One: "Confidence" ISBN 978-0-307-47359-2 Edward H. Smith, Confessions of a Confidence Man: A Handbook for Suckers Archived 2016-04-24 at the Wayback Machine., p. 35-37. Crimes-of-persuasion.com Archived 2007-04-15 at the Wayback Machine. Fraud Victim Advice / Assistance for Consumer Scams and Investment Frauds Further reading Bell, J. Bowyer; Whaley, Barton (1982). Cheating and Deception (reprint 1991). New Brunswick (USA), London (UK): Transaction Publishers. ISBN 0-88738-868-X. Blundell, Nigel (1984) [1982]. The World's Greatest Crooks and Conmen and other mischievous malefactors. London: Octopus Books. ISBN 0-7064-2144-2. Dillon, Eamon (2008) [2008]. The Fraudsters: Sharks and Charlatans - How Con Artists Make Their Money. Merlin Publishing. ISBN 978-1-903582-82-4. Ford, Charles V. (1999) [1999]. Lies! Lies!! Lies!!!: The Psychology of Deceit. American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc. ISBN 978-0-88048-997-3. Henderson, Les (2000). Crimes of Persuasion: Schemes, scams, frauds. Coyote Ridge Publishing. ISBN 0-9687133-0-0. Kaminski, Marek M. (2004). Games Prisoners Play. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-11721-7. Konnikova, Maria (2016). The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It...Every Time. ISBN 978-0525427414. Maurer, David W. (1999) [1940]. The Big Con: The Story of the Confidence Man and the Confidence Game (reprinted). New York: Bobbs Merrill / Anchor Books. ISBN 0-385-49538-2. Maurer, David W. (1974). The American Confidence Man. Springfield: Charles C. Thomas, Publisher. ISBN 0-398-02974-1. Reading, Amy (2012). The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con. New York: Knopf. ISBN 978-0-307-47359-2. Smith, Jeff (2009). Soapy Smith: The Life and Death of a Scoundrel. Juneau: Klondike Research. ISBN 0-9819743-0-9. Sutherland, Edwin Hardin (1937). The Professional Thief (reprint 1989). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-78051-1. Weil, J.R. "Yellow Kid" (1948) [2004]. Con Man: A Master Swindler's Own Story. New York: Broadway Books. ISBN 0-7679-1737-5. Zhang, Yingyu (2017). The Book of Swindles: Selections from a Late Ming Collection. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231178631. External links Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Common scams. "Arrest of the Confidence Man" New York Herald, 1849 Dateline NBC investigation 'To Catch a Con Man' The Blonger Bros. Lou Blonger was the head of a large gang of confidence men running the Big Con in 1910s Denver Prepaid funeral scam, FBI Confidence tricks in ChinaA confidence trick (synonyms include confidence game, confidence scheme, ripoff, scam and stratagem) is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their confidence, used in the classical sense of trust. Confidence tricks exploit characteristics of the human psyche, such as credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility, and greed. Contents 1 Terminology 1.1 Short and long cons 2 Stages of the con 3 Vulnerability to confidence tricks 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External links Terminology The perpetrator of a confidence trick (or "con trick") is often referred to as a confidence (or "con") man, con-artist, or a "grifter". Samuel Thompson (1821–1856) was the original "confidence man". Thompson was a clumsy swindler who asked his victims to express confidence in him by giving him money or their watch rather than gaining their confidence in a more nuanced way. A few people trusted Thompson with their money and watches.[1] Thompson was arrested in July 1849. Reporting aboot this arrest, Dr. James Houston, a reporter of the New York Herald, publicized Thompson by naming him the "Confidence Man".[2] Although Thompson was an unsuccessful scammer, he gained reputation as a genius operator mostly because Houston's satirical writing wasn't understood as such.[2] The National Police Gazette coined the term "confidence game" a few weeks after Houston first used the name, the "confidence man".[2] A confidence trick is also known as a con game, a con, a scam, a grift, a hustle, a bunko (or bunco), a swindle, a flimflam, a gaffle or a bamboozle. The intended victims are known as "marks", "suckers", "stooge", "mugu", "rube" or "gulls" (i.e., gullible). When accomplices are employed, they are known as shills. Short and long cons A short con or small con is a fast swindle which takes just minutes. It typically aims to rob the victim of everything in his or her wallet.[3] A long con or big con (also, chiefly British English: long game)[4] is a scam that unfolds over several days or weeks and involves a team of swindlers, as well as props, sets, extras, costumes, and scripted lines. It aims to rob the victim of huge sums of money or valuable things, often by getting him or her to empty out banking accounts and borrow from family members.[5] Stages of the con In Confessions of a Confidence Man, Edward H. Smith lists the "six definite steps or stages of growth" of a confidence game.[6] He notes that some steps may be omitted. Foundation Work Preparations are made in advance of the game, including the hiring of any assistants required. Approach The victim is contacted. Build-up The victim is given an opportunity to profit from a scheme. The victim's greed is encouraged, such that their rational judgment of the situation might be impaired. Pay-off or Convincer The victim receives a small payout as a demonstration of the scheme's effectiveness. This may be a real amount of money, or faked in some way. In a gambling con, the victim is allowed to win several small bets. In a stock market con, the victim is given fake dividends. The Hurrah A sudden crisis or change of events forces the victim to act immediately. This is the point at which the con succeeds or fails. The In-and-In A conspirator (in on the con, but assumes the role of an interested bystander) puts an amount of money into the same scheme as the victim, to add an appearance of legitimacy to the scheme. This can reassure the victim, and give the con man greater control when the deal has been completed. In addition, some games require a "corroboration" step, particularly those involving a "rare item". This usually includes the use of an accomplice who plays the part of an uninvolved (initially skeptical) third party, who later confirms the claims made by the con man.[6] Vulnerability to confidence tricks Confidence tricks exploit typical human characteristics such as greed, dishonesty, vanity, opportunism, lust, compassion, credulity, irresponsibility, desperation, and naïvety. As such, there is no consistent profile of a confidence trick victim; the common factor is simply that the victim relies on the good faith of the con artist. Victims of investment scams tend to show an incautious level of greed and gullibility, and many con artists target the elderly, but even alert and educated people may be taken in by other forms of a confidence trick.[7] Accomplices, also known as shills, help manipulate the mark into accepting the perpetrator's plan. In a traditional confidence trick, the mark is led to believe that he will be able to win money or some other prize by doing some task. The accomplices may pretend to be strangers who have benefited from performing the task in the past. See also Boiler room (business) Charlatan Confidence trick (books and literature) Confidence trick (television and movies) Counterfeit Hijacked journals List of con artists List of confidence tricks List of criminal enterprises, gangs and syndicates Quackery Racketeering Ripoff Scam baiting Scams in intellectual property Social engineering (security) White-collar crime References Jean Braucher &amp; Barak Orbach, "Scamming: The Misunderstood Confidence Man," 27 Yale Journal of Law &amp; Humanities 249 (2015) Braucher &amp; Orbach. David Maurer, The Big Con Archived 2016-06-24 at the Wayback Machine., Chapter Eight: "Short-Con Games" Yagoda, Ben (June 5, 2012). "'The long game'". Not One-off Britishisms. Archived from the original on July 7, 2014. This language blog, while not a reliable etymological source, provides statistically gathered usage data that demonstrates neutral as well as critical usage, and that it is of British origin, only recently making notable inroads into American English. Amy Reading, The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con Archived 2016-05-15 at the Wayback Machine., Chapter One: "Confidence" ISBN 978-0-307-47359-2 Edward H. Smith, Confessions of a Confidence Man: A Handbook for Suckers Archived 2016-04-24 at the Wayback Machine., p. 35-37. Crimes-of-persuasion.com Archived 2007-04-15 at the Wayback Machine. Fraud Victim Advice / Assistance for Consumer Scams and Investment Frauds Further reading Bell, J. Bowyer; Whaley, Barton (1982). Cheating and Deception (reprint 1991). New Brunswick (USA), London (UK): Transaction Publishers. ISBN 0-88738-868-X. Blundell, Nigel (1984) [1982]. The World's Greatest Crooks and Conmen and other mischievous malefactors. London: Octopus Books. ISBN 0-7064-2144-2. Dillon, Eamon (2008) [2008]. The Fraudsters: Sharks and Charlatans - How Con Artists Make Their Money. Merlin Publishing. ISBN 978-1-903582-82-4. Ford, Charles V. (1999) [1999]. Lies! Lies!! Lies!!!: The Psychology of Deceit. American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc. ISBN 978-0-88048-997-3. Henderson, Les (2000). Crimes of Persuasion: Schemes, scams, frauds. Coyote Ridge Publishing. ISBN 0-9687133-0-0. Kaminski, Marek M. (2004). Games Prisoners Play. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-11721-7. Konnikova, Maria (2016). The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It...Every Time. ISBN 978-0525427414. Maurer, David W. (1999) [1940]. The Big Con: The Story of the Confidence Man and the Confidence Game (reprinted). New York: Bobbs Merrill / Anchor Books. ISBN 0-385-49538-2. Maurer, David W. (1974). The American Confidence Man. Springfield: Charles C. Thomas, Publisher. ISBN 0-398-02974-1. Reading, Amy (2012). The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con. New York: Knopf. ISBN 978-0-307-47359-2. Smith, Jeff (2009). Soapy Smith: The Life and Death of a Scoundrel. Juneau: Klondike Research. ISBN 0-9819743-0-9. Sutherland, Edwin Hardin (1937). The Professional Thief (reprint 1989). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-78051-1. Weil, J.R. "Yellow Kid" (1948) [2004]. Con Man: A Master Swindler's Own Story. New York: Broadway Books. ISBN 0-7679-1737-5. Zhang, Yingyu (2017). The Book of Swindles: Selections from a Late Ming Collection. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231178631. External links Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Common scams. "Arrest of the Confidence Man" New York Herald, 1849 Dateline NBC investigation 'To Catch a Con Man' The Blonger Bros. Lou Blonger was the head of a large gang of confidence men running the Big Con in 1910s Denver Prepaid funeral scam, FBI Confidence tricks in ChinaA confidence trick (synonyms include confidence game, confidence scheme, ripoff, scam and stratagem) is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their confidence, used in the classical sense of trust. Confidence tricks exploit characteristics of the human psyche, such as credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility, and greed. Contents 1 Terminology 1.1 Short and long cons 2 Stages of the con 3 Vulnerability to confidence tricks 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External links Terminology The perpetrator of a confidence trick (or "con trick") is often referred to as a confidence (or "con") man, con-artist, or a "grifter". Samuel Thompson (1821–1856) was the original "confidence man". Thompson was a clumsy swindler who asked his victims to express confidence in him by giving him money or their watch rather than gaining their confidence in a more nuanced way. A few people trusted Thompson with their money and watches.[1] Thompson was arrested in July 1849. Reporting aboot this arrest, Dr. James Houston, a reporter of the New York Herald, publicized Thompson by naming him the "Confidence Man".[2] Although Thompson was an unsuccessful scammer, he gained reputation as a genius operator mostly because Houston's satirical writing wasn't understood as such.[2] The National Police Gazette coined the term "confidence game" a few weeks after Houston first used the name, the "confidence man".[2] A confidence trick is also known as a con game, a con, a scam, a grift, a hustle, a bunko (or bunco), a swindle, a flimflam, a gaffle or a bamboozle. The intended victims are known as "marks", "suckers", "stooge", "mugu", "rube" or "gulls" (i.e., gullible). When accomplices are employed, they are known as shills. Short and long cons A short con or small con is a fast swindle which takes just minutes. It typically aims to rob the victim of everything in his or her wallet.[3] A long con or big con (also, chiefly British English: long game)[4] is a scam that unfolds over several days or weeks and involves a team of swindlers, as well as props, sets, extras, costumes, and scripted lines. It aims to rob the victim of huge sums of money or valuable things, often by getting him or her to empty out banking accounts and borrow from family members.[5] Stages of the con In Confessions of a Confidence Man, Edward H. Smith lists the "six definite steps or stages of growth" of a confidence game.[6] He notes that some steps may be omitted. Foundation Work Preparations are made in advance of the game, including the hiring of any assistants required. Approach The victim is contacted. Build-up The victim is given an opportunity to profit from a scheme. The victim's greed is encouraged, such that their rational judgment of the situation might be impaired. Pay-off or Convincer The victim receives a small payout as a demonstration of the scheme's effectiveness. This may be a real amount of money, or faked in some way. In a gambling con, the victim is allowed to win several small bets. In a stock market con, the victim is given fake dividends. The Hurrah A sudden crisis or change of events forces the victim to act immediately. This is the point at which the con succeeds or fails. The In-and-In A conspirator (in on the con, but assumes the role of an interested bystander) puts an amount of money into the same scheme as the victim, to add an appearance of legitimacy to the scheme. This can reassure the victim, and give the con man greater control when the deal has been completed. In addition, some games require a "corroboration" step, particularly those involving a "rare item". This usually includes the use of an accomplice who plays the part of an uninvolved (initially skeptical) third party, who later confirms the claims made by the con man.[6] Vulnerability to confidence tricks Confidence tricks exploit typical human characteristics such as greed, dishonesty, vanity, opportunism, lust, compassion, credulity, irresponsibility, desperation, and naïvety. As such, there is no consistent profile of a confidence trick victim; the common factor is simply that the victim relies on the good faith of the con artist. Victims of investment scams tend to show an incautious level of greed and gullibility, and many con artists target the elderly, but even alert and educated people may be taken in by other forms of a confidence trick.[7] Accomplices, also known as shills, help manipulate the mark into accepting the perpetrator's plan. In a traditional confidence trick, the mark is led to believe that he will be able to win money or some other prize by doing some task. The accomplices may pretend to be strangers who have benefited from performing the task in the past. See also Boiler room (business) Charlatan Confidence trick (books and literature) Confidence trick (television and movies) Counterfeit Hijacked journals List of con artists List of confidence tricks List of criminal enterprises, gangs and syndicates Quackery Racketeering Ripoff Scam baiting Scams in intellectual property Social engineering (security) White-collar crime References Jean Braucher &amp; Barak Orbach, "Scamming: The Misunderstood Confidence Man," 27 Yale Journal of Law &amp; Humanities 249 (2015) Braucher &amp; Orbach. David Maurer, The Big Con Archived 2016-06-24 at the Wayback Machine., Chapter Eight: "Short-Con Games" Yagoda, Ben (June 5, 2012). "'The long game'". Not One-off Britishisms. Archived from the original on July 7, 2014. This language blog, while not a reliable etymological source, provides statistically gathered usage data that demonstrates neutral as well as critical usage, and that it is of British origin, only recently making notable inroads into American English. Amy Reading, The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con Archived 2016-05-15 at the Wayback Machine., Chapter One: "Confidence" ISBN 978-0-307-47359-2 Edward H. Smith, Confessions of a Confidence Man: A Handbook for Suckers Archived 2016-04-24 at the Wayback Machine., p. 35-37. Crimes-of-persuasion.com Archived 2007-04-15 at the Wayback Machine. Fraud Victim Advice / Assistance for Consumer Scams and Investment Frauds Further reading Bell, J. Bowyer; Whaley, Barton (1982). Cheating and Deception (reprint 1991). New Brunswick (USA), London (UK): Transaction Publishers. ISBN 0-88738-868-X. Blundell, Nigel (1984) [1982]. The World's Greatest Crooks and Conmen and other mischievous malefactors. London: Octopus Books. ISBN 0-7064-2144-2. Dillon, Eamon (2008) [2008]. The Fraudsters: Sharks and Charlatans - How Con Artists Make Their Money. Merlin Publishing. ISBN 978-1-903582-82-4. Ford, Charles V. (1999) [1999]. Lies! Lies!! Lies!!!: The Psychology of Deceit. American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc. ISBN 978-0-88048-997-3. Henderson, Les (2000). Crimes of Persuasion: Schemes, scams, frauds. Coyote Ridge Publishing. ISBN 0-9687133-0-0. Kaminski, Marek M. (2004). Games Prisoners Play. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-11721-7. Konnikova, Maria (2016). The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It...Every Time. ISBN 978-0525427414. Maurer, David W. (1999) [1940]. The Big Con: The Story of the Confidence Man and the Confidence Game (reprinted). New York: Bobbs Merrill / Anchor Books. ISBN 0-385-49538-2. Maurer, David W. (1974). The American Confidence Man. Springfield: Charles C. Thomas, Publisher. ISBN 0-398-02974-1. Reading, Amy (2012). The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con. New York: Knopf. ISBN 978-0-307-47359-2. Smith, Jeff (2009). Soapy Smith: The Life and Death of a Scoundrel. Juneau: Klondike Research. ISBN 0-9819743-0-9. Sutherland, Edwin Hardin (1937). The Professional Thief (reprint 1989). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-78051-1. Weil, J.R. "Yellow Kid" (1948) [2004]. Con Man: A Master Swindler's Own Story. New York: Broadway Books. ISBN 0-7679-1737-5. Zhang, Yingyu (2017). The Book of Swindles: Selections from a Late Ming Collection. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231178631. External links Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Common scams. "Arrest of the Confidence Man" New York Herald, 1849 Dateline NBC investigation 'To Catch a Con Man' The Blonger Bros. Lou Blonger was the head of a large gang of confidence men running the Big Con in 1910s Denver Prepaid funeral scam, FBI Confidence tricks in ChinaA confidence trick (synonyms include confidence game, confidence scheme, ripoff, scam and stratagem) is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their confidence, used in the classical sense of trust. Confidence tricks exploit characteristics of the human psyche, such as credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility, and greed. Contents 1 Terminology 1.1 Short and long cons 2 Stages of the con 3 Vulnerability to confidence tricks 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External links Terminology The perpetrator of a confidence trick (or "con trick") is often referred to as a confidence (or "con") man, con-artist, or a "grifter". Samuel Thompson (1821–1856) was the original "confidence man". Thompson was a clumsy swindler who asked his victims to express confidence in him by giving him money or their watch rather than gaining their confidence in a more nuanced way. A few people trusted Thompson with their money and watches.[1] Thompson was arrested in July 1849. Reporting aboot this arrest, Dr. James Houston, a reporter of the New York Herald, publicized Thompson by naming him the "Confidence Man".[2] Although Thompson was an unsuccessful scammer, he gained reputation as a genius operator mostly because Houston's satirical writing wasn't understood as such.[2] The National Police Gazette coined the term "confidence game" a few weeks after Houston first used the name, the "confidence man".[2] A confidence trick is also known as a con game, a con, a scam, a grift, a hustle, a bunko (or bunco), a swindle, a flimflam, a gaffle or a bamboozle. The intended victims are known as "marks", "suckers", "stooge", "mugu", "rube" or "gulls" (i.e., gullible). When accomplices are employed, they are known as shills. Short and long cons A short con or small con is a fast swindle which takes just minutes. It typically aims to rob the victim of everything in his or her wallet.[3] A long con or big con (also, chiefly British English: long game)[4] is a scam that unfolds over several days or weeks and involves a team of swindlers, as well as props, sets, extras, costumes, and scripted lines. It aims to rob the victim of huge sums of money or valuable things, often by getting him or her to empty out banking accounts and borrow from family members.[5] Stages of the con In Confessions of a Confidence Man, Edward H. Smith lists the "six definite steps or stages of growth" of a confidence game.[6] He notes that some steps may be omitted. Foundation Work Preparations are made in advance of the game, including the hiring of any assistants required. Approach The victim is contacted. Build-up The victim is given an opportunity to profit from a scheme. The victim's greed is encouraged, such that their rational judgment of the situation might be impaired. Pay-off or Convincer The victim receives a small payout as a demonstration of the scheme's effectiveness. This may be a real amount of money, or faked in some way. In a gambling con, the victim is allowed to win several small bets. In a stock market con, the victim is given fake dividends. The Hurrah A sudden crisis or change of events forces the victim to act immediately. This is the point at which the con succeeds or fails. The In-and-In A conspirator (in on the con, but assumes the role of an interested bystander) puts an amount of money into the same scheme as the victim, to add an appearance of legitimacy to the scheme. This can reassure the victim, and give the con man greater control when the deal has been completed. In addition, some games require a "corroboration" step, particularly those involving a "rare item". This usually includes the use of an accomplice who plays the part of an uninvolved (initially skeptical) third party, who later confirms the claims made by the con man.[6] Vulnerability to confidence tricks Confidence tricks exploit typical human characteristics such as greed, dishonesty, vanity, opportunism, lust, compassion, credulity, irresponsibility, desperation, and naïvety. As such, there is no consistent profile of a confidence trick victim; the common factor is simply that the victim relies on the good faith of the con artist. Victims of investment scams tend to show an incautious level of greed and gullibility, and many con artists target the elderly, but even alert and educated people may be taken in by other forms of a confidence trick.[7] Accomplices, also known as shills, help manipulate the mark into accepting the perpetrator's plan. In a traditional confidence trick, the mark is led to believe that he will be able to win money or some other prize by doing some task. The accomplices may pretend to be strangers who have benefited from performing the task in the past. See also Boiler room (business) Charlatan Confidence trick (books and literature) Confidence trick (television and movies) Counterfeit Hijacked journals List of con artists List of confidence tricks List of criminal enterprises, gangs and syndicates Quackery Racketeering Ripoff Scam baiting Scams in intellectual property Social engineering (security) White-collar crime References Jean Braucher &amp; Barak Orbach, "Scamming: The Misunderstood Confidence Man," 27 Yale Journal of Law &amp; Humanities 249 (2015) Braucher &amp; Orbach. David Maurer, The Big Con Archived 2016-06-24 at the Wayback Machine., Chapter Eight: "Short-Con Games" Yagoda, Ben (June 5, 2012). "'The long game'". Not One-off Britishisms. Archived from the original on July 7, 2014. This language blog, while not a reliable etymological source, provides statistically gathered usage data that demonstrates neutral as well as critical usage, and that it is of British origin, only recently making notable inroads into American English. Amy Reading, The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con Archived 2016-05-15 at the Wayback Machine., Chapter One: "Confidence" ISBN 978-0-307-47359-2 Edward H. Smith, Confessions of a Confidence Man: A Handbook for Suckers Archived 2016-04-24 at the Wayback Machine., p. 35-37. Crimes-of-persuasion.com Archived 2007-04-15 at the Wayback Machine. Fraud Victim Advice / Assistance for Consumer Scams and Investment Frauds Further reading Bell, J. Bowyer; Whaley, Barton (1982). Cheating and Deception (reprint 1991). New Brunswick (USA), London (UK): Transaction Publishers. ISBN 0-88738-868-X. Blundell, Nigel (1984) [1982]. The World's Greatest Crooks and Conmen and other mischievous malefactors. London: Octopus Books. ISBN 0-7064-2144-2. Dillon, Eamon (2008) [2008]. The Fraudsters: Sharks and Charlatans - How Con Artists Make Their Money. Merlin Publishing. ISBN 978-1-903582-82-4. Ford, Charles V. (1999) [1999]. Lies! Lies!! Lies!!!: The Psychology of Deceit. American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc. ISBN 978-0-88048-997-3. Henderson, Les (2000). Crimes of Persuasion: Schemes, scams, frauds. Coyote Ridge Publishing. ISBN 0-9687133-0-0. Kaminski, Marek M. (2004). Games Prisoners Play. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-11721-7. Konnikova, Maria (2016). The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It...Every Time. ISBN 978-0525427414. Maurer, David W. (1999) [1940]. The Big Con: The Story of the Confidence Man and the Confidence Game (reprinted). New York: Bobbs Merrill / Anchor Books. ISBN 0-385-49538-2. Maurer, David W. (1974). The American Confidence Man. Springfield: Charles C. Thomas, Publisher. ISBN 0-398-02974-1. Reading, Amy (2012). The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con. New York: Knopf. ISBN 978-0-307-47359-2. Smith, Jeff (2009). Soapy Smith: The Life and Death of a Scoundrel. Juneau: Klondike Research. ISBN 0-9819743-0-9. Sutherland, Edwin Hardin (1937). The Professional Thief (reprint 1989). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-78051-1. Weil, J.R. "Yellow Kid" (1948) [2004]. Con Man: A Master Swindler's Own Story. New York: Broadway Books. ISBN 0-7679-1737-5. Zhang, Yingyu (2017). The Book of Swindles: Selections from a Late Ming Collection. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231178631. External links Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Common scams. "Arrest of the Confidence Man" New York Herald, 1849 Dateline NBC investigation 'To Catch a Con Man' The Blonger Bros. Lou Blonger was the head of a large gang of confidence men running the Big Con in 1910s Denver Prepaid funeral scam, FBI Confidence tricks in ChinaA confidence trick (synonyms include confidence game, confidence scheme, ripoff, scam and stratagem) is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their confidence, used in the classical sense of trust. Confidence tricks exploit characteristics of the human psyche, such as credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility, and greed. Contents 1 Terminology 1.1 Short and long cons 2 Stages of the con 3 Vulnerability to confidence tricks 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External links Terminology The perpetrator of a confidence trick (or "con trick") is often referred to as a confidence (or "con") man, con-artist, or a "grifter". Samuel Thompson (1821–1856) was the original "confidence man". Thompson was a clumsy swindler who asked his victims to express confidence in him by giving him money or their watch rather than gaining their confidence in a more nuanced way. A few people trusted Thompson with their money and watches.[1] Thompson was arrested in July 1849. Reporting aboot this arrest, Dr. James Houston, a reporter of the New York Herald, publicized Thompson by naming him the "Confidence Man".[2] Although Thompson was an unsuccessful scammer, he gained reputation as a genius operator mostly because Houston's satirical writing wasn't understood as such.[2] The National Police Gazette coined the term "confidence game" a few weeks after Houston first used the name, the "confidence man".[2] A confidence trick is also known as a con game, a con, a scam, a grift, a hustle, a bunko (or bunco), a swindle, a flimflam, a gaffle or a bamboozle. The intended victims are known as "marks", "suckers", "stooge", "mugu", "rube" or "gulls" (i.e., gullible). When accomplices are employed, they are known as shills. Short and long cons A short con or small con is a fast swindle which takes just minutes. It typically aims to rob the victim of everything in his or her wallet.[3] A long con or big con (also, chiefly British English: long game)[4] is a scam that unfolds over several days or weeks and involves a team of swindlers, as well as props, sets, extras, costumes, and scripted lines. It aims to rob the victim of huge sums of money or valuable things, often by getting him or her to empty out banking accounts and borrow from family members.[5] Stages of the con In Confessions of a Confidence Man, Edward H. Smith lists the "six definite steps or stages of growth" of a confidence game.[6] He notes that some steps may be omitted. Foundation Work Preparations are made in advance of the game, including the hiring of any assistants required. Approach The victim is contacted. Build-up The victim is given an opportunity to profit from a scheme. The victim's greed is encouraged, such that their rational judgment of the situation might be impaired. Pay-off or Convincer The victim receives a small payout as a demonstration of the scheme's effectiveness. This may be a real amount of money, or faked in some way. In a gambling con, the victim is allowed to win several small bets. In a stock market con, the victim is given fake dividends. The Hurrah A sudden crisis or change of events forces the victim to act immediately. This is the point at which the con succeeds or fails. The In-and-In A conspirator (in on the con, but assumes the role of an interested bystander) puts an amount of money into the same scheme as the victim, to add an appearance of legitimacy to the scheme. This can reassure the victim, and give the con man greater control when the deal has been completed. In addition, some games require a "corroboration" step, particularly those involving a "rare item". This usually includes the use of an accomplice who plays the part of an uninvolved (initially skeptical) third party, who later confirms the claims made by the con man.[6] Vulnerability to confidence tricks Confidence tricks exploit typical human characteristics such as greed, dishonesty, vanity, opportunism, lust, compassion, credulity, irresponsibility, desperation, and naïvety. As such, there is no consistent profile of a confidence trick victim; the common factor is simply that the victim relies on the good faith of the con artist. Victims of investment scams tend to show an incautious level of greed and gullibility, and many con artists target the elderly, but even alert and educated people may be taken in by other forms of a confidence trick.[7] Accomplices, also known as shills, help manipulate the mark into accepting the perpetrator's plan. In a traditional confidence trick, the mark is led to believe that he will be able to win money or some other prize by doing some task. The accomplices may pretend to be strangers who have benefited from performing the task in the past. See also Boiler room (business) Charlatan Confidence trick (books and literature) Confidence trick (television and movies) Counterfeit Hijacked journals List of con artists List of confidence tricks List of criminal enterprises, gangs and syndicates Quackery Racketeering Ripoff Scam baiting Scams in intellectual property Social engineering (security) White-collar crime References Jean Braucher &amp; Barak Orbach, "Scamming: The Misunderstood Confidence Man," 27 Yale Journal of Law &amp; Humanities 249 (2015) Braucher &amp; Orbach. David Maurer, The Big Con Archived 2016-06-24 at the Wayback Machine., Chapter Eight: "Short-Con Games" Yagoda, Ben (June 5, 2012). "'The long game'". Not One-off Britishisms. Archived from the original on July 7, 2014. This language blog, while not a reliable etymological source, provides statistically gathered usage data that demonstrates neutral as well as critical usage, and that it is of British origin, only recently making notable inroads into American English. Amy Reading, The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con Archived 2016-05-15 at the Wayback Machine., Chapter One: "Confidence" ISBN 978-0-307-47359-2 Edward H. Smith, Confessions of a Confidence Man: A Handbook for Suckers Archived 2016-04-24 at the Wayback Machine., p. 35-37. Crimes-of-persuasion.com Archived 2007-04-15 at the Wayback Machine. Fraud Victim Advice / Assistance for Consumer Scams and Investment Frauds Further reading Bell, J. Bowyer; Whaley, Barton (1982). Cheating and Deception (reprint 1991). New Brunswick (USA), London (UK): Transaction Publishers. ISBN 0-88738-868-X. Blundell, Nigel (1984) [1982]. The World's Greatest Crooks and Conmen and other mischievous malefactors. London: Octopus Books. ISBN 0-7064-2144-2. Dillon, Eamon (2008) [2008]. The Fraudsters: Sharks and Charlatans - How Con Artists Make Their Money. Merlin Publishing. ISBN 978-1-903582-82-4. Ford, Charles V. (1999) [1999]. Lies! Lies!! Lies!!!: The Psychology of Deceit. American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc. ISBN 978-0-88048-997-3. Henderson, Les (2000). Crimes of Persuasion: Schemes, scams, frauds. Coyote Ridge Publishing. ISBN 0-9687133-0-0. Kaminski, Marek M. (2004). Games Prisoners Play. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-11721-7. Konnikova, Maria (2016). The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It...Every Time. ISBN 978-0525427414. Maurer, David W. (1999) [1940]. The Big Con: The Story of the Confidence Man and the Confidence Game (reprinted). New York: Bobbs Merrill / Anchor Books. ISBN 0-385-49538-2. Maurer, David W. (1974). The American Confidence Man. Springfield: Charles C. Thomas, Publisher. ISBN 0-398-02974-1. Reading, Amy (2012). The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con. New York: Knopf. ISBN 978-0-307-47359-2. Smith, Jeff (2009). Soapy Smith: The Life and Death of a Scoundrel. Juneau: Klondike Research. ISBN 0-9819743-0-9. Sutherland, Edwin Hardin (1937). The Professional Thief (reprint 1989). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-78051-1. Weil, J.R. "Yellow Kid" (1948) [2004]. Con Man: A Master Swindler's Own Story. New York: Broadway Books. ISBN 0-7679-1737-5. Zhang, Yingyu (2017). The Book of Swindles: Selections from a Late Ming Collection. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231178631. External links Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Common scams. "Arrest of the Confidence Man" New York Herald, 1849 Dateline NBC investigation 'To Catch a Con Man' The Blonger Bros. Lou Blonger was the head of a large gang of confidence men running the Big Con in 1910s Denver Prepaid funeral scam, FBI Confidence tricks in ChinaA confidence trick (synonyms include confidence game, confidence scheme, ripoff, scam and stratagem) is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their confidence, used in the classical sense of trust. Confidence tricks exploit characteristics of the human psyche, such as credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility, and greed. Contents 1 Terminology 1.1 Short and long cons 2 Stages of the con 3 Vulnerability to confidence tricks 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External links Terminology The perpetrator of a confidence trick (or "con trick") is often referred to as a confidence (or "con") man, con-artist, or a "grifter". Samuel Thompson (1821–1856) was the original "confidence man". Thompson was a clumsy swindler who asked his victims to express confidence in him by giving him money or their watch rather than gaining their confidence in a more nuanced way. A few people trusted Thompson with their money and watches.[1] Thompson was arrested in July 1849. Reporting aboot this arrest, Dr. James Houston, a reporter of the New York Herald, publicized Thompson by naming him the "Confidence Man".[2] Although Thompson was an unsuccessful scammer, he gained reputation as a genius operator mostly because Houston's satirical writing wasn't understood as such.[2] The National Police Gazette coined the term "confidence game" a few weeks after Houston first used the name, the "confidence man".[2] A confidence trick is also known as a con game, a con, a scam, a grift, a hustle, a bunko (or bunco), a swindle, a flimflam, a gaffle or a bamboozle. The intended victims are known as "marks", "suckers", "stooge", "mugu", "rube" or "gulls" (i.e., gullible). When accomplices are employed, they are known as shills. Short and long cons A short con or small con is a fast swindle which takes just minutes. It typically aims to rob the victim of everything in his or her wallet.[3] A long con or big con (also, chiefly British English: long game)[4] is a scam that unfolds over several days or weeks and involves a team of swindlers, as well as props, sets, extras, costumes, and scripted lines. It aims to rob the victim of huge sums of money or valuable things, often by getting him or her to empty out banking accounts and borrow from family members.[5] Stages of the con In Confessions of a Confidence Man, Edward H. Smith lists the "six definite steps or stages of growth" of a confidence game.[6] He notes that some steps may be omitted. Foundation Work Preparations are made in advance of the game, including the hiring of any assistants required. Approach The victim is contacted. Build-up The victim is given an opportunity to profit from a scheme. The victim's greed is encouraged, such that their rational judgment of the situation might be impaired. Pay-off or Convincer The victim receives a small payout as a demonstration of the scheme's effectiveness. This may be a real amount of money, or faked in some way. In a gambling con, the victim is allowed to win several small bets. In a stock market con, the victim is given fake dividends. The Hurrah A sudden crisis or change of events forces the victim to act immediately. This is the point at which the con succeeds or fails. The In-and-In A conspirator (in on the con, but assumes the role of an interested bystander) puts an amount of money into the same scheme as the victim, to add an appearance of legitimacy to the scheme. This can reassure the victim, and give the con man greater control when the deal has been completed. In addition, some games require a "corroboration" step, particularly those involving a "rare item". This usually includes the use of an accomplice who plays the part of an uninvolved (initially skeptical) third party, who later confirms the claims made by the con man.[6] Vulnerability to confidence tricks Confidence tricks exploit typical human characteristics such as greed, dishonesty, vanity, opportunism, lust, compassion, credulity, irresponsibility, desperation, and naïvety. As such, there is no consistent profile of a confidence trick victim; the common factor is simply that the victim relies on the good faith of the con artist. Victims of investment scams tend to show an incautious level of greed and gullibility, and many con artists target the elderly, but even alert and educated people may be taken in by other forms of a confidence trick.[7] Accomplices, also known as shills, help manipulate the mark into accepting the perpetrator's plan. In a traditional confidence trick, the mark is led to believe that he will be able to win money or some other prize by doing some task. The accomplices may pretend to be strangers who have benefited from performing the task in the past. See also Boiler room (business) Charlatan Confidence trick (books and literature) Confidence trick (television and movies) Counterfeit Hijacked journals List of con artists List of confidence tricks List of criminal enterprises, gangs and syndicates Quackery Racketeering Ripoff Scam baiting Scams in intellectual property Social engineering (security) White-collar crime References Jean Braucher &amp; Barak Orbach, "Scamming: The Misunderstood Confidence Man," 27 Yale Journal of Law &amp; Humanities 249 (2015) Braucher &amp; Orbach. David Maurer, The Big Con Archived 2016-06-24 at the Wayback Machine., Chapter Eight: "Short-Con Games" Yagoda, Ben (June 5, 2012). "'The long game'". Not One-off Britishisms. Archived from the original on July 7, 2014. This language blog, while not a reliable etymological source, provides statistically gathered usage data that demonstrates neutral as well as critical usage, and that it is of British origin, only recently making notable inroads into American English. Amy Reading, The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con Archived 2016-05-15 at the Wayback Machine., Chapter One: "Confidence" ISBN 978-0-307-47359-2 Edward H. Smith, Confessions of a Confidence Man: A Handbook for Suckers Archived 2016-04-24 at the Wayback Machine., p. 35-37. Crimes-of-persuasion.com Archived 2007-04-15 at the Wayback Machine. Fraud Victim Advice / Assistance for Consumer Scams and Investment Frauds Further reading Bell, J. Bowyer; Whaley, Barton (1982). Cheating and Deception (reprint 1991). New Brunswick (USA), London (UK): Transaction Publishers. ISBN 0-88738-868-X. Blundell, Nigel (1984) [1982]. The World's Greatest Crooks and Conmen and other mischievous malefactors. London: Octopus Books. ISBN 0-7064-2144-2. Dillon, Eamon (2008) [2008]. The Fraudsters: Sharks and Charlatans - How Con Artists Make Their Money. Merlin Publishing. ISBN 978-1-903582-82-4. Ford, Charles V. (1999) [1999]. Lies! Lies!! Lies!!!: The Psychology of Deceit. American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc. ISBN 978-0-88048-997-3. Henderson, Les (2000). Crimes of Persuasion: Schemes, scams, frauds. Coyote Ridge Publishing. ISBN 0-9687133-0-0. Kaminski, Marek M. (2004). Games Prisoners Play. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-11721-7. Konnikova, Maria (2016). The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It...Every Time. ISBN 978-0525427414. Maurer, David W. (1999) [1940]. The Big Con: The Story of the Confidence Man and the Confidence Game (reprinted). New York: Bobbs Merrill / Anchor Books. ISBN 0-385-49538-2. Maurer, David W. (1974). The American Confidence Man. Springfield: Charles C. Thomas, Publisher. ISBN 0-398-02974-1. Reading, Amy (2012). The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con. New York: Knopf. ISBN 978-0-307-47359-2. Smith, Jeff (2009). Soapy Smith: The Life and Death of a Scoundrel. Juneau: Klondike Research. ISBN 0-9819743-0-9. Sutherland, Edwin Hardin (1937). The Professional Thief (reprint 1989). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-78051-1. Weil, J.R. "Yellow Kid" (1948) [2004]. Con Man: A Master Swindler's Own Story. New York: Broadway Books. ISBN 0-7679-1737-5. Zhang, Yingyu (2017). The Book of Swindles: Selections from a Late Ming Collection. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231178631. External links Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Common scams. "Arrest of the Confidence Man" New York Herald, 1849 Dateline NBC investigation 'To Catch a Con Man' The Blonger Bros. Lou Blonger was the head of a large gang of confidence men running the Big Con in 1910s Denver Prepaid funeral scam, FBI Confidence tricks in ChinaA confidence trick (synonyms include confidence game, confidence scheme, ripoff, scam and stratagem) is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their confidence, used in the classical sense of trust. Confidence tricks exploit characteristics of the human psyche, such as credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility, and greed. Contents 1 Terminology 1.1 Short and long cons 2 Stages of the con 3 Vulnerability to confidence tricks 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External links Terminology The perpetrator of a confidence trick (or "con trick") is often referred to as a confidence (or "con") man, con-artist, or a "grifter". Samuel Thompson (1821–1856) was the original "confidence man". Thompson was a clumsy swindler who asked his victims to express confidence in him by giving him money or their watch rather than gaining their confidence in a more nuanced way. A few people trusted Thompson with their money and watches.[1] Thompson was arrested in July 1849. Reporting aboot this arrest, Dr. James Houston, a reporter of the New York Herald, publicized Thompson by naming him the "Confidence Man".[2] Although Thompson was an unsuccessful scammer, he gained reputation as a genius operator mostly because Houston's satirical writing wasn't understood as such.[2] The National Police Gazette coined the term "confidence game" a few weeks after Houston first used the name, the "confidence man".[2] A confidence trick is also known as a con game, a con, a scam, a grift, a hustle, a bunko (or bunco), a swindle, a flimflam, a gaffle or a bamboozle. The intended victims are known as "marks", "suckers", "stooge", "mugu", "rube" or "gulls" (i.e., gullible). When accomplices are employed, they are known as shills. Short and long cons A short con or small con is a fast swindle which takes just minutes. It typically aims to rob the victim of everything in his or her wallet.[3] A long con or big con (also, chiefly British English: long game)[4] is a scam that unfolds over several days or weeks and involves a team of swindlers, as well as props, sets, extras, costumes, and scripted lines. It aims to rob the victim of huge sums of money or valuable things, often by getting him or her to empty out banking accounts and borrow from family members.[5] Stages of the con In Confessions of a Confidence Man, Edward H. Smith lists the "six definite steps or stages of growth" of a confidence game.[6] He notes that some steps may be omitted. Foundation Work Preparations are made in advance of the game, including the hiring of any assistants required. Approach The victim is contacted. Build-up The victim is given an opportunity to profit from a scheme. The victim's greed is encouraged, such that their rational judgment of the situation might be impaired. Pay-off or Convincer The victim receives a small payout as a demonstration of the scheme's effectiveness. This may be a real amount of money, or faked in some way. In a gambling con, the victim is allowed to win several small bets. In a stock market con, the victim is given fake dividends. The Hurrah A sudden crisis or change of events forces the victim to act immediately. This is the point at which the con succeeds or fails. The In-and-In A conspirator (in on the con, but assumes the role of an interested bystander) puts an amount of money into the same scheme as the victim, to add an appearance of legitimacy to the scheme. This can reassure the victim, and give the con man greater control when the deal has been completed. In addition, some games require a "corroboration" step, particularly those involving a "rare item". This usually includes the use of an accomplice who plays the part of an uninvolved (initially skeptical) third party, who later confirms the claims made by the con man.[6] Vulnerability to confidence tricks Confidence tricks exploit typical human characteristics such as greed, dishonesty, vanity, opportunism, lust, compassion, credulity, irresponsibility, desperation, and naïvety. As such, there is no consistent profile of a confidence trick victim; the common factor is simply that the victim relies on the good faith of the con artist. Victims of investment scams tend to show an incautious level of greed and gullibility, and many con artists target the elderly, but even alert and educated people may be taken in by other forms of a confidence trick.[7] Accomplices, also known as shills, help manipulate the mark into accepting the perpetrator's plan. In a traditional confidence trick, the mark is led to believe that he will be able to win money or some other prize by doing some task. The accomplices may pretend to be strangers who have benefited from performing the task in the past. See also Boiler room (business) Charlatan Confidence trick (books and literature) Confidence trick (television and movies) Counterfeit Hijacked journals List of con artists List of confidence tricks List of criminal enterprises, gangs and syndicates Quackery Racketeering Ripoff Scam baiting Scams in intellectual property Social engineering (security) White-collar crime References Jean Braucher &amp; Barak Orbach, "Scamming: The Misunderstood Confidence Man," 27 Yale Journal of Law &amp; Humanities 249 (2015) Braucher &amp; Orbach. David Maurer, The Big Con Archived 2016-06-24 at the Wayback Machine., Chapter Eight: "Short-Con Games" Yagoda, Ben (June 5, 2012). "'The long game'". Not One-off Britishisms. Archived from the original on July 7, 2014. This language blog, while not a reliable etymological source, provides statistically gathered usage data that demonstrates neutral as well as critical usage, and that it is of British origin, only recently making notable inroads into American English. Amy Reading, The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con Archived 2016-05-15 at the Wayback Machine., Chapter One: "Confidence" ISBN 978-0-307-47359-2 Edward H. Smith, Confessions of a Confidence Man: A Handbook for Suckers Archived 2016-04-24 at the Wayback Machine., p. 35-37. Crimes-of-persuasion.com Archived 2007-04-15 at the Wayback Machine. Fraud Victim Advice / Assistance for Consumer Scams and Investment Frauds Further reading Bell, J. Bowyer; Whaley, Barton (1982). Cheating and Deception (reprint 1991). New Brunswick (USA), London (UK): Transaction Publishers. ISBN 0-88738-868-X. Blundell, Nigel (1984) [1982]. The World's Greatest Crooks and Conmen and other mischievous malefactors. London: Octopus Books. ISBN 0-7064-2144-2. Dillon, Eamon (2008) [2008]. The Fraudsters: Sharks and Charlatans - How Con Artists Make Their Money. Merlin Publishing. ISBN 978-1-903582-82-4. Ford, Charles V. (1999) [1999]. Lies! Lies!! Lies!!!: The Psychology of Deceit. American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc. ISBN 978-0-88048-997-3. Henderson, Les (2000). Crimes of Persuasion: Schemes, scams, frauds. Coyote Ridge Publishing. ISBN 0-9687133-0-0. Kaminski, Marek M. (2004). Games Prisoners Play. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-11721-7. Konnikova, Maria (2016). The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It...Every Time. ISBN 978-0525427414. Maurer, David W. (1999) [1940]. The Big Con: The Story of the Confidence Man and the Confidence Game (reprinted). New York: Bobbs Merrill / Anchor Books. ISBN 0-385-49538-2. Maurer, David W. (1974). The American Confidence Man. Springfield: Charles C. Thomas, Publisher. ISBN 0-398-02974-1. Reading, Amy (2012). The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con. New York: Knopf. ISBN 978-0-307-47359-2. Smith, Jeff (2009). Soapy Smith: The Life and Death of a Scoundrel. Juneau: Klondike Research. ISBN 0-9819743-0-9. Sutherland, Edwin Hardin (1937). The Professional Thief (reprint 1989). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-78051-1. Weil, J.R. "Yellow Kid" (1948) [2004]. Con Man: A Master Swindler's Own Story. New York: Broadway Books. ISBN 0-7679-1737-5. Zhang, Yingyu (2017). The Book of Swindles: Selections from a Late Ming Collection. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231178631. External links Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Common scams. "Arrest of the Confidence Man" New York Herald, 1849 Dateline NBC investigation 'To Catch a Con Man' The Blonger Bros. Lou Blonger was the head of a large gang of confidence men running the Big Con in 1910s Denver Prepaid funeral scam, FBI Confidence tricks in ChinaA confidence trick (synonyms include confidence game, confidence scheme, ripoff, scam and stratagem) is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their confidence, used in the classical sense of trust. Confidence tricks exploit characteristics of the human psyche, such as credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility, and greed. Contents 1 Terminology 1.1 Short and long cons 2 Stages of the con 3 Vulnerability to confidence tricks 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External links Terminology The perpetrator of a confidence trick (or "con trick") is often referred to as a confidence (or "con") man, con-artist, or a "grifter". Samuel Thompson (1821–1856) was the original "confidence man". Thompson was a clumsy swindler who asked his victims to express confidence in him by giving him money or their watch rather than gaining their confidence in a more nuanced way. A few people trusted Thompson with their money and watches.[1] Thompson was arrested in July 1849. Reporting aboot this arrest, Dr. James Houston, a reporter of the New York Herald, publicized Thompson by naming him the "Confidence Man".[2] Although Thompson was an unsuccessful scammer, he gained reputation as a genius operator mostly because Houston's satirical writing wasn't understood as such.[2] The National Police Gazette coined the term "confidence game" a few weeks after Houston first used the name, the "confidence man".[2] A confidence trick is also known as a con game, a con, a scam, a grift, a hustle, a bunko (or bunco), a swindle, a flimflam, a gaffle or a bamboozle. The intended victims are known as "marks", "suckers", "stooge", "mugu", "rube" or "gulls" (i.e., gullible). When accomplices are employed, they are known as shills. Short and long cons A short con or small con is a fast swindle which takes just minutes. It typically aims to rob the victim of everything in his or her wallet.[3] A long con or big con (also, chiefly British English: long game)[4] is a scam that unfolds over several days or weeks and involves a team of swindlers, as well as props, sets, extras, costumes, and scripted lines. It aims to rob the victim of huge sums of money or valuable things, often by getting him or her to empty out banking accounts and borrow from family members.[5] Stages of the con In Confessions of a Confidence Man, Edward H. Smith lists the "six definite steps or stages of growth" of a confidence game.[6] He notes that some steps may be omitted. Foundation Work Preparations are made in advance of the game, including the hiring of any assistants required. Approach The victim is contacted. Build-up The victim is given an opportunity to profit from a scheme. The victim's greed is encouraged, such that their rational judgment of the situation might be impaired. Pay-off or Convincer The victim receives a small payout as a demonstration of the scheme's effectiveness. This may be a real amount of money, or faked in some way. In a gambling con, the victim is allowed to win several small bets. In a stock market con, the victim is given fake dividends. The Hurrah A sudden crisis or change of events forces the victim to act immediately. This is the point at which the con succeeds or fails. The In-and-In A conspirator (in on the con, but assumes the role of an interested bystander) puts an amount of money into the same scheme as the victim, to add an appearance of legitimacy to the scheme. This can reassure the victim, and give the con man greater control when the deal has been completed. In addition, some games require a "corroboration" step, particularly those involving a "rare item". This usually includes the use of an accomplice who plays the part of an uninvolved (initially skeptical) third party, who later confirms the claims made by the con man.[6] Vulnerability to confidence tricks Confidence tricks exploit typical human characteristics such as greed, dishonesty, vanity, opportunism, lust, compassion, credulity, irresponsibility, desperation, and naïvety. As such, there is no consistent profile of a confidence trick victim; the common factor is simply that the victim relies on the good faith of the con artist. Victims of investment scams tend to show an incautious level of greed and gullibility, and many con artists target the elderly, but even alert and educated people may be taken in by other forms of a confidence trick.[7] Accomplices, also known as shills, help manipulate the mark into accepting the perpetrator's plan. In a traditional confidence trick, the mark is led to believe that he will be able to win money or some other prize by doing some task. The accomplices may pretend to be strangers who have benefited from performing the task in the past. See also Boiler room (business) Charlatan Confidence trick (books and literature) Confidence trick (television and movies) Counterfeit Hijacked journals List of con artists List of confidence tricks List of criminal enterprises, gangs and syndicates Quackery Racketeering Ripoff Scam baiting Scams in intellectual property Social engineering (security) White-collar crime References Jean Braucher &amp; Barak Orbach, "Scamming: The Misunderstood Confidence Man," 27 Yale Journal of Law &amp; Humanities 249 (2015) Braucher &amp; Orbach. David Maurer, The Big Con Archived 2016-06-24 at the Wayback Machine., Chapter Eight: "Short-Con Games" Yagoda, Ben (June 5, 2012). "'The long game'". Not One-off Britishisms. Archived from the original on July 7, 2014. This language blog, while not a reliable etymological source, provides statistically gathered usage data that demonstrates neutral as well as critical usage, and that it is of British origin, only recently making notable inroads into American English. Amy Reading, The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con Archived 2016-05-15 at the Wayback Machine., Chapter One: "Confidence" ISBN 978-0-307-47359-2 Edward H. Smith, Confessions of a Confidence Man: A Handbook for Suckers Archived 2016-04-24 at the Wayback Machine., p. 35-37. Crimes-of-persuasion.com Archived 2007-04-15 at the Wayback Machine. Fraud Victim Advice / Assistance for Consumer Scams and Investment Frauds Further reading Bell, J. Bowyer; Whaley, Barton (1982). Cheating and Deception (reprint 1991). New Brunswick (USA), London (UK): Transaction Publishers. ISBN 0-88738-868-X. Blundell, Nigel (1984) [1982]. The World's Greatest Crooks and Conmen and other mischievous malefactors. London: Octopus Books. ISBN 0-7064-2144-2. Dillon, Eamon (2008) [2008]. The Fraudsters: Sharks and Charlatans - How Con Artists Make Their Money. Merlin Publishing. ISBN 978-1-903582-82-4. Ford, Charles V. (1999) [1999]. Lies! Lies!! Lies!!!: The Psychology of Deceit. American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc. ISBN 978-0-88048-997-3. Henderson, Les (2000). Crimes of Persuasion: Schemes, scams, frauds. Coyote Ridge Publishing. ISBN 0-9687133-0-0. Kaminski, Marek M. (2004). Games Prisoners Play. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-11721-7. Konnikova, Maria (2016). The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It...Every Time. ISBN 978-0525427414. Maurer, David W. (1999) [1940]. The Big Con: The Story of the Confidence Man and the Confidence Game (reprinted). New York: Bobbs Merrill / Anchor Books. ISBN 0-385-49538-2. Maurer, David W. (1974). The American Confidence Man. Springfield: Charles C. Thomas, Publisher. ISBN 0-398-02974-1. Reading, Amy (2012). The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con. New York: Knopf. ISBN 978-0-307-47359-2. Smith, Jeff (2009). Soapy Smith: The Life and Death of a Scoundrel. Juneau: Klondike Research. ISBN 0-9819743-0-9. Sutherland, Edwin Hardin (1937). The Professional Thief (reprint 1989). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-78051-1. Weil, J.R. "Yellow Kid" (1948) [2004]. Con Man: A Master Swindler's Own Story. New York: Broadway Books. ISBN 0-7679-1737-5. Zhang, Yingyu (2017). The Book of Swindles: Selections from a Late Ming Collection. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231178631. External links Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Common scams. "Arrest of the Confidence Man" New York Herald, 1849 Dateline NBC investigation 'To Catch a Con Man' The Blonger Bros. Lou Blonger was the head of a large gang of confidence men running the Big Con in 1910s Denver Prepaid funeral scam, FBI Confidence tricks in China

Anonymous

WHERE IS THE SHOW, TEEJAY

Anonymous

Hmmm could you ellaborate some more on this confidence trick scam situation?

Anonymous

Well. Let's clear that wikipedia post.

Officer Jarpis

Technical difficulties again, maybe

Anonymous

poo poo pee pee

Anonymous

They did use the word "Tentatively."

Anonymous

constantly refreshing with a frown on my face.

Dave

Late

Anonymous

Late scammer indivijuals

Anonymous

Scrolling here was torture.

Jacob Martin

scammed again, this time for real

Anonymous

CRANK THIS MOTHER UP AND UNHINGE YOUR MOUTH SPIGOTS YOU BEAUTIFUL BASTARDS

Anonymous

We've been scammed again boys

Anonymous

BEGIN REEEEEEEEEEEEE

Dakota Taylor

REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Anonymous

LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON!

Anonymous

SCAM SITUATION #2

Anonymous

Never been here for the live show. Does the link to the stream show up on this page?

Anonymous
>>11939216

Yeah that shitpost is very annoying, seeing as I somehow can't minimize it.

Anonymous

7:30 my butt

Anonymous

Fucking scammers&gt;:(( irl tho I am actually pleased cause now I can watch it live. IF they end up doing the damn show tonight.

Dave

Wheres the rv trip cheejay

Anonymous

TJ! STOP SMOKING, GET OFF YOUR ASS, AND DO THE SHOW!

Mudarian Arts & Sciences

Everyone fuck off with the scammer shit, its tired and old! You think your're being cute and funny but that's not how real humor works. Repeating an unoriginal j a goddamn 1000 times is not funny, just makes you a crusty old ass that no one really wants.

Anonymous

I wish there were sound notifications for new streams?

Anonymous

Skip navigation Search PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS is creating a wide array of video content Overview Posts Community FILTER All Posts TYPE Public 4 Patron Only 26 $5 17 Filter by month PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Apr 29 at 12:46am $5+ patrons Re: prohibition show - our apologies Due to technical issues, we are tentatively postponing the show to tomorrow (Sunday, April 29th) at 7:30 pm central. Watch the video for more info. 79 Likes 79 Load more comments 3 of 118 Mudarian Arts &amp; Sciences Everyone fuck off with the scammer shit, its tired and old! You think your're being cute and funny but that's not how real humor works. Repeating an unoriginal j a goddamn 1000 times is not funny, just makes you a crusty old ass that no one really wants. 4min Katelyn Why feed the trolls? You know they won't stop. 1 3min Load 3 replies Dante Walters I wish there were sound notifications for new streams? 2 1min Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Apr 28 at 11:02pm Patrons only PROBISHUIN = DEEP FArT FIRES xcom check out privtit patron show thanks for bein patroeons.!! l1 76 Likes 76 Load more comments 2 of 409 Scott Everett Damn, was pretty stoked for this...won’t be able to watch this until next weekend 6h Joseph Sullivan Awful. 5h Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Apr 27 at 11:04pm Patrons only THE ZODIAC KILLER = DEEP FAT FRIED Join Us! 131 Likes 131 Load more comments 4 of 44 Cody A O'Connor Paul makes me feel squishy 23h Marlin Benson penis 1 22h Marc Geener Señor Tomát 22h Marlin Benson penís 2 22h Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Apr 22 at 6:52pm Patrons only Patrons-only show master post! Hey guys, While we work on a permanent archive solution, below is a master post of all private episodes so far. I'll keep this updated for all of you as new shows come out to make it easy to browse and watch what you want. HEAVEN’S GATE CULT = DEEP FAT FRIED: <a href="https://vimeo.com/259431677/e80a29d16a" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://vimeo.com/259431677/e80a29d16a</a> CHARLES MANSON = DEEP FAT FRIED: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKEsenspjyU" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKEsenspjyU</a> 10 DROP DEAD HANDSOME DREAMBOATS = DEEP FAT FRIED: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPmRV0tiO7s" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPmRV0tiO7s</a> CONSPIRACY THEORIES = DEEP FAT FRIED: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31rfc97PU-E" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31rfc97PU-E</a> THE END OF THE WORLD (part 2) - DEEP FAT FRIED: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmeVb2ef_lI" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmeVb2ef_lI</a> SECOND AMENDMENT = DEEP FAT FRIED: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwaYIqLakno" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwaYIqLakno</a> ANDY DICK = DEEP FAT FRIED: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oTGe0ugvzw" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oTGe0ugvzw</a> FALLOUT = DEEP FAT FRIED: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BL3wYTuqhbg" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BL3wYTuqhbg</a> Thanks! -Paul Continue reading 152 Likes 152 Load more comments 4 of 71 Stoned Dragon check back every10 to 15 min Cameron, it will be up 2d Alyssa Mason Okay! Thanks dude :) that helped me too 2d Robbie Coyne My life is being drained, every second without DFF is ageing my useless body 10 years. 2d cody steffy Hold on just a little longer.. the promise land is near, I promise. 2d Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Apr 20 at 10:29pm Patrons only MYSTERY EPISODE? WHAT WILL IT BE?! It's Fallout = Deep Fat Fried. Suspense over. Check it out. Just for PATRONS! 139 Likes 139 Load more comments 2 of 74 Henrik Rønning You guys need to shut the fuck up while there's videos rolling. This is unwatchable. 4 4d The Best Fucking Memes In The Game I'm not going to lie I'm pretty racist towards super mutants. 1 4d Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Apr 15 at 8:14pm ATTENTION ALL PATRONS! We have made a major update to this Patreon, and we invite you all to check out our patron page to see all of the changes being made! If you're too lazy to do that, here's a recap: You will no longer only be getting 4 (or 5) Deep Fat Fried episodes a month. You will also be getting a private episode of TJ Kirk's show Abandon Hope, a private episode of TJ and Paul's Cynics vs. Cinema, and several private Highdeology streams. You don't have to change a thing. You pay no more money. You just get more stuff. Good deal, right? Continue reading 260 Likes 260 Load more comments 2 of 97 Yishai Ben Yakov-Leib Love these guys. Paul's Ego, TJ, &amp; his bro Scotty makin comedy, commentary, argument &amp; experiment from the stable non-Racist, non-sexist heart of Troll Culture. Their stuff is hilarious, unique, informative &amp; irreverent. I predict they will be YOOOGE. I highly recommend listening &amp; supporting this smorgasbord of awesome. Support em with whatever ya can. 1 1w Rian Hutch I know deals, and this is a good deal! 2 6d Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Apr 14 at 12:53am HOW MANY VANILLA ICES DOES ANDY DICK GET? 34 363 31 109 32.5 192 664 votes total 29 Likes 29 Load more comments 2 of 7 Neil Fowlie Try to get Andy on the show. It would probably be easier than you think. 2 2w Edward Thibodeaux Was Amy Schumer too awful to use as a grade for Andy dick? 2 2w Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Apr 13 at 11:26pm Patrons only ANDY DICK = DEEP FAT FRIED Sorry we're late. We will explain why. 100 Likes 100 Load more comments 2 of 65 Dwayne Campbell oi cunts! chop chop. 1w The Best Fucking Memes In The Game 1 if by land 2 if by sea 3 is for Andy's dickery! 1w Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Apr 6 at 10:25pm $5+ patrons SECOND AMENDMENT = DEEP FAT FRIED PATRON EXCLUSIVE. 132 Likes 132 Load more comments 2 of 50 Jordi de Fouw 15:13 TJ is a reptillian confirmed 1 2w Sir Drinkalot Hahaha love it how Scotty played devil’s advocate during the WHOLE FUCKING SHOW. Just awesome 2w Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Mar 30 at 10:17pm $5+ patrons END OF THE WORLD (PART 2) - DEEP FAT FRIED Check it out, Patrons! 129 Likes 129 Load more comments 2 of 59 zack bruce You guys need to upload audio links for your patreon post 2w ROSS MAC WADE Stevie got so red at the end. Love you Stevie-pie. 1w Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Mar 29 at 10:54pm Patrons only CONSPIRACY THEORIES = DFF - PATRON GOAL SHOW! THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT! We thank you all for your amazing support of our show. You've given us more support than we ever imagined. I hope you guys enjoy this! 133 Likes 133 Load more comments 2 of 47 Elle W Do an episode on mass shootings 1 2w PrimeOtterTerritory This isn't a total debunking but the reason I don't think they have a cure for cancer is that too many rich people still die from cancer. I mean they'd not only have to hide it but also have false flags for all the elite who still die from cancer. 3d Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Mar 26 at 12:47am $5+ patrons THE END OF THE WORLD = DEEP FAT FRIED It's the end of the world as we know it and DFF feels fine! Join your favorite cynics as they DFF the End OF THE WORLD. How could it all end? Find out tonight in part one including natural disasters, asteroid collisions, and killer algae! 83 Likes 83 Load more comments 2 of 27 The Best Fucking Memes In The Game Fucking hell Paul is more pessimistic than I am. I don't really like the human race either but I don't want it to go extinct. 1mo Matt How the fuck do I get this as a podcast or something I need to download it for when I fly. Thanks 4w Write a comment ... REWARDS THE BUFFET $5 or more per month Hungry? You're a gluttonous little piggy, aren't you? So are we. That's why we created this tier. For starters, you get 4 (or 5) private DEEP FAT FRIED episodes a month! Can you clean your plate? Not full yet? Well, don't worry. TJ Kirk will be delivering you a hot, steaming platter of ABANDON HOPE - a private live show where degeneracy and debauchery are par for the course. How's aboot a movie and some popcorn for a change of pace? You'll also get a private episode of CYNICS VS. CINEMA every month, where you'll get to join Paul and TJ as they watch - and tear apart - whatever they want. Still hungry for more? Of course you are. Strap yourself in for dessert - Paul, TJ and (occasionally, if you're lucky) Scotty will fill your face with some patrons only HIGHDEOLOGY streams. That's 12 HOURS OR MORE of content every month! Aboot Careers Create on Patreon Brand Press Partners Sitemap Help Center &amp; FAQs Developers App Directory Creator Blog Creator Guides Community Guidelines Terms of Use Privacy Policy © 2018 Patreon, Inc.

Anonymous

CAN YOU FUCKING STOP

Anonymous

Skip navigation Search PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS is creating a wide array of video content Overview Posts Community FILTER All Posts TYPE Public 4 Patron Only 26 $5 17 Filter by month PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Apr 29 at 12:46am $5+ patrons Re: prohibition show - our apologies Due to technical issues, we are tentatively postponing the show to tomorrow (Sunday, April 29th) at 7:30 pm central. Watch the video for more info. 79 Likes 79 Load more comments 3 of 118 Mudarian Arts &amp; Sciences Everyone fuck off with the scammer shit, its tired and old! You think your're being cute and funny but that's not how real humor works. Repeating an unoriginal j a goddamn 1000 times is not funny, just makes you a crusty old ass that no one really wants. 4min Katelyn Why feed the trolls? You know they won't stop. 1 3min Load 3 replies Dante Walters I wish there were sound notifications for new streams? 2 1min Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Apr 28 at 11:02pm Patrons only PROBISHUIN = DEEP FArT FIRES xcom check out privtit patron show thanks for bein patroeons.!! l1 76 Likes 76 Load more comments 2 of 409 Scott Everett Damn, was pretty stoked for this...won’t be able to watch this until next weekend 6h Joseph Sullivan Awful. 5h Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Apr 27 at 11:04pm Patrons only THE ZODIAC KILLER = DEEP FAT FRIED Join Us! 131 Likes 131 Load more comments 4 of 44 Cody A O'Connor Paul makes me feel squishy 23h Marlin Benson penis 1 22h Marc Geener Señor Tomát 22h Marlin Benson penís 2 22h Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Apr 22 at 6:52pm Patrons only Patrons-only show master post! Hey guys, While we work on a permanent archive solution, below is a master post of all private episodes so far. I'll keep this updated for all of you as new shows come out to make it easy to browse and watch what you want. HEAVEN’S GATE CULT = DEEP FAT FRIED: <a href="https://vimeo.com/259431677/e80a29d16a" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://vimeo.com/259431677/e80a29d16a</a> CHARLES MANSON = DEEP FAT FRIED: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKEsenspjyU" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKEsenspjyU</a> 10 DROP DEAD HANDSOME DREAMBOATS = DEEP FAT FRIED: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPmRV0tiO7s" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPmRV0tiO7s</a> CONSPIRACY THEORIES = DEEP FAT FRIED: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31rfc97PU-E" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31rfc97PU-E</a> THE END OF THE WORLD (part 2) - DEEP FAT FRIED: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmeVb2ef_lI" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmeVb2ef_lI</a> SECOND AMENDMENT = DEEP FAT FRIED: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwaYIqLakno" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwaYIqLakno</a> ANDY DICK = DEEP FAT FRIED: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oTGe0ugvzw" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oTGe0ugvzw</a> FALLOUT = DEEP FAT FRIED: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BL3wYTuqhbg" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BL3wYTuqhbg</a> Thanks! -Paul Continue reading 152 Likes 152 Load more comments 4 of 71 Stoned Dragon check back every10 to 15 min Cameron, it will be up 2d Alyssa Mason Okay! Thanks dude :) that helped me too 2d Robbie Coyne My life is being drained, every second without DFF is ageing my useless body 10 years. 2d cody steffy Hold on just a little longer.. the promise land is near, I promise. 2d Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Apr 20 at 10:29pm Patrons only MYSTERY EPISODE? WHAT WILL IT BE?! It's Fallout = Deep Fat Fried. Suspense over. Check it out. Just for PATRONS! 139 Likes 139 Load more comments 2 of 74 Henrik Rønning You guys need to shut the fuck up while there's videos rolling. This is unwatchable. 4 4d The Best Fucking Memes In The Game I'm not going to lie I'm pretty racist towards super mutants. 1 4d Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Apr 15 at 8:14pm ATTENTION ALL PATRONS! We have made a major update to this Patreon, and we invite you all to check out our patron page to see all of the changes being made! If you're too lazy to do that, here's a recap: You will no longer only be getting 4 (or 5) Deep Fat Fried episodes a month. You will also be getting a private episode of TJ Kirk's show Abandon Hope, a private episode of TJ and Paul's Cynics vs. Cinema, and several private Highdeology streams. You don't have to change a thing. You pay no more money. You just get more stuff. Good deal, right? Continue reading 260 Likes 260 Load more comments 2 of 97 Yishai Ben Yakov-Leib Love these guys. Paul's Ego, TJ, &amp; his bro Scotty makin comedy, commentary, argument &amp; experiment from the stable non-Racist, non-sexist heart of Troll Culture. Their stuff is hilarious, unique, informative &amp; irreverent. I predict they will be YOOOGE. I highly recommend listening &amp; supporting this smorgasbord of awesome. Support em with whatever ya can. 1 1w Rian Hutch I know deals, and this is a good deal! 2 6d Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Apr 14 at 12:53am HOW MANY VANILLA ICES DOES ANDY DICK GET? 34 363 31 109 32.5 192 664 votes total 29 Likes 29 Load more comments 2 of 7 Neil Fowlie Try to get Andy on the show. It would probably be easier than you think. 2 2w Edward Thibodeaux Was Amy Schumer too awful to use as a grade for Andy dick? 2 2w Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Apr 13 at 11:26pm Patrons only ANDY DICK = DEEP FAT FRIED Sorry we're late. We will explain why. 100 Likes 100 Load more comments 2 of 65 Dwayne Campbell oi cunts! chop chop. 1w The Best Fucking Memes In The Game 1 if by land 2 if by sea 3 is for Andy's dickery! 1w Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Apr 6 at 10:25pm $5+ patrons SECOND AMENDMENT = DEEP FAT FRIED PATRON EXCLUSIVE. 132 Likes 132 Load more comments 2 of 50 Jordi de Fouw 15:13 TJ is a reptillian confirmed 1 2w Sir Drinkalot Hahaha love it how Scotty played devil’s advocate during the WHOLE FUCKING SHOW. Just awesome 2w Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Mar 30 at 10:17pm $5+ patrons END OF THE WORLD (PART 2) - DEEP FAT FRIED Check it out, Patrons! 129 Likes 129 Load more comments 2 of 59 zack bruce You guys need to upload audio links for your patreon post 2w ROSS MAC WADE Stevie got so red at the end. Love you Stevie-pie. 1w Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Mar 29 at 10:54pm Patrons only CONSPIRACY THEORIES = DFF - PATRON GOAL SHOW! THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT! We thank you all for your amazing support of our show. You've given us more support than we ever imagined. I hope you guys enjoy this! 133 Likes 133 Load more comments 2 of 47 Elle W Do an episode on mass shootings 1 2w PrimeOtterTerritory This isn't a total debunking but the reason I don't think they have a cure for cancer is that too many rich people still die from cancer. I mean they'd not only have to hide it but also have false flags for all the elite who still die from cancer. 3d Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Mar 26 at 12:47am $5+ patrons THE END OF THE WORLD = DEEP FAT FRIED It's the end of the world as we know it and DFF feels fine! Join your favorite cynics as they DFF the End OF THE WORLD. How could it all end? Find out tonight in part one including natural disasters, asteroid collisions, and killer algae! 83 Likes 83 Load more comments 2 of 27 The Best Fucking Memes In The Game Fucking hell Paul is more pessimistic than I am. I don't really like the human race either but I don't want it to go extinct. 1mo Matt How the fuck do I get this as a podcast or something I need to download it for when I fly. Thanks 4w Write a comment ... REWARDS THE BUFFET $5 or more per month Hungry? You're a gluttonous little piggy, aren't you? So are we. That's why we created this tier. For starters, you get 4 (or 5) private DEEP FAT FRIED episodes a month! Can you clean your plate? Not full yet? Well, don't worry. TJ Kirk will be delivering you a hot, steaming platter of ABANDON HOPE - a private live show where degeneracy and debauchery are par for the course. How's aboot a movie and some popcorn for a change of pace? You'll also get a private episode of CYNICS VS. CINEMA every month, where you'll get to join Paul and TJ as they watch - and tear apart - whatever they want. Still hungry for more? Of course you are. Strap yourself in for dessert - Paul, TJ and (occasionally, if you're lucky) Scotty will fill your face with some patrons only HIGHDEOLOGY streams. That's 12 HOURS OR MORE of content every month! Aboot Careers Create on Patreon Brand Press Partners Sitemap Help Center &amp; FAQs Developers App Directory Creator Blog Creator Guides Community Guidelines Terms of Use Privacy Policy © 2018 Patreon, Inc. Skip navigation Search PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS is creating a wide array of video content Overview Posts Community FILTER All Posts TYPE Public 4 Patron Only 26 $5 17 Filter by month PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Apr 29 at 12:46am $5+ patrons Re: prohibition show - our apologies Due to technical issues, we are tentatively postponing the show to tomorrow (Sunday, April 29th) at 7:30 pm central. Watch the video for more info. 79 Likes 79 Load more comments 3 of 118 Mudarian Arts &amp; Sciences Everyone fuck off with the scammer shit, its tired and old! You think your're being cute and funny but that's not how real humor works. Repeating an unoriginal j a goddamn 1000 times is not funny, just makes you a crusty old ass that no one really wants. 4min Katelyn Why feed the trolls? You know they won't stop. 1 3min Load 3 replies Dante Walters I wish there were sound notifications for new streams? 2 1min Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Apr 28 at 11:02pm Patrons only PROBISHUIN = DEEP FArT FIRES xcom check out privtit patron show thanks for bein patroeons.!! l1 76 Likes 76 Load more comments 2 of 409 Scott Everett Damn, was pretty stoked for this...won’t be able to watch this until next weekend 6h Joseph Sullivan Awful. 5h Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Apr 27 at 11:04pm Patrons only THE ZODIAC KILLER = DEEP FAT FRIED Join Us! 131 Likes 131 Load more comments 4 of 44 Cody A O'Connor Paul makes me feel squishy 23h Marlin Benson penis 1 22h Marc Geener Señor Tomát 22h Marlin Benson penís 2 22h Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Apr 22 at 6:52pm Patrons only Patrons-only show master post! Hey guys, While we work on a permanent archive solution, below is a master post of all private episodes so far. I'll keep this updated for all of you as new shows come out to make it easy to browse and watch what you want. HEAVEN’S GATE CULT = DEEP FAT FRIED: <a href="https://vimeo.com/259431677/e80a29d16a" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://vimeo.com/259431677/e80a29d16a</a> CHARLES MANSON = DEEP FAT FRIED: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKEsenspjyU" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKEsenspjyU</a> 10 DROP DEAD HANDSOME DREAMBOATS = DEEP FAT FRIED: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPmRV0tiO7s" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPmRV0tiO7s</a> CONSPIRACY THEORIES = DEEP FAT FRIED: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31rfc97PU-E" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31rfc97PU-E</a> THE END OF THE WORLD (part 2) - DEEP FAT FRIED: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmeVb2ef_lI" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmeVb2ef_lI</a> SECOND AMENDMENT = DEEP FAT FRIED: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwaYIqLakno" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwaYIqLakno</a> ANDY DICK = DEEP FAT FRIED: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oTGe0ugvzw" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oTGe0ugvzw</a> FALLOUT = DEEP FAT FRIED: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BL3wYTuqhbg" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BL3wYTuqhbg</a> Thanks! -Paul Continue reading 152 Likes 152 Load more comments 4 of 71 Stoned Dragon check back every10 to 15 min Cameron, it will be up 2d Alyssa Mason Okay! Thanks dude :) that helped me too 2d Robbie Coyne My life is being drained, every second without DFF is ageing my useless body 10 years. 2d cody steffy Hold on just a little longer.. the promise land is near, I promise. 2d Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Apr 20 at 10:29pm Patrons only MYSTERY EPISODE? WHAT WILL IT BE?! It's Fallout = Deep Fat Fried. Suspense over. Check it out. Just for PATRONS! 139 Likes 139 Load more comments 2 of 74 Henrik Rønning You guys need to shut the fuck up while there's videos rolling. This is unwatchable. 4 4d The Best Fucking Memes In The Game I'm not going to lie I'm pretty racist towards super mutants. 1 4d Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Apr 15 at 8:14pm ATTENTION ALL PATRONS! We have made a major update to this Patreon, and we invite you all to check out our patron page to see all of the changes being made! If you're too lazy to do that, here's a recap: You will no longer only be getting 4 (or 5) Deep Fat Fried episodes a month. You will also be getting a private episode of TJ Kirk's show Abandon Hope, a private episode of TJ and Paul's Cynics vs. Cinema, and several private Highdeology streams. You don't have to change a thing. You pay no more money. You just get more stuff. Good deal, right? Continue reading 260 Likes 260 Load more comments 2 of 97 Yishai Ben Yakov-Leib Love these guys. Paul's Ego, TJ, &amp; his bro Scotty makin comedy, commentary, argument &amp; experiment from the stable non-Racist, non-sexist heart of Troll Culture. Their stuff is hilarious, unique, informative &amp; irreverent. I predict they will be YOOOGE. I highly recommend listening &amp; supporting this smorgasbord of awesome. Support em with whatever ya can. 1 1w Rian Hutch I know deals, and this is a good deal! 2 6d Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Apr 14 at 12:53am HOW MANY VANILLA ICES DOES ANDY DICK GET? 34 363 31 109 32.5 192 664 votes total 29 Likes 29 Load more comments 2 of 7 Neil Fowlie Try to get Andy on the show. It would probably be easier than you think. 2 2w Edward Thibodeaux Was Amy Schumer too awful to use as a grade for Andy dick? 2 2w Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Apr 13 at 11:26pm Patrons only ANDY DICK = DEEP FAT FRIED Sorry we're late. We will explain why. 100 Likes 100 Load more comments 2 of 65 Dwayne Campbell oi cunts! chop chop. 1w The Best Fucking Memes In The Game 1 if by land 2 if by sea 3 is for Andy's dickery! 1w Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Apr 6 at 10:25pm $5+ patrons SECOND AMENDMENT = DEEP FAT FRIED PATRON EXCLUSIVE. 132 Likes 132 Load more comments 2 of 50 Jordi de Fouw 15:13 TJ is a reptillian confirmed 1 2w Sir Drinkalot Hahaha love it how Scotty played devil’s advocate during the WHOLE FUCKING SHOW. Just awesome 2w Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Mar 30 at 10:17pm $5+ patrons END OF THE WORLD (PART 2) - DEEP FAT FRIED Check it out, Patrons! 129 Likes 129 Load more comments 2 of 59 zack bruce You guys need to upload audio links for your patreon post 2w ROSS MAC WADE Stevie got so red at the end. Love you Stevie-pie. 1w Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Mar 29 at 10:54pm Patrons only CONSPIRACY THEORIES = DFF - PATRON GOAL SHOW! THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT! We thank you all for your amazing support of our show. You've given us more support than we ever imagined. I hope you guys enjoy this! 133 Likes 133 Load more comments 2 of 47 Elle W Do an episode on mass shootings 1 2w PrimeOtterTerritory This isn't a total debunking but the reason I don't think they have a cure for cancer is that too many rich people still die from cancer. I mean they'd not only have to hide it but also have false flags for all the elite who still die from cancer. 3d Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Mar 26 at 12:47am $5+ patrons THE END OF THE WORLD = DEEP FAT FRIED It's the end of the world as we know it and DFF feels fine! Join your favorite cynics as they DFF the End OF THE WORLD. How could it all end? Find out tonight in part one including natural disasters, asteroid collisions, and killer algae! 83 Likes 83 Load more comments 2 of 27 The Best Fucking Memes In The Game Fucking hell Paul is more pessimistic than I am. I don't really like the human race either but I don't want it to go extinct. 1mo Matt How the fuck do I get this as a podcast or something I need to download it for when I fly. Thanks 4w Write a comment ... REWARDS THE BUFFET $5 or more per month Hungry? You're a gluttonous little piggy, aren't you? So are we. That's why we created this tier. For starters, you get 4 (or 5) private DEEP FAT FRIED episodes a month! Can you clean your plate? Not full yet? Well, don't worry. TJ Kirk will be delivering you a hot, steaming platter of ABANDON HOPE - a private live show where degeneracy and debauchery are par for the course. How's aboot a movie and some popcorn for a change of pace? You'll also get a private episode of CYNICS VS. CINEMA every month, where you'll get to join Paul and TJ as they watch - and tear apart - whatever they want. Still hungry for more? Of course you are. Strap yourself in for dessert - Paul, TJ and (occasionally, if you're lucky) Scotty will fill your face with some patrons only HIGHDEOLOGY streams. That's 12 HOURS OR MORE of content every month! Aboot Careers Create on Patreon Brand Press Partners Sitemap Help Center &amp; FAQs Developers App Directory Creator Blog Creator Guides Community Guidelines Terms of Use Privacy Policy © 2018 Patreon, Inc. Skip navigation Search PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS is creating a wide array of video content Overview Posts Community FILTER All Posts TYPE Public 4 Patron Only 26 $5 17 Filter by month PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Apr 29 at 12:46am $5+ patrons Re: prohibition show - our apologies Due to technical issues, we are tentatively postponing the show to tomorrow (Sunday, April 29th) at 7:30 pm central. Watch the video for more info. 79 Likes 79 Load more comments 3 of 118 Mudarian Arts &amp; Sciences Everyone fuck off with the scammer shit, its tired and old! You think your're being cute and funny but that's not how real humor works. Repeating an unoriginal j a goddamn 1000 times is not funny, just makes you a crusty old ass that no one really wants. 4min Katelyn Why feed the trolls? You know they won't stop. 1 3min Load 3 replies Dante Walters I wish there were sound notifications for new streams? 2 1min Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Apr 28 at 11:02pm Patrons only PROBISHUIN = DEEP FArT FIRES xcom check out privtit patron show thanks for bein patroeons.!! l1 76 Likes 76 Load more comments 2 of 409 Scott Everett Damn, was pretty stoked for this...won’t be able to watch this until next weekend 6h Joseph Sullivan Awful. 5h Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Apr 27 at 11:04pm Patrons only THE ZODIAC KILLER = DEEP FAT FRIED Join Us! 131 Likes 131 Load more comments 4 of 44 Cody A O'Connor Paul makes me feel squishy 23h Marlin Benson penis 1 22h Marc Geener Señor Tomát 22h Marlin Benson penís 2 22h Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Apr 22 at 6:52pm Patrons only Patrons-only show master post! Hey guys, While we work on a permanent archive solution, below is a master post of all private episodes so far. I'll keep this updated for all of you as new shows come out to make it easy to browse and watch what you want. HEAVEN’S GATE CULT = DEEP FAT FRIED: <a href="https://vimeo.com/259431677/e80a29d16a" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://vimeo.com/259431677/e80a29d16a</a> CHARLES MANSON = DEEP FAT FRIED: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKEsenspjyU" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKEsenspjyU</a> 10 DROP DEAD HANDSOME DREAMBOATS = DEEP FAT FRIED: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPmRV0tiO7s" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPmRV0tiO7s</a> CONSPIRACY THEORIES = DEEP FAT FRIED: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31rfc97PU-E" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31rfc97PU-E</a> THE END OF THE WORLD (part 2) - DEEP FAT FRIED: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmeVb2ef_lI" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmeVb2ef_lI</a> SECOND AMENDMENT = DEEP FAT FRIED: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwaYIqLakno" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwaYIqLakno</a> ANDY DICK = DEEP FAT FRIED: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oTGe0ugvzw" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oTGe0ugvzw</a> FALLOUT = DEEP FAT FRIED: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BL3wYTuqhbg" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BL3wYTuqhbg</a> Thanks! -Paul Continue reading 152 Likes 152 Load more comments 4 of 71 Stoned Dragon check back every10 to 15 min Cameron, it will be up 2d Alyssa Mason Okay! Thanks dude :) that helped me too 2d Robbie Coyne My life is being drained, every second without DFF is ageing my useless body 10 years. 2d cody steffy Hold on just a little longer.. the promise land is near, I promise. 2d Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Apr 20 at 10:29pm Patrons only MYSTERY EPISODE? WHAT WILL IT BE?! It's Fallout = Deep Fat Fried. Suspense over. Check it out. Just for PATRONS! 139 Likes 139 Load more comments 2 of 74 Henrik Rønning You guys need to shut the fuck up while there's videos rolling. This is unwatchable. 4 4d The Best Fucking Memes In The Game I'm not going to lie I'm pretty racist towards super mutants. 1 4d Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Apr 15 at 8:14pm ATTENTION ALL PATRONS! We have made a major update to this Patreon, and we invite you all to check out our patron page to see all of the changes being made! If you're too lazy to do that, here's a recap: You will no longer only be getting 4 (or 5) Deep Fat Fried episodes a month. You will also be getting a private episode of TJ Kirk's show Abandon Hope, a private episode of TJ and Paul's Cynics vs. Cinema, and several private Highdeology streams. You don't have to change a thing. You pay no more money. You just get more stuff. Good deal, right? Continue reading 260 Likes 260 Load more comments 2 of 97 Yishai Ben Yakov-Leib Love these guys. Paul's Ego, TJ, &amp; his bro Scotty makin comedy, commentary, argument &amp; experiment from the stable non-Racist, non-sexist heart of Troll Culture. Their stuff is hilarious, unique, informative &amp; irreverent. I predict they will be YOOOGE. I highly recommend listening &amp; supporting this smorgasbord of awesome. Support em with whatever ya can. 1 1w Rian Hutch I know deals, and this is a good deal! 2 6d Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Apr 14 at 12:53am HOW MANY VANILLA ICES DOES ANDY DICK GET? 34 363 31 109 32.5 192 664 votes total 29 Likes 29 Load more comments 2 of 7 Neil Fowlie Try to get Andy on the show. It would probably be easier than you think. 2 2w Edward Thibodeaux Was Amy Schumer too awful to use as a grade for Andy dick? 2 2w Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Apr 13 at 11:26pm Patrons only ANDY DICK = DEEP FAT FRIED Sorry we're late. We will explain why. 100 Likes 100 Load more comments 2 of 65 Dwayne Campbell oi cunts! chop chop. 1w The Best Fucking Memes In The Game 1 if by land 2 if by sea 3 is for Andy's dickery! 1w Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Apr 6 at 10:25pm $5+ patrons SECOND AMENDMENT = DEEP FAT FRIED PATRON EXCLUSIVE. 132 Likes 132 Load more comments 2 of 50 Jordi de Fouw 15:13 TJ is a reptillian confirmed 1 2w Sir Drinkalot Hahaha love it how Scotty played devil’s advocate during the WHOLE FUCKING SHOW. Just awesome 2w Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Mar 30 at 10:17pm $5+ patrons END OF THE WORLD (PART 2) - DEEP FAT FRIED Check it out, Patrons! 129 Likes 129 Load more comments 2 of 59 zack bruce You guys need to upload audio links for your patreon post 2w ROSS MAC WADE Stevie got so red at the end. Love you Stevie-pie. 1w Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Mar 29 at 10:54pm Patrons only CONSPIRACY THEORIES = DFF - PATRON GOAL SHOW! THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT! We thank you all for your amazing support of our show. You've given us more support than we ever imagined. I hope you guys enjoy this! 133 Likes 133 Load more comments 2 of 47 Elle W Do an episode on mass shootings 1 2w PrimeOtterTerritory This isn't a total debunking but the reason I don't think they have a cure for cancer is that too many rich people still die from cancer. I mean they'd not only have to hide it but also have false flags for all the elite who still die from cancer. 3d Write a comment ... PESSIMIST PRODUCTIONS Mar 26 at 12:47am $5+ patrons THE END OF THE WORLD = DEEP FAT FRIED It's the end of the world as we know it and DFF feels fine! Join your favorite cynics as they DFF the End OF THE WORLD. How could it all end? Find out tonight in part one including natural disasters, asteroid collisions, and killer algae! 83 Likes 83 Load more comments 2 of 27 The Best Fucking Memes In The Game Fucking hell Paul is more pessimistic than I am. I don't really like the human race either but I don't want it to go extinct. 1mo Matt How the fuck do I get this as a podcast or something I need to download it for when I fly. Thanks 4w Write a comment ... REWARDS THE BUFFET $5 or more per month Hungry? You're a gluttonous little piggy, aren't you? So are we. That's why we created this tier. For starters, you get 4 (or 5) private DEEP FAT FRIED episodes a month! Can you clean your plate? Not full yet? Well, don't worry. TJ Kirk will be delivering you a hot, steaming platter of ABANDON HOPE - a private live show where degeneracy and debauchery are par for the course. How's aboot a movie and some popcorn for a change of pace? You'll also get a private episode of CYNICS VS. CINEMA every month, where you'll get to join Paul and TJ as they watch - and tear apart - whatever they want. Still hungry for more? Of course you are. Strap yourself in for dessert - Paul, TJ and (occasionally, if you're lucky) Scotty will fill your face with some patrons only HIGHDEOLOGY streams. That's 12 HOURS OR MORE of content every month! Aboot Careers Create on Patreon Brand Press Partners Sitemap Help Center &amp; FAQs Developers App Directory Creator Blog Creator Guides Community Guidelines Terms of Use Privacy Policy © 2018 Patreon, Inc.

Anonymous

If the show doesn't start I will be forced to eat my family

Anonymous

Woooowwwww (I commented to get the long shit out of here as well.)

Anonymous

WHERE THE FUCK IS THE SHOW YOU LAZY ASSWIPE

Anonymous
>>11939596

On behalf of all the people sitting here refreshing the page every 30 seconds, I thank you.

Anonymous

31 fucking minutes and fucking counting. 32.

Anonymous

Come orn guys update us pl0x

Redfield

I'm watching 90 Day Fiancee right now

Anonymous

TJ did 9/11.

Anonymous

They don't get notified when we comment here. Maybe twitter. Or someone mentioned a discord last night?

Anonymous

I'm watching Davis god damn Aurini. help.

Ben Ladd

where r u dp

Maplesburg Publishing

The technical difficulties of yesterday were just a prelude to the computer completely crapping out. It won't even turn on now.

Anonymous

Get this long comment shit outta here

Anonymous

Anoying!!!

Ben Ladd

please do the show :)

Anonymous

Would you not? Some people are keeping an eye for potential updates.

Dave

fuck off

Anonymous

If you just download the Patreon app you can add a comment without scrolling :) and then keep refreshing in browser bc some stuff doesn’t pop up

Anonymous

alright im bored now

Anonymous

So is there gonna be a show?

Anonymous

where you fart heads at

Anonymous
>>11939967

I don't think anyone knows. We haven't heard either way.

Anonymous

Now, I know I said a lot of hurtful shit TJ, but I need you to start the stream. Now.

Anonymous

Okay I was genuinely not expecting 7:30 but I was expecting 8:00 haha

Officer Jarpis

I think we should just give up y'all. The computer's shit itself once more

Anonymous

TJ, I have a fucking bowl of legal tobacco sitting right next to me that I'm waiting to smoke for your show. DONT KEEP ME WAITING ANY LONGER!

Anonymous

Why are you closed we neckbeards demand to know why your closed!

Pig Feeler

Stop being pussies and destroy your liver like real men.

Anonymous

Scammers situation.

Shannon

you're lucky you're so god damn hot.