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The Master Con Man
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Book Synopsis The Modern Con Man by : Todd Robbins
Download or read book The Modern Con Man written by Todd Robbins and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2008-04-08 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A whimsical resource for low-risk grifters provides a treasury of humorous tips and historical facts about the art of the con, in a volume that outlines easy-to-follow swindles that can be used to score free meals, good tickets, bar bets, and more.
Book Synopsis The Master Con Man by : Robert Kyriakides
Download or read book The Master Con Man written by Robert Kyriakides and published by Critical Vision. This book was released on 2003 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Daily Mirror regarded him as "The mastermind behind the biggest con of 2001."
Download or read book "Yellow Kid" Weil written by J.R. Weil and published by AK Press. This book was released on 2011-02-22 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bilked bankers, grifted gamblers, and swindled spinsters: welcome to the world of confidence men. You'll marvel at the elaborate schemes developed by The Yellow Kid and cry for the marks who lost it all to his ingenuity—$8,000,000 by some estimations. Fixed horse races, bad real-estate deals, even a money-making machine—all were tools of the trade for the Kid and his associates: the Swede, the Butterine Kid, the Harmony Kid, Fats Levine, and others. The Sting (1973), starring Paul Newman and based largely on the story of the Yellow Kid, is entertaining, but is no match for the real deal.
Download or read book Empire of Deception written by Dean Jobb and published by Algonquin Books. This book was released on 2016-01-05 with total page 353 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It was a time of unregulated madness. And nowhere was it madder than in Chicago at the dawn of the Roaring Twenties. Enter a slick, smooth-talking, charismatic lawyer named Leo Koretz, who enticed hundreds of people to invest as much as $30 million—upward of $400 million today—in phantom timberland and nonexistent oil wells in Panama. This rip-roaring tale of greed, financial corruption, dirty politics, over-the-top and under-the-radar deceit, illicit sex, and a brilliant and wildly charming con man on the town, then on the lam, is not only a rich and detailed account of a man and an era; it’s a fascinating look at the methods of swindlers throughout history. As Model Ts rumbled down Michigan Avenue, gang-war shootings announced Al Capone’s rise to underworld domination. As bedecked partygoers thronged to the Drake Hotel’s opulent banquet rooms, corrupt politicians held court in thriving speakeasies and the frenzy of stock market gambling was rampant. Leo Koretz was the Bernie Madoff of his day, and Dean Jobb shows us that the American dream of easy wealth is a timeless commodity. ? “A rollicking tale that is one part The Sting, one part The Great Gatsby, and one part The Devil in the White City.” —Karen Abbott, author of Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy “Intoxicating and impressively researched, Jobb’s immorality tale provides a sobering post-Madoff reminder that those who think everything is theirs for the taking are destined to be taken.” —The New York Times Book Review “Captivating . . . A story that seems to be as American as it can get, and it’s told well.” —The Christian Science Monitor “A masterpiece of narrative set-up and vivid language . . . Jobb vividly . . . brings the Chicago of the 1880s and ‘90s to life.” —Chicago Tribune “This cautionary tale of 1920s greed and excess reads like it could happen today.” —The Associated Press
Book Synopsis The Confidence Game by : Maria Konnikova
Download or read book The Confidence Game written by Maria Konnikova and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2017-01-10 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "It’s a startling and disconcerting read that should make you think twice every time a friend of a friend offers you the opportunity of a lifetime.” —Erik Larson, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dead Wake and bestselling author of Devil in the White City Think you can’t get conned? Think again. The New York Times bestselling author of Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes explains how to spot the con before they spot you. “[An] excellent study of Con Artists, stories & the human need to believe” –Neil Gaiman, via Twitter A compelling investigation into the minds, motives, and methods of con artists—and the people who fall for their cons over and over again. While cheats and swindlers may be a dime a dozen, true conmen—the Bernie Madoffs, the Jim Bakkers, the Lance Armstrongs—are elegant, outsized personalities, artists of persuasion and exploiters of trust. How do they do it? Why are they successful? And what keeps us falling for it, over and over again? These are the questions that journalist and psychologist Maria Konnikova tackles in her mesmerizing new book. From multimillion-dollar Ponzi schemes to small-time frauds, Konnikova pulls together a selection of fascinating stories to demonstrate what all cons share in common, drawing on scientific, dramatic, and psychological perspectives. Insightful and gripping, the book brings readers into the world of the con, examining the relationship between artist and victim. The Confidence Game asks not only why we believe con artists, but also examines the very act of believing and how our sense of truth can be manipulated by those around us.
Download or read book The Con Man written by Ed McBain and published by 87th Precinct. This book was released on 2012-03 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When a young woman's body is fished out of the 87th Precinct's river, a street-wise detective is on the clock to find the con man who killed her before he strikes again. "McBain forces us to think twice about every character we meet...even those we thought we already knew." --New York Times Book Review "Imagine your favorite Law & Order cast solving fresh mysteries into infinity, with no re-runs, and you have some sense of McBain's grand, ongoing accomplishment." --Entertainment Weekly
Download or read book Provenance written by Laney Salisbury and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2009-07-09 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A tautly paced investigation of one the 20th century's most audacious art frauds, which generated hundreds of forgeries-many of them still hanging in prominent museums and private collections today Provenance is the extraordinary narrative of one of the most far-reaching and elaborate deceptions in art history. Investigative reporters Laney Salisbury and Aly Sujo brilliantly recount the tale of a great con man and unforgettable villain, John Drewe, and his sometimes unwitting accomplices. Chief among those was the struggling artist John Myatt, a vulnerable single father who was manipulated by Drewe into becoming a prolific art forger. Once Myatt had painted the pieces, the real fraud began. Drewe managed to infiltrate the archives of the upper echelons of the British art world in order to fake the provenance of Myatt's forged pieces, hoping to irrevocably legitimize the fakes while effectively rewriting art history. The story stretches from London to Paris to New York, from tony Manhattan art galleries to the esteemed Giacometti and Dubuffet associations, to the archives at the Tate Gallery. This enormous swindle resulted in the introduction of at least two hundred forged paintings, some of them breathtakingly good and most of them selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Many of these fakes are still out in the world, considered genuine and hung prominently in private houses, large galleries, and prestigious museums. And the sacred archives, undermined by John Drewe, remain tainted to this day. Provenance reads like a well-plotted thriller, filled with unforgettable characters and told at a breakneck pace. But this is most certainly not fiction; Provenance is the meticulously researched and captivating account of one of the greatest cons in the history of art forgery.
Book Synopsis The Art of the Con by : R. Paul Wilson
Download or read book The Art of the Con written by R. Paul Wilson and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2014-11-04 with total page 368 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A sucker is still born every minute. In this modern and interconnected world, con-men are lurking everywhere – it’s never been easier for them to dupe us, take from us, and infiltrate our lives. One of the world’s leading and celebrated experts on con-games takes the reader through the history of cons, how they’ve been updated to the modern age, how they work, how to spot them, and how to protect yourself from being the victim of one. R. Paul Wilson is a con-man who works for the other side – our side. He has spent a lifetime learning, performing, studying, and teaching about the ins and outs of the con world in order to open up our eyes to the dangers lurking about us – and to show us how not to get taken. Paul has never made a living as a con-man, profiting off of marks – he has used his expertise throughout his life to help people avoid cons. In this fascinating book, Paul takes the reader through the history and developments of the con game, what elements from the past are based on basic human psychology and have stood the test of time, what has been updated for the modern era and how it’s getting used in the computer age, the structure of how these cons work, and – most importantly - how to recognize one, protect yourself and your loved ones, and avoid becoming just another sucker.
Download or read book Master of Deceit written by Jodi Andes and published by . This book was released on 2020-03-23 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The true story of how a con man led a fake, national charity while veterans were left to pay the price. It's the untold story of the scam and how proceeds were then used to bankroll politicians and paved the way for one of the greatest breaches in White House history.No one even questioned the charlatan known as Lieutenant Commander Bobby Thompson after he handed a Secret Service agent his stolen ID before being led into the Oval Office. Even Thompson was a bit surprised at how easily he gained entrance. He had come to believe he really was the head of a highly successful foundation benefitting veterans. And he had no problem using large sums of the money to line the pockets of Republican politicians. So what if the money never made it to the intended parties? It had gotten him an invitation to rub elbows with the people with whom he belonged, at least in his own mind. Master of Deceit is the true crime story of one of the most outrageous criminal chameleons in U.S. History. Bobby Thompson was born John Donald Cody - a charming, highly intelligent academic who could talk his way into anything. He graduated from Harvard Law School and assigned to military intelligence where he was given assignments so top-secret, military records don't even mention his unit. And he was loaned to a federal agency so classified it could never be named. With his training and access, he served as an asset to nation, until something changed.After a dozen years as a military spy, Cody went AWOL. When he resurfaced, he was a seasoned criminal mastermind. The fake identity, Bobby Thompson, was his favorite. With this persona, he eluded authorities to a point where many investigators gave up. That is until a dogged team of U.S. Marshals, a Secret Service agent and police detective hunted him down and ultimately helped bring him to justice. Like the unraveling of an intricate spider's web, Master of Deceit, takes readers through the meanderings of John Donald Cody on the run, his capture and the startling revelation that perhaps some federal officials never wanted him caught. The millions the charity collected have also never been found adding to the mystery that has yet to end.
Download or read book Con Man written by J.R. Weil and published by Crown. This book was released on 2004-07-13 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The story of Joseph “Yellow Kid” Weil, a man who could—and often did—pull off scams to outshine The Sting. In his long career as a confidence man, Joseph “Yellow Kid” Weil swindled the public of more than eight million dollars and established the reputation for robbery and trickery. Always beating the police at their own game, “Yellow Kid” used phony oil deals, women, fixed races, and an endless list of other tricks to best an increasingly gullible public. One day, he was Dr. Henri Reuel, a noted geologist who traveled around and told his hosts that he was a representative for a big oil company—all the while draining them of the cash they gave him to “invest in fuel.” The next day, he was director of the Elysium Development Company, promising land to innocent believers while robbing them in recording and abstract fees. Or he was a chemist par excellence who had discovered how to copy dollar bills; promising to increase your fortune, he would multiply your bills—then take the booty once the police arrived. Originally published in 1948, here is Weil’s true and amazing story, with a smart and witty Afterword by none other than Nobel Laureate Saul Bellow, who profiled “Yellow Kid” for The Reporter in 1956. It is undeniable proof that “Yellow Kid” was the con man par excellence—the virtuoso scam artist, bar none.
Book Synopsis The Confessions of a Con Man by : Will Irwin
Download or read book The Confessions of a Con Man written by Will Irwin and published by . This book was released on 2019-11-27 with total page 138 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Confessions of a Con Man is a wildly entertaining book of crime and larceny. Journalist Will Irwin interviewed an elusive professional swindler and the result is this well-written narrative that will appeal to a wide range of readers, from hipsters to historians and ne'er-do-wells everywhere.
Download or read book Ghost Burglar written by Jack Burch and published by . This book was released on 2012-04-19 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bernard C. Welch was called the most prolific burglar of modern times. He eluded police up and down the East Coast for years and was finally caught only because he shot prominent heart surgeon, Dr. David Halberstam, who then hit Welch with his car as Welch fled the scene. Halberstam died and Welch was sentenced to 143 years plus life. Sent to an "escape-proof" prison in Illinois, Welch managed to trick federal officials to sending him to a facility on the Chicago River on the promise of becoming a snitch. There, he broke out with the help of an enforcer from the Aryan Nation he had hired. This book is the whole story of a Rochester, N.Y. plumber who turned thievery into a business, even to the point of keeping books and filing taxes with the IRS for a "legitimate" antiques and silver trading business.
Book Synopsis How To Become A Professional Con Artist by : Dennis M. Marlock
Download or read book How To Become A Professional Con Artist written by Dennis M. Marlock and published by Paladin Press. This book was released on 2001-09-01 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A fool and his money are soon parted, so the saying goes. And if the job is done right, the fool doesn't even realize it's happened until the wily con artist has moved on to the next victim or the next town. In this entertaining and eye-opening book, Dennis M. Marlock, a retired cop and chairman of the board for the international law enforcement organization Professionals Against Confidence Crime, takes the reader into the mind and greedy heart of the con man. You'll learn the mechanics behind famous swindles such as the pigeon drop, the Jamaican switch, bank-examiner schemes, three-card monte and even fortune-telling. You'll find out why a good scam artist rarely gets caught and, if he does, how he gets away with the lightest punishment or no punishment at all. If you've ever read a news story about a sucker getting taken and wondered how he could have fallen for that, you need to read this book before an honest-faced stranger offers you a deal too good to pass up.
Book Synopsis World Famous Crooks & Con Men by : Vikas Khatri
Download or read book World Famous Crooks & Con Men written by Vikas Khatri and published by Pustak Mahal. This book was released on with total page 104 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Con Men written by Terry Williams and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2015-11-10 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This ethnography of NYC’s scammers presents “a revealing portrait of a critical but little known element of city life…timely, incisive, and poignant” (Elijah Anderson, author of Code of the Street). This vivid account of hustling in New York City explores the sociological reasons why con artists play their game and the psychological tricks they use to win it. Sociologists Terry Williams and Trevor B. Milton spent years with New York con artists to uncover their secrets. The result is an unprecedented view into how con games operate, whether in back alleys and side streets or in police precincts and Wall Street boiler rooms. Whether it's selling bootleg goods, playing the numbers, squatting rent-free, scamming tourists with bogus stories, selling knockoffs on Canal Street, or crafting Ponzi schemes, con artists use verbal persuasion, physical misdirection, and sheer charm to convince others to do what they want. Williams and Milton examine this act of performance art and find meaning in its methods. Through their sophisticated exploration of the personal experiences and influences that create a successful hustler, they build a portrait of unusual emotional and psychological depth. This engaging ethnography demonstrates how the city's unique urban and social architecture lends itself to the perfect con.
Download or read book The Master Shyster written by Bob Hannon and published by . This book was released on 2002-07 with total page 108 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Big Con written by Nate Hendley and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2016-09-06 with total page 362 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines a broad range of infamous scams, cons, swindles, and hoaxes throughout American history—and considers why human gullibility continues in an age of easy access to information. Covering American cons and hoaxes past and present, including the Great Moon Hoax of 1835, the controversy over "subliminal messaging" (do bands, filmmakers, and advertisers really put secret messages in their works?), the panic about "satanic" daycare operators in the 1980s, and recent Internet scams, this book provides a fascinating, fact-based look at infamous frauds across the centuries. Offering an engaging mix of history, sociology, and psychology, author Nate Hendley gives readers an appreciation of how prominent scams, cons, "confidence men," and hoaxes have impacted American society, past and present. Each entry details the scheme or hoax and the pertinent con artist/schemer involved, examining the sociological, cultural, political, and/or economic effect of the scams. Each topic is accompanied by a short bibliography of further reading selections. As the old saying goes, "There is a sucker born every minute"—and there has always been a keen-eyed swindler to take advantage of the situation. The Big Con: Great Hoaxes, Frauds, Grifts, and Swindles in American History explores this sordid underbelly of American civilization and invites readers to revel in the felonious experience.
