Psychopaths and sociopaths 11

Another one of the elements of a psychopath is:

"Need for stimulation/proneness to boredom"

     Remember the behavior of fraudsters that we have been discussing throughout these posts: fraudsters are almost manic in their intensity and desire to get victims.  There is always the question of money, of course.  Fraudsters are always looking for money (usually because they cannot handle or work correctly with the money they have made so they are perpetually broke no matter how much money they make). 

     Also rememeber what we discussed concerning the pathological lying of fraudsters - they would rather lie than tell the truth. 

    All of these behaviors lead to a fraudster being a "manic" personality.  They are aloways looking for new marks because it is pathological with them.  Fraudsters enjoy the thrill of finding new marks the way an adrenaline junkie looks for thrills from danger.

NOTE: THE INFORMATION IN THIS BLOG IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE NOR IS IT INTENDED TO BE LEGAL ADVICE.  IF THE READER HAS ANY LEGAL QUESTIONS, PLEASE REFER TO AN ATTORNEY.

Have a great and fraud-free day.

http://www.tauskvega.com

----------à>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>gene tausk

Psychopaths and sociopaths 10

One of the hallmarks of psychopaths is habitual lying or, another way of stating it, pathological lying.  This means, simply, that a person who engages in pathological lying is not only capable of not tellng the truth, but actually has an aversion to telling the truth.  A person who is a pathological lier is someone who would rather lie, if given the preference between lying and telling the truth.

     This is, in essence, the perfect description of a fraudster.  Fraudsters, by their very nature, have to tell lies in order to succeed.  The truth is not only harmful to them, it actually prevents them from making a living.  Lying is the only way to prop up the fantasy life that a fraudster is selling to his clients. 

    Yet another example of how the elements of a psychopath and sociopath are met in the definition of a fraudster. 

NOTE: THE INFORMATION IN THIS BLOG IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE NOR IS IT INTENDED TO BE LEGAL ADVICE.  IF THE READER HAS ANY LEGAL QUESTIONS, PLEASE REFER TO AN ATTORNEY.

Have a great and fraud-free day.

http://www.tauskvega.com

----------à>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>gene tausk

Psychopaths and sociopaths 9

Let's have another look at one of the elements of psychopaths:

Psychopaths may see themselves as superior beings, with an exaggerated sense of entitlement. It is not uncommon for psychopaths who have defrauded people to describe them as weak, inferior beings who deserved to be taken advantage of.^[46] They resent authority and being in a position of inferiority.^[47] With their exaggerated sense of entitlement, psychopaths often expect large rewards for mediocre effort.^[48] They may apply for important jobs despite lacking qualifications, demand authority and privileges that their rank may not warrant, or show no gratitude for favors granted them.^{[citation needed]} They are shameless and relentless self-promoters, exaggerating or fabricating their talents and dismissing their failings.^{[citation needed]} In this respect, they may resemble narcissists.

Once again, kudos to Wikipedia.

     One of the most telling attributes of psychopaths is their extreme narcissm.  Psychopaths see themselves as deserving of everything - money, fame, women (or men) and material possessions.  Because of their extreme narcisissm, this leads to one of the attributes we discussed earlier - psychopaths do not see other human beings are "real" people.

NOTE: THE INFORMATION IN THIS BLOG IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE NOR IS IT INTENDED TO BE LEGAL ADVICE.  IF THE READER HAS ANY LEGAL QUESTIONS, PLEASE REFER TO AN ATTORNEY.

Have a great and fraud-free day.

http://www.tauskvega.com

----------à>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>gene tausk

Psychopaths and sociopaths 8

Let's explore again one of the traits of sociopathic behaivior - referring to the elements listed in Post 7: an inability to feel guilt or the feelings of others.

     Remember once again - one of the basic requirements of fraudsters is their necessity to steal money from their marks.  They know that they are stealing money.  Every phony "investment" or "structured finance" is nothing more than an elaborate scheme to steal money for a fraudster.  It is the equivalent of pointing a gun at someone's head but instead of using force, the fraudster is using deception to take the money from his victim.

     It is interesting to speculate for a minute as to how a person can bifurcate his mind to the point where he sees nothing wrong in using his "wits" to steal money.  From personal experience, the fraudsters I have met will always tell me that it is wrong to point a gun at someone and take their money under the threat of violence.  Yet, somehow it is OK to use deception to do the same thing. 

     As I said at the beginning of this thread, these are going to be random posts exploring this subject.  Yet, still, it is worth asking these questions.

NOTE: THE INFORMATION IN THIS BLOG IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE NOR IS IT INTENDED TO BE LEGAL ADVICE.  IF THE READER HAS ANY LEGAL QUESTIONS, PLEASE REFER TO AN ATTORNEY.

Have a great and fraud-free day.

http://www.tauskvega.com

----------à>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>gene tausk

Psychopaths and sociopaths 7

Here are the elements for sociopathic behavior:

1. Callous unconcern for the feelings of others.
2. Gross and persistent attitude of irresponsibility and disregard for social norms, rules, and obligations.
3. Incapacity to maintain enduring relationships, though having no difficulty in establishing them.
4. Very low tolerance to frustration and a low threshold for discharge of aggression, including violence.
5. Incapacity to experience guilt or to profit from experience, particularly punishment.
6. Markedly prone to blame others or to offer plausible rationalizations for the behavior that has brought the person into conflict with society.

(credit to Wikipedia)

     Review all you want the case histories we have been looking at over the past year.  Review again all the stories about Bernie Madoff and Alan Stanford and others - look at their behavior and their actions. 

    Fraudsters are sociopaths because of their inability to relate to other people.  Fraudsters have no problems blaming their behavior on "outside forces" or other people or rationalize what they do because they simply cannot relate to the feelings and experiences of others. 

    I would respectfully submit, therefore, that a fraudster does not just behave the way he does because he is looking for a "quick buck," but because the fraudster does not know of any other way to behave.

NOTE: THE INFORMATION IN THIS BLOG IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE NOR IS IT INTENDED TO BE LEGAL ADVICE.  IF THE READER HAS ANY LEGAL QUESTIONS, PLEASE REFER TO AN ATTORNEY.

Have a great and fraud-free day.

http://www.tauskvega.com

----------à>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>gene tausk

Psychopaths and sociopaths 6

OK - back to the fun world of psychopaths and sociopaths in relation to fraud.

      Another characteristic of fraudsters which relates to the elements of psychopathic behavior is the fraudster's continued inability to see that he has done anything wrong.  In the fraudster's world, it is never his fault when clients or victims lose their money.  "Other" forces are always at work.  The market tanked or the international scene changed or some corporation went under or changed its policies.  Something "else" is at work and, as a result, the fraudster sees himself as much of a "victim" as the real victims in a fraud.

     This falls under the element of psychopathy in that a fraudster does not take responsibility for his actions because he cannot differentiate between behavior that is harmful to others and behavior that is not harmful.  In the fraudster's world, it is all one and the same . The fraudster, in his mind, is never doing anything wrong nor can he ever see himself as doing anything wrong.  Instead, once again, these "outside forces" are constantly thwarting him in his efforts to make money.

NOTE: THE INFORMATION IN THIS BLOG IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE NOR IS IT INTENDED TO BE LEGAL ADVICE.  IF THE READER HAS ANY LEGAL QUESTIONS, PLEASE REFER TO AN ATTORNEY.

Have a great and fraud-free day.

http://www.tauskvega.com

----------à>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>gene tausk

Psychopaths and sociopaths 5

As we have read the definitions of a psychopath, it is clear that there are many elements to psychopathic behavior.  Yet, two elements stand out:

(1) lack of empathy
(2) lack of remorse

      Most of us have some degree of empathy with our fellow human beings.  We feel hurt if we cause them pain and we expect the same.  We feel joy for them when they are going through a great period in their life (i.e. marriage) and once again, we expect the same.  This degree of empathy, of course, varies according to the individual.  But, it should be present.

     Fraudsters have no empathy, however, or if they do it is so little that it barely registers.  The ability to lie to someone with a straight face about an investment, about an "opportunity" or something that is designed to take money from the target means that the fraudster cannot have feelings for his "mark."  If he did, then it would be much more difficult, if not impossible, to pull off the fraud.  How can a person expect to lie and cheat his way into the wallet of another if he has empathy towards that person?

      The same is true for remorse.  After the fraud takes place, after the money is taken, how can the fraudster possibly feel remorse for what he did?  If he did feel remorse, then this would mean that it would be difficult, if not impossible, to do the next fraud.  The fraudster must keep looking for his next victim and to look, he cannot feel remorse for past deeds.

NOTE: THE INFORMATION IN THIS BLOG IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE NOR IS IT INTENDED TO BE LEGAL ADVICE.  IF THE READER HAS ANY LEGAL QUESTIONS, PLEASE REFER TO AN ATTORNEY.

Have a great and fraud-free day.

http://www.tauskvega.com

----------à>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>gene tausk

Psychopaths and sociopaths 4

OK - we have our definitions.  Why is a fraudster a psychopath and/or a sociopath?

     Let's look at our old friend Bernie Madoff.  The man is responsible for the largest Ponzi scheme in the history of the world (although, as we all know, records are made to be broken).  He knowingly stole billions of dollars from people. 

     We can always put this down as "well, this is a person who stole for a living.  Happens all the time."  OK, fine.  But, in reading biographies of Madoff, in reading the stories of his life, in reading how he conducted his affairs, one thing is certain: Madoff knew exactly what he was doing.  He cold-bloodedly took money from people knowing that it would never be paid back.  He knew that the money he was taking did not just belong to billionaire investors or to billionare hedge funds or trust fund babies that would never miss the money.  A great deal of the money that went to Madoff came from ordinary investors who lost everything when Madoff collapsed.

     Yet in interviews (sparsely given) by Madoff and from the information gleaned by prosecutors and others, Madoff had no remorse whatosoever.  He would "blame the victim" or claim that he should have been caught sooner and inept prosecutors overlooked him (something to be said about that BTW) or that he "worked hard" for his clients and was tired of them pestering him. 

     There was no indication that Madoff ever cared that by his scams he was destroying the lives of countless individuals, even though he knew that he was runnign a scam. 

    I would respectfully suggest that this behavior is the textbook definition of a psychopath.

NOTE: THE INFORMATION IN THIS BLOG IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE NOR IS IT INTENDED TO BE LEGAL ADVICE.  IF THE READER HAS ANY LEGAL QUESTIONS, PLEASE REFER TO AN ATTORNEY.

Have a great and fraud-free day.

http://www.tauskvega.com

----------à>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>gene tausk

Psychopaths and sociopaths 3

Well, we defined psychopaths yesterday.  Here is the definition of sociopath:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antisocial_personality_disorder

NOTE: THE INFORMATION IN THIS BLOG IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE NOR IS IT INTENDED TO BE LEGAL ADVICE.  IF THE READER HAS ANY LEGAL QUESTIONS, PLEASE REFER TO AN ATTORNEY.

Have a great and fraud-free day.

http://www.tauskvega.com

----------à>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>gene tausk

Psychopaths and sociopaths 2

Since we are going to talk about psychopaths and sociopaths, best to have some working definitions.  Let's go to Wikipedia for a definition of psychopath:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychopathy

NOTE: THE INFORMATION IN THIS BLOG IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE NOR IS IT INTENDED TO BE LEGAL ADVICE.  IF THE READER HAS ANY LEGAL QUESTIONS, PLEASE REFER TO AN ATTORNEY.

Have a great and fraud-free day.

http://www.tauskvega.com

----------à>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>gene tausk

Psychopaths and sociopaths 1

One of the big advantages of having your own blog is the ability to write pretty much what you want without having to worry about an "editor" hanging over your shoulder.  I started this blog, and continue to update it, to provide a service to interested readers about the dangers of fraud and how it affects our lives. 

     Most of my articles link to other articles or they are taken directly from sources.  But, today, I am going to take a hiatus from this approach and spend the next couple of weeks just writing some random thoughts about the kind of people that perpetuate fraud.

     I have enough experience in this field now to recognize some of the behavior of fraudsters.  It has almost gotten to the point that I can identify a fraudster from not only the way he acts, but his disposition and treatment of other people.  This does not mean, of course, that I can "spot" a fraudster.  However, once I have identified who is a fraudster from other sources, his behavior patterns become apparent.

    In no great leap of logic or analysis, I concluded, along with others, that many fraudsters exhibit psychopathic and sociopathic behavior tendencies.  I find this kind of thing fascinating.  So, for the next two weeks or so, please join me as we talk about the psychopathic and sociopathic tendencies of fraudsters.

     Keep in mind that I am neither a psychiatrist nor a psychologist.  But, just as one does not have to be a meteorologist to have an opinion on "climate change," one does not have to be a mental health professional to be able to comment on the behavior of people.

NOTE: THE INFORMATION IN THIS BLOG IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE NOR IS IT INTENDED TO BE LEGAL ADVICE.  IF THE READER HAS ANY LEGAL QUESTIONS, PLEASE REFER TO AN ATTORNEY.

Have a great and fraud-free day.

http://www.tauskvega.com

----------à>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>gene tausk