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

Interludes - Farewell Ray Bradbury

No, this post has nothing to do with fraud or fraudsters.  But, since it is my blog, I will exercise a blogger's privilege.

Ray Bradbury, one of the deans of science-fiction and American literature, died today at the age of 91.  He was one of my favorite writers and inspired me throughout my life.

So, I will take a break from the world of fraud to pay tribute to a great writer and a great individual.

Farewell, Ray Bradbury.  May your work live forever.

"Manuscripts don't burn." 
-Mikhail Bulgakov

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