Interludes: Dilbert

Too funny not to post.

http://www.dilbert.com/strips/comic/2014-05-19/?CmtOrder=Rating&CmtDir=DESC

Note - I am not certain if the link will stay after May 19, 2014, but if it does not, then go to the Dilbert website (by Scott Adams) and get the strip for May 19, 2014.

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.

NOTE: ANY INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS NOT PLED GUILTY TO A CRIME OR WHO HAS NOT BEEN FOUND GUILTY BY A JUDGE OR JURY IS INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY AS PER THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

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----------à>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>gene tausk

 

Secrets of Con Artists 4

We were discussing the last post about the psychopathic/sociopathic tendencies of con artists.  Readers of this blog know that this is not the first time we discussed this.

     What makes it interesting, however, under the banner of "secrets of con artists" is that many psychiatrists and forensic analysts are just now beginning to understand just how psychopathic and sociopathic con artists can be.  It was never a big secret that fraudsters don't care about other people.  However, unlike burglars, robbers and other criminals who use force to get individuals (and corporations I suppose) to turn over money, fraudsters actually seem to enjoy the thrill of the con itself.  It is not so much the money or other financial incentives that attract fraudsters to this line of work (although, of course, it is a necessary element), but rather the creation of the plan and the thrill of getting the victim to believe in the fraudster.  It is just as critical for the fraudster to get some kind of psychological satisfaction or "high" if you will from the target.

     Think about this for a minute.  The average street mugger could care less what his victim thinks of him (and probably knows that his victim is scared of him because he has a gun or whatever).  A fraudster, however, gets just as much enjoyment out of the actual criminal act itself as getting the reward.

     This is what makes fraudsters unique in the criminal world.  It is not so much the reward, but how the reward is obtained.  This has been romanticized in movies like "The Sting" and other stories and I myself have confessed to being somewhat in amazement as to how fraudsters operate.  Most of us would like to have that kind of self-confidence that fraudsters emulate, almost unconsciously.  But the knowledge that a fraudster has this ability (or develops it) and uses it to screw people and gets a high from it really is what makes this type of criminal unique. 

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.

NOTE: ANY INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS NOT PLED GUILTY TO A CRIME OR WHO HAS NOT BEEN FOUND GUILTY BY A JUDGE OR JURY IS INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY AS PER THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

http://www.tauskvega.com

 

----------à>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>gene tausk

 

Secrets of Con Artists 3

We have discussed before on this blog the relationship between con artists and sociopaths/psychopaths.  To take advantage of someone, which is the heart and soul of a con operation, means that the person who is doing the con really does not care about the feelings of the target victim.  The entire point of a con operation is to gain the trust of that target and then exploit that trust for the immoral purposes of the con.

     It should not come as a surprise, therefore, that victims of fraud or con games were more than 50% likely to have recently experienced negative life events such as the death of a loved one, illness or a divorce.  Depression tends to run higher in the elderly and therefore it should also not be a surprise that the elderly are more likely to be the victim of fraud.

     Con artists may be sociopaths, but they are smart sociopaths.  They know which people to target.  It should not come as a surprise, therefore, that studies on fraudsters have demonstrated that they tend to look for (and often find) people that are going through a crisis point in their lives.  Such individuals often find that they are in need of a friend, and all too-often a con artist is willing to be that friend.

    

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.

NOTE: ANY INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS NOT PLED GUILTY TO A CRIME OR WHO HAS NOT BEEN FOUND GUILTY BY A JUDGE OR JURY IS INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY AS PER THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

http://www.tauskvega.com

 

----------à>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>gene tausk

 

Interludes - Welcome Tunisian Readers

Like any mildly egotistical blogger, I always check the stats of people visiting my blog.  The stats also provide me information as to the people from different countries who are visiting.  To my great surprise and delight, I found that recently a number of bloggers from Tunisia have begun to tune in.

     First, - welcome!  I am always happy to welcome international visitors. 

     Second - a special welcome to those visitors from Tunisia.  Tunisia is an interesting country - a North African country which for years was under the control of a corrupt and autocratic government.  Tunisia was the country that started the "Arab Spring," when a vendor set himself on fire to protest policies.

     Tunisia represents an example of what corruption can do to a country. Organizations such as Transparency International fight against corruption and work tirelessly to expose it.  Corruption and crony capitalism can not only disrupt commerce, it can cause misery for millions of people in a country and, further, can literally retard a country's intellectual and economic growth.  It can prevent a country from reaching its potential and, even worse, can actually lower a country's GDP and force millions into poverty.
 
     The Tunisian revolution occurred, in part, because of the intense corruption in the country.  Here is to a better future. 

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.

NOTE: ANY INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS NOT PLED GUILTY TO A CRIME OR WHO HAS NOT BEEN FOUND GUILTY BY A JUDGE OR JURY IS INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY AS PER THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

http://www.tauskvega.com

 

----------à>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>gene tausk

 

Secrets of Con Artists 2

One of the biggest "secrets" of con artists that is actually one of the worst kept secrets in the world is that con artists have easy access to your information.  Very easy access.

     I'm not talking about items such as social security numbers or birthdays or addresses.  Yes, these can be found but you have to know where to look.  I'm talking about information such as your favorite food, where you work, your educational background, your likes and dislikes, information regarding your relatives, information regarding your pets.  Information that you think is private and is for you only.
 
      Con artists find this type of information to be a gold mine because it helps them build a personality matrix of you.  Remember - and we cannot say this enough - con games are confidence games.  The con man must have you develop confidence in him.  You must believe him otherwise there is no way the con man can ever get you to trust him. 

    Obviously the more a con man knows about you, the more he can get you to trust him.

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.

NOTE: ANY INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS NOT PLED GUILTY TO A CRIME OR WHO HAS NOT BEEN FOUND GUILTY BY A JUDGE OR JURY IS INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY AS PER THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

http://www.tauskvega.com

 

----------à>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>gene tausk

 

Secrets of Con Artists 1

We will spend the next few posts discussing some of the "secrets" of con artists.  By secrets, I do not mean some hidden knowledge known only to con artists (as we have seen several times over the course of many discussions, the only real "secret" to being a con artist is having a sociopathic personality and extreme self-confidence) but rather some aspects of being a con artist that are not well known.

     Con artists, as we have seen time and time again, play off the insecurities of their victims which is contrasted by the extreme self-confidence of the con artist.  Remember - the main element to every con artist is that they need to gain the confidence of their victim.  Confidence games.

    

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.

NOTE: ANY INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS NOT PLED GUILTY TO A CRIME OR WHO HAS NOT BEEN FOUND GUILTY BY A JUDGE OR JURY IS INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY AS PER THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

http://www.tauskvega.com

 

----------à>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>gene tausk

 

Dangers of Being a Corporate Whistleblower 8

We have given an overview of what can befall a whistleblower.  You can file this under "life is not fair" (if you haven't figured that out already) but what is obvious is that doing the right thing does not always make a person a hero.  In fact, the consequences from being a whistleblower can not only be life-changing, they can be hazardous.

     The only advice I can give here is the obvious - get competent legal counsel before attempting to be a whistleblower.  A competent white collar criminal attorney can guide you through the process.

      Yeah, I suppose I am doing some in-house advertising with this post, but this is not done out of a way to get my name out there (OK, who am I kidding, of course it is), but because I have literally seen dozens of people attempt to do the right thing without counsel and find themselves in trouble up to their neck.  I cannot stress this enough - if you work for a corporation, and you are attempting to be a whistleblower against this corporation because you discovered fraud, in some way you probably helped the corporation commit the fraud in the first place, even unknowingly.  This means that you are part of a conspiracy.

      Blowing the whistle on corporate fraud is not the same thing as stopping a robbery in progress (and I don't advise doing THAT unless you have significant REAL martial arts experience and/or military or police experience and are armed yourself).  Corporate fraud does not take place in a vacuum - there are always a group of people involved, once again either intentionally or unintentionally.  Thinking you can be a hero and expose corporate fraud without consequences or repercussions is a one-way ticket to a disaster.

     I don't want to discourage anyone from doing the right thing.  But, I want potential whistleblowers to do the right thing in the right way.

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.

NOTE: ANY INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS NOT PLED GUILTY TO A CRIME OR WHO HAS NOT BEEN FOUND GUILTY BY A JUDGE OR JURY IS INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY AS PER THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

http://www.tauskvega.com

 

----------à>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>gene tausk