The dictionary defines a con as: an instance of deceiving or tricking someone as a noun. The verb con is persuading someone to do or believe something, typically by use of deception. Scams are as a noun; a dishonest scheme, a fraud. As verb it means to swindle. Scam is fairly new to the English language as it only dates back to the 1960’s.

Nigerian Letter & Advanced Fee Scams

Both scams and cons are covered under fraud in most bodies of law. It by its very nature uses misrepresentation and deception that are key elements of the crime. Some scams are long lasting like the Nigerian Letter Scam or 419 Fraud. It involves a Nigerian government or royal family member needing to flee the country and ‘park’ a large amount of money in an overseas account and you get a percentage. This gives the scammer access to your account information. Another aspect is to show trust and to assist in the transaction they need some up-front money. This is known as an ‘Advanced Fee’ Scam.

Romance Scammer Stories

Another aspect is romance schemes. They create personas to bait lonely men and women into online relationships. After establishing contact and broadening the relationship they would invent a financial emergency and seek money. They would repeat situations until no money was forth coming. One desperate man burned through $50,000. The median loss was around $2,600 but rises to $10,000 for victims over 70 years old. Recently 7 Nigerians were indicted and took in over $1.5 million via dating sites, they even operated on legitimate sites. Simply don’t send money to someone you haven’t met. These exploitive schemes pray on basic emotional vulnerabilities. For the con to work it must appeal to certain emotional motivations. The heart for romance schemes, greed like the get rich schemes and others.

Types of Cons, Scams & Schemes

In fact, schemes, cons and scams are classified as:
• Get-rich-quick schemes: These vary extremely but play to everyone’s natural greed. “If sounds to good to be true, it is usually to good to be true”.
• Gold Brick scams: Involve selling tangible items for more than what they are worth. Some of these scams date back to the Middle Ages.
• Extortion of false-injury tricks. These vary from clip-joints to fraudulent collection agencies to ‘affairs’ or other compromising situations and is basically black mail.
• Gambling tricks
• Spurious qualifications or Endorsements: The government collect data on all accredited educational institutions. Most diploma mills are not affiliated with accredited institutions but rely on foreign educational institutions or fact foreign government endorsements. There are even accreditation mills that provide seemingly genuine legitimacy. Vanity publications require the author pay for publication but garner a lot of the fees and revenue. Vanity rewards or given for fee and are the false appearance of a legitimate honor.
• Online scam, fake antivirus, phishing schemes and fake support calls. Many other older traditional scams can be found online as well.
• Persuasion tricks: This is an old-fashioned type of fraud, persuading people to part with their money
• Confidence tricks and scams: Confidence scams like the starving art student selling his supposed art, common in Chinese cities.

Private Investigator & Security Services in Greater Miami, Sunny Isles, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Weston, Plantation City & Miami Gardens Florida

The art of separating money from a victim has a long history going back to ancient times. The internet has only multiplied access to more marks (victims) and these scams can be difficult to prosecute. Private investigators are uniquely positioned to investigate these crimes the public law enforcement is reluctant to get involved in because they can cover many jurisdiction outside the control of local law enforcement. Contact Advanced Private Investigator & Security of Miami, FL for all your private investigator and security needs.