The Con: How Scams Work, Why You're Vulnerable, and How to Protect Yourself

by James Munton, Jelita McLeod

No one thinks it can happen to them, but Americans are 40 times more likely to be defrauded than to have their cars stolen or their homes burgled. Con artists ruin people financially and emotionally, leaving in their wake a trail of destruction, broken hearts, and deflated dreams. The first step to combating fraud is to understand it. What do scams look like? Why are they effective? The next step is to take action. How can we protect ourselves and our families? The Con: How Scams Work, Why You're Vulnerable, and How to Protect Yourself informs and engages with accessible stories of ordinary people from all walks of life thrown into unexpected and disorienting circumstances. The book goes behind the scenes of real-world cons to examine the logistics and psychology that enable scams to succeed. The goal is to help people understand and recognize deception, and in the same way that they avoid other potentially dangerous situations, take a detour. Once readers gain a clear idea of what scams look and sound like and learned simple strategies to reduce personal risk, protecting themselves will be just as instinctive as putting on a seat belt.

Genres: Nonfiction, True Crime

190 pages, Hardcover

First published August 16, 2011

About the author

James Munton is an author, speaker and professional magician. He presents educational assemblies at hundreds of schools and speaks at national conventions and association events.

A native of London, England, James began performing magic professionally in 1993. Since moving to the United States in 1997, James has used his entertaining, wholesome, family-oriented brand of magic to provide entertainment, marketing and training for corporations and organizations. He frequently appears as a keynote speaker on the subject of scams, identity theft and data breaches and visits schools with programs about bullying, reading and online safety.

Reviews

[Marca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently saw an excellent presentation at a conference by Mr. Munton and acquired the book shortly after. All I can say is that everyone should read this book. In general, it is stuff we should all know by now, but the cons are so insidious that I realized I might have fallen prey to some of them and I am a major skeptic. It was easy for even a skeptic to see how the panicked mother of a soldier son who was supposedly injured overseas in combat was easily conned. Then there was the lonely middle-aged schoolteacher who fell for a prolonged con by a supposed high-school classmate. Mr. Munton also covers the classics such as the Nigerian Prince, Lotteries, the Pigeon Drop, etc. The cons are very practiced and skilled, and unless you are hyper-aware, you often don't stand a chance. The main lessons reinforced in the book are ones we should all know by now: a. If it seems to good to be true, RUN! b. Be the first point of contact - never give your info to someone who contacts you, even if the caller ID says "Red Cross" (as in the case of the soldier's mother). c. Verify, verify, verify! The schoolteacher learned too late that her actual former classmate died a few years ago and her new "beau" was an imposter who took all her money in an elaborate medical scam. d. Protect your identity! The author gives some good tips for protecting your identity on and off-line. One thing I had never thought about, but Mr. Munton discussed in his presentation, is how the family vehicle can be a source of info for scamsters. If you have "My kid is an honor student at Meadow School" or "My daughter is a proud Marine" or even one of those stick-figure family trees on your rear window, well, you've given predators and scamsters a bunch of useful info. I told a woman at the conference I had never thought of that and she said her husband is a police officer and he is always advising friends, family, and neighbors to remove such stickers from homes and vehicles. I plan to buy a copies of this book for my family and neighbors.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

A review from my free e-magazine:
PopFam.com - Pop Culture for Families
http://www.popfam.com

The Con
How Scams Work, Why You're Vulnerable, and How to Protect Yourself
(Rowman and Littlefield)

by James Munton and Jelita McLeod

Reader Appeal: Adults
Genre: True Crime
PopFam Rating: A+

Funny thing happened on the way to writing this book review. It seems my adult son called his grandmother from Canada, and their conversation went something like this:

First, my son says he's in Canada, where he's traveled to attend a friend's funeral. While there, he says he met up with some other people, went for lunch, and then the police came. They found drugs in the other people's car and arrested everybody--my son included. Now he doesn't know where to turn, so he's calling his Grandma for help.

Next, a police sergeant gets on the line and explains the severity of the situation to dear sweet Grandma. The boy is looking at hard time unless (surprise!) Grandma wires bail money so he can get out of jail, return to the US, and find a proper lawyer to defend him.

Fortunately, Grandma is not stupid enough to wire money sight unseen to a stranger...but when she can't get hold of her grandson, she begins to worry in earnest. Several tense hours go by before Grandma finally hears from her grandsons. He's at home, washing dishes...and the con is finally revealed.

If Grandma had read James Munton and Jelita McLeod's insightful and entertaining book, The Con, she would have never (almost) fallen for this little scam. Why? Because the script for it is clearly described on pages 89-90, in the chapter titled "Dialing for Dollars." Turns out Grandma had almost been ensnared by what Munton and McLeod call a "tried and true grandparent scam [that] relies on people's willingness to come to the aid of their grandchildren." It's also know as a "crisis call," where the threat of danger to a loved one spurs a victim to send money for aid.

Phone scams aren't the only reason to buy Munton and McLeod's book, but they are one good reason. Another reason is the expert analysis the authors offer on all kinds of scams--from street scams to internet cons, postal fraud and more. Their savvy insights into "the weakest link" in any scam (hint: it's you) is invaluable, as is their exposure of affinity and business scams, as well as the ins and outs of identity theft.

Best of all, Munton and McLeod do more than simply alert you to what kinds of scams are out there--they offer practical, real-world tips on how to protect yourself and your loved ones from would-be hucksters.

Written in an easy-to-read, conversational manner, The Con is a book every parent should own, every grandparent should read, and every college student should understand. This one is easily, and highly, recommended.

--MN

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book and yet it’s hard to like a book that explains the many ways a scammer can try to part you from your money. Perhaps it’s not the best book to read during the holiday season as it left me feeling a bit depressed. As the title states, it does have great advice to protect yourself from outright thieves and does point out how vulnerable even the smartest of us are.

Consider this quote “Scam, sham, grift, bunco, flimflam, swindle, fiddle, hustle. The English language has no shortage of words to describe fraud, many of which make it sound playful, almost like a child’s card game. But make no mistake. Fraud is a serious crime and it is rampant.” It then goes on to report that 30 million Americans a year fall victim, to fraud, with nearly 50 million incidents, including fake foreign lotteries, prizes, and work-at-home schemes. The list goes on and on. You’re probably sitting back and thinking, not me. Don’t be so sure. Some of the scams are so elaborate; it is hard to see through them. Some, besides being costly are heartbreaking too.

Though many of the scams were ones I had heard of before, there were new ones that amazed me. You just can’t believe the lengths some people will go to steal. It boggles the mind the effort they will put into cheating someone. If only they would put that energy into something good.

Too bad books like this need to be written but better warned and wise, then scammed and broke.

[Kelly Knapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books that no one really likes, because of the depressing subject, but everyone should read. In fact, this should be required reading in High School.

James Munton and Jelita mCleod have placed before us a variety of scams and how to avoid them in easy everyday language. They are not concerned with the old bait and switch scam (or at least not only with the bait and switch scam) but with describing the newer high tech types of scams.

One of the most common concerns today is identity theft, but that is real chump change in comparison to the number of baseless scams going on. Each citizen has an obligation to protect themselves. And many need to remember that their parents (senior citizens) may not comprehend the sheer number of scams available now that the technology has reached its current state. This book is a great guide and includes the addresses and information to report suspected scams

I have already had three of my children/children-in-law read this book. They were amazed at some of the numerous ways that scams are inundating our lives. That, we must be ever vigilant.

I received this book through the Goodreads Firstreads program.

[Gerald Kinro · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one is all about being taken and how to protect yourself. This book covers the world of fraud and scams. In this age of ID theft, credit cards and internet, this book is most appropriate, for we are all potential victims if not already scammed. It also covers "traditional" scams such as pyramid schemes, disaster chasers, psychics and door knockers. It is written in a simple, entertaining style where the authors use case-studies to present their material. Should one find him/herself the victim of fraud, the book contains instructions for containing and repairing the damage. The only downside is that, while complete, the book cannot cover every situation a potential victim may encounter; fraud is that widespread and huge.

I recommend this book to all. If you read this review, you use the internet and are vulnerable. Nuff said.

[David Rubenstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

(I received this book as a goodreads give-away.) This is a very well-written, entertaining book with lots of information about scams. The book offers a well-organized, comprehensive account of every conceivable scam that is in frequent use today. Some of the scams are simple and quick, while others are long and drawn out over many months. The book explains why scams are successful. Con-men (and women) prey on the vulnerability and gullibility of normal, everyday people. Ordinary people are so gullible because they cannot imagine how a friendly, well-spoken person can possibly be an immoral sociopathic dirt-bag.

Ordinary people are also gullible because they have a strong, innate need to believe in the honesty of others. Many scams have a second phase called "reloading". The victim has an urge to "get his money back", and does not yet suspect the full extent of his gullibility and victimization. So the con-man goes back to the victim, and cons his victim out of yet more money.

The book offers lots of excellent advice for avoiding many scams. People need to be careful, skeptical, and always on the lookout for some deal that seems too good to be true. Don't respond to unsolicited e-mails. Don't give out your social security number or other personal information. If you suspect fraud, call the police. The book outlines many additional ways to protect yourself, and lists additional resources for more information.

[Walanski · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little dated but none the less horrifying. If you suffer from anxiety read only in small bites because this book won’t help you sleep at night. It does provide good, basic advice on how to be safe IRL and online as well as a nice list of resources at the end to help you stay safe and/or repair damage done.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Depressing content - it's disgusting what some criminals will do to steal money from the average citizen - but useful information. Recommended especially for high school / college students and retirees, although every reader will likely learn something worthwhile.

[Peym]

No one is exception

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book provides exactly the information it says it does. It provides examples of people who were the victims of cons and practical advice for both preventing victimization and recovering from it. That said, it also encourages paranoia (although they say it is caution, not paranoia) and a general mistrust of people, not just strangers but also people you know, which I do not like. While their advice provides a good guideline, I think sometimes it goes too far. Overall, this book provides good guidance but I think it is up to the reader to decide how closely they want to follow it. I got this book through First Reads.

[Stefanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is solid, with helpful information and plenty of anecdotes (the best way to understand how these schemes can actually work, get a sense of how insidious they can be, and fully realize how much damage they can do). It's also, for lack of a better word, basic. These are old-school cons that savvy consumers (one hopes) already have on the radar. That does not negate the importance of knowing this information, or the convenience of having the contact information of various agencies that can help (or at least need to be reported to) if you are a victim of such a crime.

[David Ward · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Con: How Scams Work, Why You're Vulnerable, and How to Protect Yourself by James Munton (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. 2011) (364.163) is a useful summary of the various types of scams into which the unwary may stumble in the internet age. My rating: 5/10, finished 11/8/12.

[Abraham Ray · Rating 2 out of 5]

it's usefull!

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book from Goodreads. Book was very interesting and enlighting.

[Phoenix Carvelli]

Review copy won on Goodreads.com on 3-22-12.

[Kadry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Everyone should read this book. Excellent info on how smart, savvy people fall victim to scams and put themselves at risk for fraud and identity theft.

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

If to be forewarned is forearmed, a valuable primer on not being taken advantage of by the many deliberate cons out there today.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helpful stuff, kinda like self defense for your well-being (and bank accounts).

[Carl Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A field guide to classic cons. Probably very useful for anyone interested in becoming a con artist.

[JDK1962 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, but nothing really new or surprising, and the writing is nothing more than serviceable. It's a depressing read.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is probably intended for those without an anti-fraud background. It does contain good general knowledge and has good examples of basic cons and fraud.