Free The Art of the Con by R. Paul Wilson

enough in advance to make some half-decent copies. These fakes might not fool anyone on their own, but the mark won’t see them until it’s too late. In addition, we would obtain some envelopes and print the logo of a well-known ticket agent on all of them. We put the genuine tickets in one envelope and the copies in another. Now all we need is someone who really needs to see the show.
    Consider for a moment how you would act in this situation, as the buyer. What are your questions? How do you make sure they’re real or not stolen? Unless you are intimately familiar with the tickets being sold (which is rare), it’s very difficult to identify a fake. A few years ago I watched an interview with an anti-fraud detective who placed a fake ticket beside a real one. On camera, he commented that “it’s hard to believe that someone could fall for this” but this attitude fails to consider that the victims may never have seen a real ticket, let alone had one to compare. It’s also possible that the tickets they purchased were absolutely real when they examined them, as you will see.
    A rank hustler will simply farm out fake tickets to anyone who takes them at face value. In many cases, this is a charmless, by-the-numbers fraud that depends on the victim not to ask too many questions. A more sophisticated scammer would take fewer chances, make more money, and be a lot more convincing. In order to do this, he needs to understand how the victim will think during the transaction.
    Walk-ups can be difficult. Approaching anyone cold with a proposition activates people’s defenses and puts them on guard. In this scenario, this is less of a problem since walking around outside the venue shouting “Tickets!” will attract people desperate to see the show. Of course this also places the seller in the easiest spot for police or a wised-up sucker to find them but in the days or hours leading up to a big event, there are many opportunities to approach and sell our bogus tickets.
    For this scam, we will make the mark come to us; we will quickly answer any suspicions, gain her trust, and apply the simplest but most common strategy to secure the victim’s money. All we’ll need is a cell phone.
    In Louisville, the city was lousy with teenage girls excited to see their favorite band. By lunchtime the restaurants were full of obvious targets, most of whom probably already had a ticket but might be accompanied by someone who did not or would know plenty of people who might want one. These are perfect marks for this scam because they have access to a real ticket, and since we have gone to the trouble of securing the real thing, we should play this to maximum advantage. We actually want the suckers to compare our tickets to their own.
    I go for a smart, casual look with jeans, shirt, and a suit jacket to project the right image. I’m in my early forties so I’m perfect to act as the father of a fan who can’t make the show. This should be something that will resonate with the victim, perhaps even gain her sympathy without raising questions. There’s nothing a con artist won’t say to get your money, but it’s important not to play our hand too strong or we’ll attract suspicion.
    Walking from one place to another, it’s easy to find groups of people who might be interested, and a little time spent observing and listening can pay dividends. Once we’ve identified our target, it’s time to make a phone call. My end of the conversation might go like this:
Yes, yes. I picked up the tickets. I don’t know what to do. I asked some people outside but they all have tickets. I’ll probably have to wait until tonight and hope there’s someone then. What? I have no idea, I’ve never tried to sell tickets before! I’ll wait and see but if the office calls, I have to go. Maybe she can get her money back. Okay, I’ll call.
    This conversation with my