THE ART OF THE SCAM

 

The Art of the Scam

 

1.An Introduction to a Shadow World

A scam artist is one who is able to bend reality to make the other believe the lie to be the truth…the truth to be a lie and has the power to shape perception in order to cloak or otherwise hide what is real and what is not.

The scam artist must him or herself believe the lie or the illusion as if it is so. 

He must first convince him/ herself that the lie is true for him or her to make others believe it.

If for one moment, he or she doesn’t believe it… the illusion is broken like a bubble bursting.

The illusion is what the artist paints, like an artist it can be painted with words… or pictures. Or actions. 

The scam is also a psychological shift in making the unbelievable – believable as if a magician himself is waving a magic wand to create the illusion or to paint the picture … this is all about projection and perception.

There is a difference between your “normal “everyday scammer or trickster or fraudster or magician and the scam artist.

And it is this.

The “artist” does the scam for the very same reason that Sir Edmund Hilary climbed Mount Everest the highest mountain in the world… “because it is there”!

He or she gets off on climbing the mountain. It is a challenge ...a thrill ...it’s the act of doing something truly unbelievable – amazing and incredible that fuels this artist into action.

The scam artist sees the painting in his or her mind and paints the illusion with his or her words – actions- feelings and thoughts. On the other hand, your everyday scammer simply has the objective of deceiving the scammed for the purpose of profit. 

He or she is a hustler and a thief who simply wants to make an easy buck or bamboozle a jury by playing the victim. In this case it becomes self-preservation as the motivation. And that is a strong one.

The artist or as some may say… The” grifter “is someone who may even do it for altruistic reasons to benefit humankind. It’s all about what’s the intention for the deception. Like sales… scam artists like advertisers can work for good ..or bad. Or ugly. Its not always black or white…sometimes it’s a shade of grey.

For good… or for bad. For self ... or for others… then again, the actual scam may even be done by the artist as part of a collective group wanting to get recognition or push forward their agenda. Eg feminists, freemasons or Nazis.

The collective may have different reasons for pulling off the scam… some may fund the artist to paint - he or she may be commissioned to be the front man or front woman because her or his skills are so great that no one else can do it better. Then again it just may be that in a team some do some things better than others.

 The Art of the Scam is all about bending time and space itself. The secret of creating an illusion is hidden within the artist -him or herself.

 Only he or she has the entire picture in their heads.

To scam well doesn’t need facts or reality to succeed. It is the charisma of the person himself and the urgency of the situation itself. He or she is the painter. The writer. The poet. The master.

And who ACTS best …WINS! - 

In court- In business- in life. We see it every day. Sometimes it is pleasure … and sometimes it is pain… and other times ...its plain survival. And that makes the artist a better actor. Or marionette. 

He or she has the ability not only to “CON- vince”… but also to inspire others to believe in the painting that is being painted by the painter…

The word: “CON MAN” or” CONFIDENCE TRICKSTER” … is often negatively portrayed by whoever is saying it… possibly because we see the archetypal pathological psycho- socio path liar ruining the lives of others for the purposes of private gain… 

but what if the PERFECT conman is the good guy?

What if he or she uses these arts – these skills – these abilities to do some good in the world?

This is the difference between the scammer and the scam artist. ( In my opinion. ) It is drama in action but it is also art in motion. 

The only commonality between them( the scammer and he artist  is the methods used …and the morality of each.

But there is also another factor in the art of deception. 

It is Nature itself. It is all around d us. And this same principle is used by successful salespeople- advertisers and marketers too.

However, the goal is always the same… it is to DECEIVE TO ACHIEVE!

- Nothing is for nothing. Whether it is selling the idea of freedom to women to improve sales of cigarettes (as was done in the 1930s) or selling freedom to men to sell the latest sexy sports car (as is still being done)... " to dream the impossible dream " 

Understanding the principles of the art of the scam is how you can sell or otherwise profit from the other… (and usually it means their demise.)

To understand this, it is best to look at some examples of true-life experiences of individuals which we will do at the end to illustrate the effectiveness of these principles and maxims. … remember – the motivation of the artist is to paint the masterpiece – the motivation of the thief … is simply to steal.

There is a big difference. Both may be ninjas, but one works in the daylight.

Without further ado here are the 12 principles of the Art of the Scam.

Welcome to the shadow world of the scam artist.

2. The Guiding Principles

1. THE ANAMOLY – find the anomaly ...the thing that stands out. The weak spot. The one thing that is out of place. There is always something. You just need to look hard enough.

2. Understanding HUMAN NATURE: - How does it work? Research and read advanced psychology books or papers. Eg – The Social Contract- Dr. Robert Aubrey. Dianetics- Lateral Thinking- Dr. Edward de Bono. The Art of War- The Five Rings -Nakamoto-Confucius- Rousseau- Napoleon Hill-Rumi-Voltaire-Guerdjieff- Sade- V.D. Post- Jung- there’s loads. Read it. And if you can’t read – listen to it on YouTube. It also helps fBach-or the next point too. Being confident. Figure out the basic behaviour of human beings and what makes them tick…not everybody is the same as you… so start learning about others. What they are thinking- learn to read facial expressions and predict what they will think if you use particular words… images etc… this is a life work. But having this knowledge helps you to stay ahead of the game. A professional studies human nature and pinpoints it to the exact characteristic. 

3. Building SELF CONFIDENCE: How do you walk? Dress? Talk? Look at yourself in the mirror and talk to yourself... change your expressions in the mirror- exercise your face… stretch it --- and of course exercise in the morning … walk or run… swim or do something that makes you sweat – including having sex… but focus on your mood and how you project yourself to others. Your posture… the gait in your walk… do your hands show something when you walk or your shoulders? Is your chin up – are you smiling? Be self-aware.

4. Developing TRUST: It’s easy to play hit and run as most scammers do… and it always has its merits… but an artist bakes the cake… he takes his time to cook the spaghetti sauce and once its done… its far easier to operate. Remember trust is given not earned. Respect is.... That takes time. 

Trust can be given at any moment…but you need to develop it. You don’t just trust the driver of a bus or an airline pilot without first checking the bus …or plane.

5. PAINT the picture: A master paints the masterpiece in the same way a scam artist paints a scam. First there is a vision or a picture in the minds eye… you see it even if you close your eyes. I recall sailing across the Atlantic once. But I had heard of the storms outside the Cape of Good Hope and I wanted an edge… so I blindfolded myself when the boat was in dock and I felt my way around the entire ship until I had memorised where everything was without seeing it… in the same way… you need to have a clear picture of what you wish to achieve or to be… and when you paint this picture in easy to understand words and images… it should be easily recognisable and communicated to the point of duplication. Paint your picture clearly.I used to finger paint the air to get visualisation clearer. 

6.PERCEPTION & PROJECTION: What people perceive is what they project. If you project fear… they will perceive fear… when you project the picture you wish to be duplicated its vital to get the one you project, it to understand it with their senses of touch- smell- sight- feel etc. If you project confidence. They will also perceive confidence.

7. HOMEWORK: DO your homework. Its all in the detail. Spend the time to go through the entire play step by step and where you lack in any detail of knowledge- accent- product etc fix it… imagine you are the mark…what would you think? 

What questions would you ask?

 Go though it all until you are super confident there is nothing left out. Th devil is in the detail… don’t slip up because of laziness. Research your target and don’t leave anything to chance.

8. FACE FEAR: Ask yourself – what am I afraid of? In life it is important to face or confront your fear… are you afraid to die…? – some people take IBOGO or copious amounts of cocaine… some people climb cliffs. Or risk their lives in funny ways… I used to play with mambas or cobras .. or scorpions when I was a boy...or swim with crocodiles in the zambezi..  One time when I was a teenager, I went to Rwanda to touch the gorillas and Kenya I went up to the wild elephants and touched them too… i even talked to the insects and birds and hippos ...but usually I went into the nature and spent 3 days alone with the elements… sharpened myself up – I like others I knew in high adrenaline businesses used to exercise every day… a friend of mine used to go cycling for an hour… I used to run… or practise martial arts… or control my body through fasting… but whatever you do… be the master of yourself ..your mind...your thoughts… your feelings. Your carnal desires… if you lose this mastery … you don’t last long. I regard myself as an exception than as a rule because I kept myself fit and conscious. Alert and awake... able even to control my heart rate and not blink in the face of certain death… you must be able to not feel fear … because if you do…even for a split second… it’s over. The animal will feel your fear…like a woman feels you want to have sex with her… its unspoken… and this is what defines the master and the amateur. Breathing and the control of your body and life force. 

I used to play chess a lot to be able to sharpen my mind… But facing fear is something you are either born with or you learn the hard way. A true artist can face his or her fears. 

Being alive in the animal kingdom gives you a different love... culture...language...

perception..

understanding and knowledge of the world. Its a unique education. 

9. SPONTANEITY: Alongside facing your fears. Is spontaneity. to do this you must empty or be able to empty your mind completely and totally… be in the moment. Here and now… this is the only way you will retain your authenticity… you cannot preplan it or else everything will be read in the expression of your eyes… and if the situation is fluid or changing… be able to adapt and move with the moment .. be resourceful and if the situation calls for you to change … then change… that is why good hustlers these days cannot do what was done in the old days because they are too rigid and living in two realties … the analogue and the digital. You must be able to stand without the need to be in the other… it frees you up and keeps you non-attached. This way you can act in the moment with spontaneous action.

10. TIMING IS EVERYTHING: When TIME and PLACE intersect… then you have CONFIGURATION.” Kabbala” (receive and accept)  That is the basic formula. There is a moment – it comes- you seize it boldly and with both hands… hesitate for a second for more than one second… and you are lost. It’s a feeling of yes… its now… and then you act… and this will come with practise… but if you have done all your prep work before hand it should come quite naturally... remember to control your breathing and heart rate… breathe through your nose. Breathe slightly deeper than normal. This will relieve the stress a little bit and give you greater control as with more oxygen in your body you will be able to control your heart rate and sweating. And energy.  Remember if you are in the flow … an artist will absolutely know when to act. When to move.

11. MAKE them BELIEVE! : This is the crucial point… if they are sitting on the fence after you have given your spiel.. pause… look them straight into their eyes… and make them believe. If you don’t, they will stay on the fence…undecided. You need to look them straight in the eye… and nod your head up and down… that’s how its done… if you don’t- or cant or wont… or if you have any squeamish ideas of why you can’t… forget it… once you grab the tiger by the tail… you never let go. Its easy to give up… but hard to stay the course. 

If at the end of the day…you’ve qualified them… you’ve sold them the concept… done all that you could do..and they still say no… you need to take a deep breathe and make them believe. That’s what makes a good … or great scam artist great… lesser beings simply wont be able to do it.

12. NEVER GET GREEDY: A true artist does the scam for the thrill of it… because he or she gets off on it… to fulfil a specific ethical ..or moral… or just adventurous purpose… he or she doesn’t seek to gain money for monies sake… that is what a salesman does.. or power for powers sake… that is what a politician or a preacher does… but seeks to do the scam for altruistic value – Everest value … or survival value… he or she does it because he or she is good at it… and does it to see if it can indeed be done at all. The artist bends reality to show that it is indeed possible… only a few people really know about this world and most of them wont talk… but in the history of artists that have ever lived … the ones that attain mastery are the ones you have never heard or seen before. 

They are the" robin hoods "of society who do what they do outside the norms and they do it for the adrenaline…and the art… to show or demonstrate its possibility. It is never done for egotistical reasons… those that do are not artists.

 They are simple thieves in different clothing. The true scam artists are like the kung fu monks or ninjas with superpowers…

And there is ONE golden rule for all of these professionals… NEVER GET GREEDY.

To end- the artist doesn’t seek to make a career out of stealing or conning people… or living a champagne lifestyle. There’s enough of these guys about you read their stories in the British tabloids… The artist does it either through expedience or through true adventure.

 It is the adrenaline of accomplishing the scam that indeed motivates him… not for a get rich quick scheme. But have no qualms about this… money is important. It’s an indicator. 

But never a motivator. A true artist will never do the same scam more than 3 times. That’s the difference between a scammer and an artist. Greed like gluttony is the downfall of many a good man and woman.     

  I could say more but this is enough.  

This is the art of the scam.

3a. The Maxims of the Artist:

1.Trust in your 6^TH SENSE :The artist has a sixth sense. The one who survives long enough to stay a free and a whole man. The biggest temptation is to know when a scam is too hard or too unethical. Not every mountain should be climbed. 

Trust your "inner tuition". In other words… STOP!!!- If you must.

2. Know WHO to SCAM: The artist whilst he or she is able… NEVER scams the poor … the oppressed or the vulnerable. …unless they need to be scammed for their own good. Eg … you want to get them to a doctor, and they don’t want to go… so you scam them into it.

 But as a maxim… you stick to banks… insurance companies and "rich bitches".  (Gender neutral) –

 I recall being able to acquire houses… large investments on the phone,,, from people I know would buy it..or it wasn’t ethical … but couldn’t afford it… and I just said... NO! -

A scammer would not care. It for him...is ALL about the money. They have no remorse and no empathy. They are cold and ruthless.. and usually exagerate. 

He or she is nothing more than a common criminal without imagination or humanity although the law doesn’t see it that way… There is a fine line between ethics and morality …between need and necessity. In truth... some people deserve to be scammed. Others do not. 

The art of the scam… really is powerful. You can do just about anything if you have the wisdom, experience  and the knowledge… and that’s why this is a secret art that is not given away cheaply to anyone. These principles are part of the written teaching. The rest is learned by doing or taught orally. 

3. KNOW WHEN TO STOP – This is the difference between the average and the good scam artist. This is all about your tolerance, your intuition and your ego… but knowing when to stop is all important …

 it is a vital maxim for survival that can keep you as a free man or see you inside a prison cell for 10 years… for nothing… matters not. You need to know when to say know and fold…and then ...just walk away from the table. 

Not everything that glitters is gold.

3. b. A few GOOD exercises and sayings

1.       BULLBAITING – created by the scientologists… and possibly other nefarious organisations… this is a simple exercise between two people in a room. One sits on a chair and looks forward unblinkingly. The other has the task of making that person ...blink… or get upset… and like a bull must wave a red flag in front of their eyes to provoke that person into action… and if that person in the chair reacts… he or she loses the game. Set your face like flint. Be stoic.

 

“NEVER FLINCH. NEVER BLINK. NEVER BE BAITED!”

2.       Pseudo Drama – You act out scenarios ... possibilities… and you learn what it could be like in real life… you externalise the internal processes into reality. This is reality. It becomes not so theoretical anymore but practical... this also helps to grow confidence … in tone levels. Intonations… eye contacts. hand movements... body language (70 % of all communication is through your body language) –

 and finally your self confidence in performing the action. Did you recall your script? Did you keep your breathing and control your heart rate…? are your fingers sweating from nervousness? stuff like that… it all comes through practise...and practise makes perfect. 

“WHO ACTS BEST WINS!”

3.       Endorphins:  Release your excess endorphins. Exercise. Exercise.  Exercise. Walk. have sex. Swim. Run. Cycle…dance… sweat… do some gardening… you don’t need to break your back unless you need to break your back... back in the day I could outrun anyone, and I was able to do 100 meters in 11.5 seconds...

 not Olympic standard but fast enough… but I also knew how to play rugby and dodge back and forth if I had to so it was difficult to catch me … I learned shaolin kung fu… I fasted for days on water … I spent time alone in the mountains… 

I played chess regularly… being a master at anything requires discipline ..especially when it requires being conscious …in the moment and on the ball… there was no reruns…so being fit … it all helped to maintain your equilibrium. To keep stress levels manageable. And to get rid of bad energy. 

“FREE THOSE ENDORPHINS!”

4.       Be PREPARED. In this business .. there are NO dress rehearsals when it comes to the real thing… you must be ready to perform on the day … flawlessly. Rarely do you have dry runs… when it comes to doing scam… once you are in it… 

there is no turning back… and if you have been sucked in to something you know deep down is not what you expected… 

all you can do is pray and smile to the world and hope it will be over as quickly as possible… but before that ,… 

make sure when you do go into the stage… be ready.. know your lines...read your books… study the magic…or your book of pi… BUT…

“BE PREPARED!” (Scout motto)..

and if you choke in yhe middle of an action.. brass it out and get out as quickly as possible. Preparation is everything. 

5.       BEWARE OF MIND GAMES – When you have this talent you can make others believe something which isn’t even true… and you do that to deceive or else to play head games … with them. It is mental abuse… and if you use this in the wrong way... you can drive yourself and others crazy. 

-it can turn around and bite you on the ass… playing a mind game is like a form of torture. (For example)… you throw someone blindfolded off or out of a helicopter… but before you do that you make them believe you did it already…and they are next… but the helicopter is only a few feet off the ground… it can snap any resistance … but it can also create a monster… this was used in war situations .. in real life any skill can be used to heal or to harm. 

That is why… the art of the scam should not be used for the dark arts… it can be like a snake that bites your hand if you get too cocky or unethical. 

“BEWARE OF THOSE MIND GAMES!”

The Totem of the Artist 

If I was to think of an animal that best describes the artist it woild not be the spider.. it would be the chameleon. Both have unique qualities of patience and preparation but the chameleon best des ribes the adaptibility of the srtist to any given citcumstance he or she finds themselves in. 

Last word:

The scam artist is one who can bend reality to make the OTHER believe the lie to be the truth and the truth to be a lie and has the power of perception and deception, reality and illusion.

Hitler and before him the roman emperor Nero said …

“if I tell the truth they will not believe me but if I tell a lie and a fantastic lie often enough and convincingly, they will believe me the more.”

So, the Christians were blamed for the fire that Nero caused… and Hitler blamed the communists for the burning down of the Reichstag.

I could go on and say more about this fascinating subject… but I will leave it here. The scam artist is also an illusionist and by the force of his or her charisma can create an illusion… sometimes for the good … sometimes for the bad… and sometimes for the ugliest.

But if this were your chosen profession you should in all circumstances be professional and that would be my final advice. If professional I would say … have integrity. If you allow yourself to feed your ego or your hate… or your anger … or greed…this will backfire… be detached…

-be professional. And where possible… be yourself…

This is the Art of the Scam

“Realise the real lies through real lies!”

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