Confidence Tricks

Confidence tricks, or cons, are a type of fraud in which a victim is defrauded by a person after gaining their confidence. Because it is fraudulent and the ultimate goal is to steal money or other valuables, it is a criminal offense, and a con artist, as practitioners of this type of crime are known, can be prosecuted for cons. If you or someone you love has been unjustly accused of engaging in a confidence trick or another type of fraud, contact the Denton criminal attorneys of Alexander & Associates by calling 972-420-6560 today.

How Confidence Tricks Work

The main goal of the confidence trick is to trick someone into giving over their money or valuables. Unlike in straight theft where the goods are taken without the person's knowledge, a con requires the con artist to gain the victim's trust to the point where the victim freely gives over the valuables. A victim of a con is known as a mark. The con artist takes advantage of the mark's inherent greed, naiveté, vanity, honesty, or dishonesty in order to get from him or her what is wanted.

A con artist might promise the mark great wealth to get the money, or that the money is going to a charity.

Famous Con Artists

Some of the most famous con men of the 20th century have been:

• Bernie Madoff, who ran a Ponzi scheme promising amazing returns for investors, but was actually defrauding an ever-widening group of new investors to pay off the old ones.
• Frank Abagnale, Jr. forged checks and posed as a pilot, a doctor, a lawyer, and a prison inspector, all before he turned 21. His story was made famous in the movie “Catch Me If You Can.”
• Clifford Irving claimed he was writing a biography of tycoon Howard Hughes, banking on the man's reclusive nature to keep him from stepping forward to deny the charges.
• David Hampton prayed on a group of wealthy New Yorkers, passing himself off as the son of legendary actor Sidney Poitier. He was the basis for the play and film “Six Degrees of Separation.”
• Eduardo de Valfierno was the mastermind behind the 1911 theft of the Mona Lisa. He prepared six copies of the painting, arranged six different buyers who thought they were getting the original painting, stole the masterpiece and let all six buyers secretly take custody of their forged painting. He knew that by illicitly buying a famous masterpiece, the buyers would not be able to press charges after the fraud, having been involved in the crime.

Contact Us

If you or someone you love has been charged with operating a confidence trick, a criminal attorney can help prepare your defense. To find out more, contact the Denton criminal lawyers of Alexander & Associates by calling 972-420-6560.