Canadian seniors are prime targets for scam artists. In fact, over 25 per cent of fraud losses last year affected seniors, according to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC). Don’t add yourself to the list.
To that end, it’s worth reading a new book by Johnathan Walton called Anatomy of a Con Artist: The 14 Red Flags to Spot Scammers, Grifters, and Thieves. Johnathan is an Emmy-winning former TV reporter and current reality TV producer who also happens to be a guy who got hoodwinked—big time—by scammers. That’s why he wrote a book about it.
In Anatomy of a Con Artist, he describes his real-life experience of getting conned out of nearly $100,000—and how to make sure it doesn’t happen to you. Speaking to the reader as a friend, Johnathan details fourteen red flags to heed before it’s too late, including tactics such as beak wetting, isolation and “just wanting to help.”
Some con artists scheme for money, some for attention, some just for the thrill of lying. And if you think it can’t happen to you, then you’re exactly the kind of mark a professional con artist is looking for. With Johnathan’s guidance, you’re far more likely to spot scammers from miles away—and cross the street when you see them coming.
“Some people play golf on the weekends,” he says. “I hunt con artists.” He also says con artists are everywhere. In Anatomy of a Con Artist, he lays out “the tells” based on hundreds of real-life cases he’s investigated, including:
Red Flag #1—A Stranger Offering Help: Someone new and overly helpful insinuates themselves into your life.
Red Flag #3—Drama, Drama, Drama: Constant dramatic “emergencies” to pull you in.
Red Flag #8—Beak Wetting: Faux generosity—gifts, money or favours to bring your guard down.
The book also reveals that, after being taken for nearly 100K, Johnathan was turned away by police. So, using the investigative skills he’d honed as a TV reporter, he launched his own investigation and built a criminal case authorities could not ignore. After getting his con artist charged, prosecuted and convicted, Johnathan has devoted his life to helping other victims do the same. This book, published by Rodale Books, packs in all he has learned. ISBN 9780593797167
