Convartist

A fool and his money are soon parted, so the saying goes. And if the job is done right, the fool doesn't even realize it's happened until the wily con artist has moved on to the next victim or the next town. In this entertaining and eye-opening book, Dennis M. Marlock, a retired cop and chairman of the board for the international law enforcement organization Professionals Against Confidence Crime, takes the reader into the mind and greedy heart of the con man. You'll learn the mechanics behind famous swindles such as the pigeon drop, the Jamaican switch, bank-examiner schemes, three-card monte and even fortune-telling. You'll find out why a good scam artist rarely gets caught and, if he does, how he gets away with the lightest punishment or no punishment at all. If you've ever read a news story about a sucker getting taken and wondered how he could have fallen for that, you need to read this book before an honest-faced stranger offers you a deal too good to pass up.

This is going to be Frank’s year. He’s going to do it all: find love, become a famous comedian, and responsibly parent his plants. But then, Giorgio gets hit by a bus. Self-assured and utterly entitled, Giorgio has always seemed like “Frank, but better.” Moving in with and caring for his estranged childhood friend quickly starts to chip away at Frank’s sense of self, as well as Giogio’s carefully curated online persona. Is Giorgio’s penchant for overindulgence truly aspirational? Or is it ultimately a red flag? The further Frank is pulled into Giorgio’s orbit, the quicker his existential dread blooms. Expectation and reality soon collide in a singular tale about trust and confidence. Luke Healy’s playful, hilarious third graphic novel uses crisp lines and physical comedy to portray an uneasy friendship between two young men on the cusp of adulting. Snippets from Frank’s middling stand-up routines are punctuated by the subtle farce of Healy’s mise-en-scène and the lively, at times scathingly pointed, banter of old friends. The Con Artists is a stylish character study that asks the question of who fools who once everyone is off-camera.

Noah is an artist. Ever since he learned to draw, people have been impressed by his remarkable skills. When there's an art contest at The Club, Noah is certain that he'll win the big prize, until he sees Milo's painting. Noah is scared. Everyone expects Noah to win the contest. If he loses, he believes he'll lose the one skill he's most proud of. Noah is determined to beat Milo, but at what cost? Is winning worth compromising his values?

A compelling investigation into the minds, motives, and methods of con artistsand the people who fall for their cons over and over again.

“Remarkable . . . Scott Lynch’s first novel, The Lies of Locke Lamora, exports the suspense and wit of a cleverly constructed crime caper into an exotic realm of fantasy, and the result is engagingly entertaining.”—The Times (London) An orphan’s life is harsh—and often short—in the mysterious island city of Camorr. But young Locke Lamora dodges death and slavery, becoming a thief under the tutelage of a gifted con artist. As leader of the band of light-fingered brothers known as the Gentleman Bastards, Locke is soon infamous, fooling even the underworld’s most feared ruler. But in the shadows lurks someone still more ambitious and deadly. Faced with a bloody coup that threatens to destroy everyone and everything that holds meaning in his mercenary life, Locke vows to beat the enemy at his own brutal game—or die trying. Praise for The Lies of Locke Lamora “Fresh, original, and engrossing . . . gorgeously realized.”—George R. R. Martin “Right now, in the full flush of a second reading, I think The Lies of Locke Lamora is probably in my top ten favorite books ever. Maybe my top five. If you haven’t read it, you should. If you have read it, you should probably read it again.”—Patrick Rothfuss, New York Times bestselling author of The Name of the Wind “A unique fantasy milieu peopled by absorbing, colorful characters . . . Locke’s wit and audacity endear him to victims and bystanders alike.”—The Seattle Times “A true genre bender, at home on almost any kind of fiction shelf . . . Lynch immediately establishes himself as a gifted and fearless storyteller, unafraid of comparisons to Silverberg and Jordan, not to mention David Liss and even Dickens.”—Booklist (starred review) “High-octane fantasy . . . a great swashbuckling yarn of a novel.”—Richard Morgan

License to Steal -- an in-depth study of the criminal element of the Romani population, a highly organized, secretive empire known as the Gypsy Mafia -- is based on true stories taken from police records, historical data and heartbreaking interviews with victims of various scams. Gypsy Mafia games include burglary, home-improvement rip-offs, fortune-telling, shoplifting, pickpocketing and insurance and credit-card fraud.

Romance is supposed to be a mutually beneficial, genuine way to find true love and even marriage. Whether you find your partner online or unplugged, it is important to know the subtle yet life changing behaviors common to people who want you to love them so that they can take advantage of your will, your money, and even your body. Winner of two awards, this book is a personal guided tour that helps you explore the well-concealed world of con artists operating on people like you and me. The guide does not judge your romance decisions but, instead, provides enlightenment that boosts critical thinking and analysis-two progressive assets in all aspects of life, especially when building relationships. This self-help guide will empower you with the knowledge to judge relationships accurately and confidently for yourself. This is what people think after reading Con Artist Dating: "In an age of countless internet and social media scams, relationship scams may be the cruelest of all, because they prey on the need we all feel for love and affection. The combination of a lonely heart and a con artist who is good at being convincing is a very dangerous one. In this book Millie Osborne wants to give not just potential victims but also their families the information they need to determine when it's not really love someone is after." Tom Roussey, TV Reporter “Dr. Osborne is a psychiatrist, scholar and author who creates a portrait of a personality type personified by a lust for power and profit. Fascinating and often surprising, the book provides many valuable insights and compelling examples of just what it is that defines a “con artist.” The book is a pleasure to read, enlightening readers with all degrees of experience, including parents; and an indispensable guide to anyone interested in the dynamics of con-artistry and its pernicious impact on the victims." Lorraine S. Roth, M.D., Editor of ‘Current Psychiatry’ and Henry J. Roth, Ph.D., Author of ‘Tales from Time Out’ and ‘Climbing Jacobs Ladder’ “Millie Osborne, M.D., psychiatric consultant, is expertly qualified to write a book that guides readers through the world of con artist dating. It has been her passion to relieve human suffering through knowledge and information that enlightens readers. Any woman or man hungry for love should read this unique self-help guide to personal growth and development. It could save them the heartache of emotional and financial harm that results from becoming a victim of deceit. Therapists might want to recommend this book to their heart-broken clients.” John C. Russotto, Ph.D., Mental Health Consultant "Soul searching...a relentlessly honest and powerful guide that leaves you shaken and thankfully educated. This book takes a deep dive into illuminating the unforeseen, unanticipated and unsettling social and moral consequences involving manipulative behaviors. This is required reading that will leave you empowered and strengthened.” Yvonne L. Taylor, Ph.D., MSN, NP “Human relationships are dominated by people who take advantage of human gullibility and perceived needs masquerading as wants. As long as humans want to believe things for reasons having nothing to do with facts and evidence, there will always be unscrupulous people who come along and take advantage of that by feeding such beliefs which do not require any demonstrable and credible evidence. Skepticism is the virtue which is far more likely to save one from being conned by creeps everywhere and in all aspects of life, not just dating. Finding the right people in life in whom you can place your trust is everything, and the only way to find them is by seeing how well their actions match their words - basically facts and evidence, just like one would use to determine if a certain factor is the cause of an observed outcome. Anyone can say anything, but it is what one does - well that is your evidence.” -Anonymous