Con Men
Once upon a time… I was corporate guy; a business man and I got involved in a group of con men. It didn’t end well.
Regardless of your profession, this article deals with fraud, deception and the lack of ethics – which is present in any industry.
I was originally contacted by a guy named Milt (or so I thought). Milt had a plan; a scam, and other players in place. He presented himself as a real estate investor who simply needed someone to handle all his business referrals. He’d heard great things about me. So, — I was in!
I never wanted to admit that I was recruited – it just doesn’t resonate well with me. It sounds like a cop-out; like I just wasn’t smart enough and allowed myself to be tricked into committing fraud. If someone told me that they were recruited into a fraud scheme, I might think they were implying that they couldn’t help it or that it wasn’t their fault, or worse – they were a victim. It just sounds lame.
Fraud Prevention
It’s been a long time (1998) since I was indicted on fraud conspiracy charges and even longer (1994) since the actual crimes took place. After I was released from federal prison, I started speaking to business and associations, telling of my story. Along the way, I’ve had the opportunity to rub elbows with some pretty top notch financial and corporate fraud experts and ethics gurus. I’ve gotten quite an education and now have a better understanding of con men and how they operate.
Recognizing Con Men
Enter, the confidence man. Con men, for short, are smart, clever, crafty, like-able and sincere. They are fearless, driven and don’t ever doubt themselves. They will do everything they can to gain your confidence and take, not earn, your trust. They will get you to do what they want you to do. They do know how to play your game and they will beat you.
This is a strong warning, as well it should be. I believe you are smart – probably the smartest reader who has ever read something that I’ve written (and I don’t say that to all readers), but even the smartest can be fooled.
Of course you need to be on your toes and of course you need to know your profession if you are going tostay out of prison. You can be smart, attentive and be the best at what you do, but someone can still beat you. Unfortunately, this is an exception to my theory of, “It is unlikely that you will be beat at your own game.”
My con man, Milt, was sincere, like-able, fearless, driven and had plenty of confidence. He created the illusion that he was a big-time real estate investor who bought and sold masses of residential real estate in Minneapolis, Chicago and Atlanta.
Recognizing Con Man Scam
He first contacted me in March of 1994 because he needed a good loan officer who could handle a lot of business. This initial conversation was lengthy, and was full of compliments and promises. After that, he called me at least 10 times a day; sometimes just to chat about sports, music or movies. He became someone I looked forward to talking to. We seemed to have so much in common; he kind of became my brand new best friend.
After about a month of courting, he sent me his referral. It was a guy named Josh who needed a loan to buy a house that Milt was selling – a house that Milt had just purchased for thousands of dollars less than Josh’s purchase price. So far: nothing illegal.
During the loan approval process, Milt provided me with documentation for Josh that seemed a bit too perfect. I thought it could have been a mortgage fraud scam so I questioned the authenticity of these documents, but only to myself. I certainly didn’t want to accuse my new best friend of trying to commit fraud.
So I didn’t.
Justifying Financial Fraud
I rationalized and justified my inaction in lieu of asking Milt the tough, uncomfortable questions. I don’t think I rationalized and justified because I was weak or because I was raised wrong; without moral integrity. I wasn’t a newbie in the industry, and I wasn’t struggling for business or money.
The best explanation I have for justifying this financial fraud is that I was afraid of offending him or letting him down. I wanted to do a good job and live up to the “good things” he’d heard about me. I wanted to get this loan closed for him, the mortgage fraud con man.
I did it because I liked the guy – he was a friend. We had the same tastes in sports and restaurants. Heck, we even liked the same kind of gin.
Here’s the real embarrassment – throughout our seven month relationship, he never asked me to do anything illegal for him. I just did it.
Regret for Committing Fraud
I do regret my actions and in-actions of those “Milt” days. I do feel remorse for the losses incurred by the lender and the suffering of my business associates, my employees, my friends and my family. I can’t undo the past. I can’t un-light the match. But, you could learn from my experiences. Take this knowledge with you as you scurry about your busy days.
A Con Man’s Methods of Influence
There is a great book where one can learn about the behaviors of mortgage fraud con men by Robert B. Cialdini called, “Influence – Science and Practice.” After reading it, I was able to look into my past and identify certain methods of influence that were used by a certain con man over 15 years ago.
A con man can work in any industry which is why this post doesn’t just pertain to mortgage fraud con men.
Obligation & Reciprocation
If I do something for you, perhaps completely unsolicited, you will most likely feel obligated to do something for me. Be mindful of favors done for you. Ask yourself what the ultimate cost will be of accepting this favor, and can you afford to repay it.
Authority
If I act as if I am in charge, have more experience than you or simply assume a position of authority, it is likely that you will comply with my requests. I recommend questioning the motives of those who are constantly reminding you how long they’ve been in the business.
Attractiveness
We are much more likely to be influenced by those people we find attractive. Think about it. Why do you think pharmasudacal sales people and title insurance reps are always so darn good lookin’? Hmmm?
Similarity
We tend to trust people who, we believe, are similar to us. Birds of a feather don’t stick together by chance, they find comfort in commonality.
Compliments of Mortgage Fraud Con Men
Men, even more than women, crave praise. We are much more likely to do favors for someone who gives us praise; even when we know that the complimentor stands to gain something from giving us the compliment. I recall the mortgage fraud con men do in just this.
Convenience and Distraction
This economy is very fast paced and it is easy to get bogged down. This makes you vulnerable. Be wary of the client who seems a little too knowledgeable about your business process. Watch out for the client who seems to swoop in at just the right time help you.
Recognizing Fraudulent Actions
About four months into my relationship with Milt, I realized that the lines had gotten blurry and every area was gray to me. I decided to cut ties, but it took almost three months to do so. By then, I was in deeper than I thought and my role in the conspiracy was rock-solid.
There are plenty of people out there who would ask the tough questions and wouldn’t be squeamish about confronting or accusing a client, business associate or friend of lying. Be the person I was not.
Going to Prison for a Con Man
Four years later, in federal court, I plead not guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud and money laundering. As I sat back down in my seat, the bailiff called up another person who was being charged with the same crimes as me. It was my old friend Milt, but they didn’t call him by that name – “Milt” was one of his many aliases.
If you feel you have been recruited by a mortgage fraud con man, I urge you to disengage. They need you in order for their scheme to work. And, resist the urge to close that one last deal.
I can admit it now; I was recruited by a con man. But I was not a victim. It was my choice. I stayed too long and did too much.
Keynote Speaker on Fraud
Jerome Mayne is the author of the book, Diary of a White Collar Criminal and co-author of Mortgage Fraud and Predatory Lending – what every agent should know (Dearborn/Kaplan). He is a keynote speaker and has worked with dozens of companies and associations helping their people make the right decisions, when the right decisions aren’t easy.
Let’s Talk
To find out if Jerome is the right fit for your event send him a quick note.