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Confidence games can be simple, involving only two con men and a simple prop such as a wallet or personal check, or elaborate, with dozens of con men playing a variety of roles and elaborate props and sets worthy of a [[Broadway]] show. When an office or similar location is used in the con after having been dressed up to look like a [[gambling]] den or similar location, it is called “The Big Store”.

Confidence games can be simple, involving only two con men and a simple prop such as a wallet or personal check, or elaborate, with dozens of con men playing a variety of roles and elaborate props and sets worthy of a [[Broadway]] show. When an office or similar location is used in the con after having been dressed up to look like a [[gambling]] den or similar location, it is called “The Big Store”.

In his definitive book “The Big Con”, linguist and amateur criminologist David W. Maurer lists the 10 steps of all “Big cons”, which are paraphrased below:<br />

In his definitive book “The Big Con”, linguist and amateur criminologist David W. Maurer lists the 10 steps of all “Big cons”, which are paraphrased below:

1) Finding the victim<br />

# Finding the victim

2) Befriending the victim (gaining the victim’s confidence)<br />

# Befriending the victim (gaining the victim’s confidence)

3) Steering him to the con man’s partner (called the “insideman”)<br />

# Steering him to the con man’s partner (called the “insideman”)

4) The insideman tempts the victim with a plan to make a lot of money dishonestly<br />

# The insideman tempts the victim with a plan to make a lot of money dishonestly

5) Letting the victim make some money in the scheme (to convince him it will work)<br />

# Letting the victim make some money in the scheme (to convince him it will work)

6) Determining how much the victim should invest<br />

# Determining how much the victim should invest

7) Sending the victim to the bank or home to get the money<br />

# Sending the victim to the bank or home to get the money

8) Taking the money from the victim while making it look like the dishonest scheme failed<br />

# Taking the money from the victim while making it look like the dishonest scheme failed

9) Getting rid of the victim<br />

# Getting rid of the victim

10) Forestalling action by the law <ref>Maurer, David (1940, reprinted 1999) The Big Con: The Story of the Confidence Man, Bobbs-Merrill, reprinted Anchor Books, p.4 of reprint edition</ref>

# Forestalling action by the law <ref>Maurer, David (1940, reprinted 1999) The Big Con: The Story of the Confidence Man, Bobbs-Merrill, reprinted Anchor Books, p.4 of reprint edition</ref>

A variation of confidence games which relies on lust to motivate the victim is the “badger game”. In this variation, a [[marriage | married]] man is approached by a woman who seduces him into an adulterous liaison. At the appropriately embarrassing moment, the woman’s “husband” (actually her con man partner) bursts in and accuses the victim of carrying on with his wife. The “husband” then threatens violence and/or to expose the victim’s infidelity to his wife or community, unless money is paid.

A variation of confidence games which relies on lust to motivate the victim is the “badger game”. In this variation, a [[marriage|married]] man is approached by a woman who seduces him into an adulterous liaison. At the appropriately embarrassing moment, the woman’s “husband” (actually her con man partner) bursts in and accuses the victim of carrying on with his wife. The “husband” then threatens violence and/or to expose the victim’s infidelity to his wife or community, unless money is paid.

Confidence games appear in many aspects of [[popular culture]], particularly mystery and detective fiction, and have provided the theme for many films, notably including “The Flim Flam Man” (1967), and “The Sting” (1973).

Confidence games appear in many aspects of [[popular culture]], particularly mystery and detective fiction, and have provided the theme for many films, notably including “The Flim Flam Man” (1967), and “The Sting” (1973).

==References==

==References==

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==Further reading==

==Further reading==

[[category:crime]]

[[category:crime]]

[[category:psychology]]

[[category:psychology]]