It is unfortunate but in my 20 years in law enforcement I can recall many of the same victims' stories as told in The Con. James and Jelita have provided historical and statistical information with actual accounts of these frauds through the victims and suspects perspectives. These victims' stories along with the tips and resources can help raise awareness and hopefully help individuals prevent or recover from these ever prevalent crimes. -- Michael B. Dana, Financial Crimes Detective, Dallas Police Department
This is the best book about scams I have ever read. It is a wake-up call for all those who think they can't be conned. The compelling stories show how real-world cons unfold, why they work and what we must do to protect ourselves. An essential and entertaining guide to spotting and avoiding scams in everyday life. -- Julieann Dimmick, attorney, formerly of the Office of the General Counsel, Enforcement; US Department of the Treasury
I have had the honor of reviewing Jelita McLeod and James Munton's manuscript on con games, titled The Con; How scams work, Why you are vulnerable and How to Protect Yourself. Looking over each of the chapters of the collection of con games played on unsuspecting victims and the personalized stories, I am reminded of many of the reports I have taken on a variety of scams. As a law enforcement officer and a magician, I have lectured on flim flam to many groups over the years. Jelita and James book is an interesting collection of many of the more popular cons played out throughout the world. The sad part is, how this affects the victim. Suicides have been a part of how the victim dealt with being swindled. Some, of older age, have been confined to a nursing home as their children felt their parents could not cope in the world after being scammed and losing everything they had. I am most impressed with the Warning Signs and Tips to Protect Yourself at the end, along with a vast array of Resources a person can contact should the unthinkable occur. Overall, I recommend this to everyone as a training guide to alert them as to the seedy side of people. I recommend this book to citizens and law enforcement personnel who want to educate themselves on many of the scams that are occuring daily. Jelita and James have performed a great service by writing this book and putting it out so all can understand the mechanics of the con and how to protect yourself. As the old adage goes, if it is too good to be true, it probably is. -- Glenn Hester, police officer, Glynn County, GA
This book is a must read. Well written, informational and entertaining, it is full of interesting stories that drive home the number and variety of scams in operation, how intelligent people fall for these scams and how to protect yourself. There were scams that I had not heard of even after being in the security business for over 15 years. -- Marta Zaricznyj, CEO and security consultant, Znovation, LLC
The popular cultural depiction of a con shows an ingenious bit of skulduggery pulled off by a charming schemer or schemers. Think The Sting and Ocean's Eleven, Twelve, and Thirteen. But the prevalence of cons-40 times more common than car theft and burglary-and the range of its perpetrators, from family members to global Internet scammers, demand more vigilance than do other crimes. Magician and expert on deception Munton, abetted by writer McLeod, goes behind the scenes to present stories of ordinary con victims to dissect how scams are perpetrated and the elements and tactics of typical cons. The authors go on to detail seven categories of con, from foreign lottery and sweepstakes scams to reshipping schemes to fraudulent home repair. From telemarketing tricks to crimeware, they describe how scammers use technology to gain access to potential victims. They also detail how to protect against the cons, identify possible setups, and reduce the likelihood of falling into conning traps. Finally, they advise readers on recovering from identity theft. Completely fascinating and insightful. * Booklist *
