While I'm still working on the financial domination side of the investigation, I haven't lost my interest in the dark and bizarre world of con artistry. But how can con artists be so persuasive?
At the heart of all confidence schemes - yes, con artist is short for "confidence artist", and I'll never get used to that - is a fundamental social rule violation. Human beings automatically trust each other, and automatically struggle to lie.
You may be familiar with phishing emails, which are fraudulent emails designed to imitate the letterhead, style, and other aesthetics of official businesses with whom the consumer is already affiliated. For example, a phishing email from "Paypal" might have the name "Paypal" as the address in the email header, but the actual origin of the email might be something like "paypal@rocketmail.com" or something equally dubious. A phishing email will often solicit the login information of an applicant, often citing a possible data breach (ironically). "Fear and urgency" are usually weaponised to exploit these marks.
Social engineering gets even more sinister when direct interactions are involved. Like vampires, these con artists need to be invited in - but the tactics they use to secure those invitations are as devious as they are impressive. Whether it's asking someone to hold the door open because they forgot their key-card, becoming a familiar face around the office, sending Dropbox links, or implanting keystroke-copying software to secure passwords, corporate spies aren't afraid to play long cons.
Most of the articles I've found about the topic tend to come from the IT world - perhaps unsurprisingly, because hacking fathered (or at least contributed to) the small-scale online exploitation industry. Although it's more strongly associated with corporate espionage, savvy shysters have long since branched out into exploiting civilians.
Most of us are familiar with the now infamous "Nigerian prince" scam. The thing is, it's a perfect example of social engineering - the creation of an emotional bond through the letter writer's situation of danger, the cajoling tone that creates a sense of shared opposition, and of course, the promise of disproportionate rewards.
Sugar scammers are a bit more sophisticated. Partly it's that they require solicitation or a bit of work to be sought out, which already makes them seem more promising than they are. Second, it's that many of them try to bend the aspiring sugar babies into a relationship by imposing a sense of obligation and even control on them.
To make my foray as convincing as possible, I decided to be honest about my circumstances and personality. It's hard to keep track of lies - as I noticed when a number of so-called sugar daddies would mention living in a different location than their Twitter profile claimed to host.
Directing potential marks off a platform, they try to create a sense of trust and intimacy with difficult life circumstances and by placing the mark in a defensive position. After all, if you have to convince the sugar daddy that you're the trustworthy one, you'll feel you owe them something - even though you don't, you haven't done anything wrong, and it's basically a switcheroo trick.
But don't believe me - have a look at the transcript of a conversation I had with one of the most convincing fake sugar daddies who pursued me. Note that many other sugar daddies didn't put this much work in - and that's what makes this type of person so much more persuasive, and more dangerous.
It's worth noting that I outright lied at the end in an attempt to get "Tobi" to weaken and flip, but as always, his lips were sealed tight. I'm grudgingly impressed by how cautious these fraudsters are - they don't yield to anyone.
Well I hope this work out. It's not sounding like a deal
I hope so too
Hope I can change your mind. :) I know I sound a little strange, but that's just the kind of girl I am
Honestly I'm kind of glad that you're skeptical, because so many folks on here are fraudsters!
So I'd rather haveboth of us trying to earn each others' trust.
Well that's just it. I hope so. And also I believe it's the other way round.
I've been a sugar daddy before. She scammed but my daughter in US army got her arrested. I told you
yeah! You mentioned!
Honestly I'm not looking to clean anyone out. I only want what you can give freely.
I work hard at my small business as it is, so I just want a little extra to cover times when I'm sick. Y'know?
I like truly connecting with people and providing warmth and kindness, learning little details about someone's life...
Okay.
What are you up to thus morning?
Honestly? I'm knitting, drinking tea, watching some politics, and preparing to get to work!
It's 8:16 here
I had an apple with a bit of cheese for breakfast. I like my fruit.
I've been having trouble with concentration for a few weeks. That and anxiety acting up. I'm used to it, though.
Oh that not fun. Well same here I do have nightmares some stupid shit. But I'm on my way to work
Oh that's rough! PTSD is hard to deal with.
Have a good day at work! :)
You said you run a couple businesses, right?
You too
And yes
:D thank you!
you look like a sweetheart
btw when you have time or when you're done work, let me know if you do want to talk on the phone. Then we can swap numbers.
Thanks. Well I'm just an ugly old man.
Okay
Awww, I don't think so <3
If you feel like it, when you get the chance, I'd love to hear about your last babies or baby, and what it's like to be a sugar daddy. I'm honestly so curious
How's your night going?
Sorry for disappearing! I was working
Rent is getting close and I'm scared I won't make it.
By the way is PayPal okay?
Heyo, you still interested in me?
Ugh, loooong day at work. Gonna call it a night. Hope to hear from you soon though...
Hello Sugar
Hey daddy!
How's it going?
I'm good. But been busy
Sounded like you have had a busy week! Whatcha up to?
I'm going to take my meds sweetie.
What about you?
Just washed a lot of dishes and laundry by hand! Then made breakfast
Planning to do some work for my small business today. I've been sick this month. I should take my meds too actually :)
My taking meds for my leg darling. Are you okay?
Yeah it's just chronic stuff for me. Ptsd related! Is your leg okay?
Just sitting in the corner of my room. I made the scarf
I've been knitting for ten and a half years. I love it.
Yeah I'm fine. Its a long story. I had auto accident I lost my wife. But I survived just my leg. I can walk but can't stand hours. And I do take meds for it.
I love it
I'm so sorry. Car accidents are so much more dangerous than people think. I'm glad you lived though
Was it a recent accident?
Early last year
And what bank credit card do you use?
My stupid phone wasn't loading! sorry, back
Oh, TD
but I can't give you my login info
I actually don't have a credit card, my credit's messed up
Oh welp I was just going to use my credit card to put money on it for you.
Well*
Any chance we could go through paypal?
Also, I'm sorry about your wife...I would love to hear about her when you feel up to it.
I like hearing about people's lives.
Oh no Darling it's not something I love to talk about at all
Credit don't work stuffs like darling. Not even western Union and co
Western Union could be all right
It's not going to work honey. I don't have debit card.
Dang
paypal works from a credit card though
and that's very safe. Wouldn't expose your info to me or vice versa
OOOH WAIT I thought of something
I have a loadable visa card with koho.
would that work? Obviously, I can't give you the login, but I can give you the number.
Listen. Send you bank info.
Aaaand here we go. You talked a good game the whole wife thing was pretty convincing
so how many of you guys are there?
I figure it's a company in Lagos
What's your real name, by the way?
What if I promise not to expose you like the other scammers?
You want to expose who very funny? Where is your number scammer! You think I believe you. I love how you mess things up coz I don't trust you. Coz your chatting me up with a phone. You used a laptop the first time. Help yourself and don't text again
Seriously, I'm working on a major story and I might be able to talk to my bosses to get you some kind of immunity deal if you help me by flipping.
You asked for my bank info, numbnuts. I told you from the first minute that I wasn't going to hand that over. I have experience with scammers.
The most impressive thing is how all you guys stay in character
I mean the whole bit where you triedt o accuse me of being untrustworthy was pretty convincing. For the record, everyone else I talk to is aware that both computers and phones exist, so like, saying that switching between those two is sketchy is a pretty poor argument
Seriously, I've heard it all. "send your bank info to prove your loyalty..."
the biggest thing your agency might want to work on is your English. No offense, because I'm used to working with non-native speakers, but there's a whole bunch of dead giveaways. you all have the same verbal quirks.
I'm starting to feel fond of you, whoever you are. I feel like maybe we've interacted on my other account?
Seriously, I'm good at pattern recognition. you don't have to lie anymore.
I know what it's like to be cash-strapped...even with Western privilege in my way.
And don't forget, you can totally reward my hard (and honest) work on this series by sending a tip to my Paypal.me or Ko-fi.
At the heart of all confidence schemes - yes, con artist is short for "confidence artist", and I'll never get used to that - is a fundamental social rule violation. Human beings automatically trust each other, and automatically struggle to lie.
Social engineering, and how it works
You may be familiar with phishing emails, which are fraudulent emails designed to imitate the letterhead, style, and other aesthetics of official businesses with whom the consumer is already affiliated. For example, a phishing email from "Paypal" might have the name "Paypal" as the address in the email header, but the actual origin of the email might be something like "paypal@rocketmail.com" or something equally dubious. A phishing email will often solicit the login information of an applicant, often citing a possible data breach (ironically). "Fear and urgency" are usually weaponised to exploit these marks.
Social engineering gets even more sinister when direct interactions are involved. Like vampires, these con artists need to be invited in - but the tactics they use to secure those invitations are as devious as they are impressive. Whether it's asking someone to hold the door open because they forgot their key-card, becoming a familiar face around the office, sending Dropbox links, or implanting keystroke-copying software to secure passwords, corporate spies aren't afraid to play long cons.
Most of the articles I've found about the topic tend to come from the IT world - perhaps unsurprisingly, because hacking fathered (or at least contributed to) the small-scale online exploitation industry. Although it's more strongly associated with corporate espionage, savvy shysters have long since branched out into exploiting civilians.
Business casual edition
Most of us are familiar with the now infamous "Nigerian prince" scam. The thing is, it's a perfect example of social engineering - the creation of an emotional bond through the letter writer's situation of danger, the cajoling tone that creates a sense of shared opposition, and of course, the promise of disproportionate rewards.
Sugar scammers are a bit more sophisticated. Partly it's that they require solicitation or a bit of work to be sought out, which already makes them seem more promising than they are. Second, it's that many of them try to bend the aspiring sugar babies into a relationship by imposing a sense of obligation and even control on them.
To make my foray as convincing as possible, I decided to be honest about my circumstances and personality. It's hard to keep track of lies - as I noticed when a number of so-called sugar daddies would mention living in a different location than their Twitter profile claimed to host.
Directing potential marks off a platform, they try to create a sense of trust and intimacy with difficult life circumstances and by placing the mark in a defensive position. After all, if you have to convince the sugar daddy that you're the trustworthy one, you'll feel you owe them something - even though you don't, you haven't done anything wrong, and it's basically a switcheroo trick.
But don't believe me - have a look at the transcript of a conversation I had with one of the most convincing fake sugar daddies who pursued me. Note that many other sugar daddies didn't put this much work in - and that's what makes this type of person so much more persuasive, and more dangerous.
It's worth noting that I outright lied at the end in an attempt to get "Tobi" to weaken and flip, but as always, his lips were sealed tight. I'm grudgingly impressed by how cautious these fraudsters are - they don't yield to anyone.
Tobi •
Tobi •
Tobi •
Tobi •
Tobi •
Tobi •
Tobi •
okay, well, if you're just not gonna answer, I admire your loyalty, but I'm not going to stop until every single sugar daddy account is dead and your scams stop working.
And don't forget, you can totally reward my hard (and honest) work on this series by sending a tip to my Paypal.me or Ko-fi.
***
Michelle Browne is a sci fi/fantasy writer and editor. She lives in Lethbridge, AB with her partner-in-crime and Max the cat. Her days revolve around freelance editing, knitting, jewelry, and learning too much. She is currently working on other people's manuscripts, the next books in her series, and drinking as much tea as humanly possible.
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