| Seemingly eons ago, the word, "mark," was born. It | | | | - Confidential. Secret. Then, you must ask yourself, |
| was in the 19th century era of the carnival barker | | | | why in the world is he about to spill all of this to a |
| that the practice of labeling "marks" originated. Once | | | | neophyte stranger like me? |
| a victim proved his suckerhood, a shell games | | | | - Removes risk. Risk-free. What? Come again. You're |
| operator would slap him on the back with a | | | | thinking, every morning when I leave the house I |
| chalk-filled hand, thus making him identifiable to the | | | | must drive carefully to avoid hitting somebody. When |
| other crooked operators on the midway. The carnival | | | | I get to work I must avoid second hand smoke. I |
| con man of the day usually got away with these | | | | must be careful not to cut myself when using a knife |
| small-time scams because local authorities wrote such | | | | to peel an orange at coffee break. At lunch time I |
| thievery off, "because they'll be gone in 3 days." | | | | must be sure the potato salad hasn't been standing |
| This practice has evolved. No longer must you worry | | | | out too long, to avoid food poisoning. And, on my |
| about such messy tracking methods. The skilled con | | | | way home I risk what my husband might think when |
| man, now a polished orator, resorts, largely, to | | | | he sees the fishnet stockings and miniskirt I just |
| spellbinding prose, a strictly verbal assault on your | | | | bought and am wearing--will he think I was wearing |
| common sense. So, how do you keep the chalk off | | | | these before I got to work, with a specific purpose |
| your back? How do you now detect when you are | | | | in mind?. And, now this guy wants me to invest |
| about to be ripped off? | | | | $10,000 with him and tells me there is no risk? |
| Listen closely to the language. Hear each and every | | | | - Lazy way. Easy money. Painless. Automatic. Huh? |
| word penetrating your ears, on into your head, | | | | As in the Geico commercials on TV, so easy a cave |
| circulating about your cerebrum seeking analytical | | | | man can do it? |
| judgment. When the con man thinks he has got you | | | | - This is not a get-rich-quick scheme. When you hear |
| in his cross-hairs, certain words will spill forth from his | | | | this you can be sure it is just that: a get-rich-quick |
| lips. Like the intellectual who uses more words than | | | | scheme. Whom to acquire this elusive wealth? Why, |
| necessary, he will try to overwhelm you with his | | | | the con man, naturally. |
| charm, wit, and charisma, along with his verbosity. | | | | - Insider. Magic. No-brainer. You would have to be |
| Measure him, and what he says, carefully. Examples | | | | living vicariously through the eyes of a gypsy tea leaf |
| of the words: | | | | reader to believe these words. |
| - Anyone can make a killing. Anyone? C'mon. Obvious, | | | | - Win / win. When you hear this think, lose / lose. |
| even though the con man thinks, a good slogan will | | | | - Money machine. Offshore. Cookie-cutter. Dead cat |
| stop research for 10 years. It's still tried, over and | | | | bounce. Components of a legal thriller? Sounds more |
| over again. | | | | like language uttered by Tony Soprano and his gang |
| - Sure-fire. Automatic. Easy money. Airtight. Painless. | | | | of thugs. |
| Foolproof.. Safe. Sure, these words reassure alright. | | | | In essence, it's best to be certain the con man's |
| Don't they? Anyone who falls for this claptrap | | | | words fall only into an echo chamber as you turn and |
| probably also believes in the tooth fairy, Santa | | | | walk away. Be sure to avoid taking a friendly pat on |
| Clause, and truthful politicians. | | | | the back on your way out. |