Although con artists can possess many different mental problems, the common denominator is clearly sociopathic. Sociopaths lack empathy for other people's feelings which make it easy for them to prey on their victims for their money without remorse.

Con artists that work in the street have literally hundreds of scams that they use to steal money from their innocence victims. Some of the well tested and successful scams include Three Card Monte in which the scammer controls whether then victim can win or not and trick them into continuing playing in losing their money. Another popular street scam is the pigeon drop where the scammer pretends to notice a valuable object at the same time the victim does and share their findings. Finally, two con artists working together attempt to sell a victim a worthless dog or other item for a high price.

It is always good to be wary of a contractor that approaches you off the street as they are most likely a con artist. A poorly dressed contractor is actually less likely to be a con artist than a well-dressed one. Most contractors actually do hire other specialists for each part of the job and is very common practice. Finally, unless it is taking much longer than promised, delays are almost inevitable in any contract job.

If you suspect you are being conned, the best way to be sure is to ask for written documentation and license numbers. Asking for references is also a good practice. Honest people will gladly share this information with you. A con artist will avoid the questions are even insult you for asking. Asking for a few days to think about it is also a good idea as con artists will attempt to rush you into making a decision while a legit person will not.

It is very unfortunate, but the fastest growing segment of population is senior citizens and they are also the most vulnerable to a con artist's attack. There are many reasons for this including the fact that they have accumulated wealth, are at home during the day and alone more often.

Con artists are very good at avoiding the authorities. One way to do this is to threaten their victims if they go to the police or make them feel embarrassed for fallen for their ploy in the first place. There are many authorities who are very much interested in capturing con artists and, although it can happen, it is very rare for a con artist to be able to pay off authorities to look the other way. Conning someone out of money is definitely illegal, so reporting them as soon as possible is a good idea.

Con artists tend to use lots of eye contact to get the upper hand and appear more convincing and powerful. They will most likely talk a lot to make it difficult for the victim to ask questions which could give them away. Pretty much all con artists are intelligent as they need to be to outsmart their victims. However, the best way for the con artist to gain your trust is through familiar situations such as friends, nearby locations and other well-known situations.

The melon drop scam, often used by con artists, derived from the fact that the scammer would accidentally drop a melon and then claim that melons are rare in their part of the world and asked for a high compensation for it. Today, other items are used including champagne and wine bottles filled with colored water and cheap glass and ceramic that they claim are antique and very rare, but in reality are flea market junk.

Con artists can be found just about anywhere. However, they favor areas where people are more vulnerable, confused, alone and will have large amounts of money with them. One of the best situations by far is when the victim is on vacation in an unknown place to them.

If you are confronted by someone that you suspect is a con artist, it is best not to tip them off by threatening to go to the police as this will cause them to flee, making it harder for the police to capture them. Never give out personal information to anyone that you do not know or trust. Going along with their ploy could actually backfire and you could become a victim. The best way to find out if someone is conning you is to ask detailed questions. If they are legit they will gladly answer your questions. On the contrary, if they are not legit they will avoid your questions or make you feel guilty for asking them.

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