History Main / ConMan

[[quoteright:300:[[ComicBook/{{Superman}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/superman_wolfingham.png]]]]

More realistic ealistic examples will often spin a 'sob story' to hook the victim -- maybe their dog is lost, or their car is being towed, or their mother may even be in the hospital. After that, it's all SocialEngineering; a truly gifted con artist can get away with almost anything, simply by virtue of appearing sincere and naïve (usually slightly moreso than the victim, on the theory that sympathy almost always gets you something). For complicated cons, the CaperCrew may come into play: large teams might be involved, with each member of the team playing a distinct role.

The basic, stereotypical Con Man can be seen in the streets and alleys, inviting unsuspecting victims to bet on a simple ShellGame that looks fairer than it is or convincing them to buy cheap "deluxe" watches or some other suspicious good. Sometimes they even look like {{Blatant Burglar}}s. Obviously, real con artists are a bit more subtle about their work, since the whole point of their job is to win the trust of random strangers to scam them out later. They often spin a 'sob story' to hook the victim -- maybe their dog is lost, or their car is being towed, or their mother may even be in the hospital. After that, it's all SocialEngineering; a truly gifted con artist can get away with almost anything, simply by virtue of appearing sincere and naïve (usually slightly moreso than the victim, on the theory that sympathy almost always gets you something). For complicated cons, the CaperCrew may come into play: large teams might be involved, with each member of the team playing a distinct role.

The Con Man (also known as a grifter, swindler, matchstick man, scam artist or con artist) attempts to gain the confidence of naïve people and [[AFoolAndHisNewMoneyAreSoonParted part them from their money]], or at least play them for a fool long enough to get what they want--that is, to pull off a confidence trick.

The basic, stereotypical Con Man can be seen in the streets and alleys, inviting unsuspecting victims to bet on a simple ShellGame that looks fairer than it is or convincing them to buy cheap "deluxe" watches or some other suspicious good. Sometimes they even look like {{Blatant Burglar}}s. Obviously, real con artists are a bit more subtle about their work, since the whole point of their job is to win the trust of random strangers to scam them out later. They often spin a 'sob story' to hook the victim--maybe their dog is lost, or their car is being towed, or their mother may even be in the hospital. After that, it's all SocialEngineering; a truly gifted con artist can get away with almost anything, simply by virtue of appearing sincere and naïve (usually slightly moreso than the victim, on the theory that sympathy almost always gets you something). For complicated cons, the CaperCrew may come into play: large teams might be involved, with each member of the team playing a distinct role.

%%* Shady Secondhand Seller - ROGUE LAUNCHED TROPE

[[quoteright:300:[[Franchise/{{Superman}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/superman_wolfingham.png]]]]

* ShadySecondhandSeller

The Con Man (also known as a grifter, swindler, matchstick man, scam artist or con artist) attempts to gain the confidence of [[TheMark naïve people]] and [[AFoolAndHisNewMoneyAreSoonParted part them from their money]], or at least play them for a fool long enough to get what they want--that is, to pull off a confidence trick.

* LandmarkSale