How to Spot a Con Artist Investing in securities is risky enough without worrying about whether your salesperson is out to fleece you. To be an informed investor, you must recognize certain danger signs. Some are subtle, and some are easier to spot.
Con artists know that being themselves hurts business.
Effective con artists must disguise their true motives. Whether your first contact with the con artist is through an unsolicited telephone call or a stranger ringing your doorbell, the con artist takes great pains to look, sound and speak like you or me. They quickly get to know a lot of people in the group so they can count on this common bond to spread the word about their questionable investments and reel in unsuspecting investors. They work very hard to come across as smooth, professional and successful. Con artists may dress like they are wealthy and work out of impressive looking offices.