Ten Commandments for Con Artists

In the the year 1925, con artist Victor Lustig from Austria-Hungary pulled out what would go down as one of the most popular scams in the world.

After reading from a local newspaper about the poor state of the Eiffel Tower, an idea crossed the mind of Mr. Lustig, he was going to sell the tower to scrap metal dealers.

Mr. Lustig mapped out a simple but genius plan. On the D-day, Mr. Lustig assembled all the prominent scrap metal dealers to a boardroom in one of the posh hotels located in Paris.

Posing as a government official in charge of maintaining the Eiffel Tower, Mr. Lustig told the scrap metal dealers that the government was finding it expensive to maintain the tower and it was looking to dispose of it but in secrete because they feared public outburst.

Mr. Lustig offered the dealers a chance to purchase the metals that were going to be retrieved from dismantling the tower. After engaging the dealers for some time, Lustig gave them a chance to go and think about it before giving him a response a few weeks later.

However, as the dealers were going to think about Lustig's offer, he requested André Poisson who was one of the scrap metal dealers present in that meeting to remain behind.

Bribing government officials was common during those years and André Poisson was not surprised when Lustig asked him to pay a certain amount of money as a bribe for Lustig to ensure that the deal went on his side.

Mr. Poisson paid the bribe and failed to hear from Lustig again. Lustig had travelled to another country after pulling out the scam and only came back to France a few years later after the dust had settled to pull off the scam again on new unsuspecting scrap metal dealers.

Apart from the Eiffel Tower scam, Mr. Lustig also pulled off several successful scams throughout his life. Before he died in the year 1947. Before his death, Lustig left the 10 commandments for con artists. This is the list of the 10 con men commandments attributed to Victor Lustig, the man who sold Eiffel Tower twice;1. Be a patient Listener
According to Lustig, this is the first and the most important commandment of con artists. To pull off a successful scam, one must take their time to listen carefully to their potential victims. When listening to your prey, it is important to note down what they like, what they dislike, their strengths and their weaknesses so as to take advantage of them when you start pulling off the scam.
2. Never look bored
When talking to your potential prey, always look like you are enjoying the conversation even if it is on a topic you have no interest in. You can do this by asking questions, asking the speaker to clarify a point or even taking down notes when you are in a formal set up. Looking bored will turn off the speaker and this might prevent them from giving you more information which might be useful for you when pulling off the scam.
3. Wait for the potential prey to reveal their political stand and then agree with them
Most people tend to hold dear their political stand to a point that they feel offended when one challenges them. This is why when pulling off a scam, one should not reveal their political stand until their prey reveals theirs. You can go ahead to agree with the prey on their political stand make it look like you are sharing something in common. People tend to trust those who they share something in common with. For example, if you meet someone from your country in a foreign country, you will automatically click because you share something in common. The same applies to political stand.
4. Let the other person reveal their religious beliefs and then agree with them
Just like political vies, most people hold dear their religious beliefs to an extent that they feel offended when challenged. The last thing you want to do when pulling off a scam is to offend your potential prey, you should therefore hold on to your religious beliefs even when you are discussing matters faith and wait for the other person to reveal their stand before agreeing with them to avoid offending them.
5. Hint at sex talk but don’t follow up unless the other person shows strong interest
This is the kind of talk one will have with you only if they are fully open to you. Hinting at sex talk will show you the level of trust the other person has granted you. You can use this gauge to test how much trust you have earned. However, do not force the conversation if the other person seems not to be interested in it.
6. Never discuss illness unless a critical situation presents itself
It is easy to make mistakes when discussing matters of health because it is a very sensitive topic. This is why one should avoid at all cost talking about illness or disability unless pushed to the wall. Always try to avoid this topic by switching the topic instantly when the other person raises it during the conversation.
7. Never pry into a person’s personal circumstances
Gaining personal information from one will give you an added advantage when pulling off a perfect scam. This should however not be forced as it might send a warning to the person you want to scam. This is why you should be very patient with your prey and let them hand to you their personal details at their own time and speed. When you are patient enough, they will always give you more information than you need.
8. Never boast
When pulling off a scam, never blow your own trumpet. Let the other person praise you and just brush it off when they do. This will show that you are humble and your achievements, most of which are fake, have not gotten into your head. For example, when Lustig posed as a government official when pulling off the Eiffel Tower scam, he must have listed some of his achievements in government service when presenting to the Scrap Metal dealers who were his potential prey at this time but he never boasted.
9. Always dress up nicely
People tend to believe those who are suits more than those who are casually dressed in an office setup. When you walk into a manager’s office in a financial institution and find someone dressed up in a casual t-shirt and a pair of ripped jeans, you will get a bit uncomfortable because that dress code doesn’t match that space. This why you should always dress up to the occasion to earn more trust from the potential prey.
10. Never get drunk
This is the final commandment offered by Lustig. Drinking alcohol impairs ones judgement and this might greatly compromise your mission as a con artist. This is why you should avoid taking alcohol at all cost when pulling off a scam because you have to make sober decisions at all levels of the game. You can buy the pray a drink or two if they are into it because this will make your work easier.
Lustig’s commandments were written down for con artists but can also apply in very many ethical transactions we currently have in our day to day life. In business conversations, in work presentations and even in job interviews, you can apply most of these rules to achieve your goals.