–and the changes we must make to survive sensibly

NOTHING is what it seems until you question it, and verify all aspects of its anatomy. The knowledge base of many have risen to the level of survival against the ready acceptance of ideas what once worked in the best interest of conmen and conwomen. But there are many that are still in the hopeful wilderness of slick-talking earthly saviours. I did not grow up completely sheltered throughout my life, and I witnessed and was told of incidents by grow mates, workmates and the corner crew about schemes they had either employed, knew of, or were involved in to extract money from the gullible.

To put matters into perspective, I have written several articles on the decline of ‘semi-literate, labour-based employment’ and its effects on how most of our population live. Whereas it was hard before, it’s now gotten much worse. Most of the confidence-trickster scams we grew up with revolved around selling imitation or ‘canta’ jewellery, especially at ‘whore houses’, with the help of prostitutes proposing to sell just-snatched gold jewellery. Then there was the ‘burn-and-switch’ posse who would trick people who have money into believing that their cash could be multiplied, exponentially, through a process of reproduction called the ‘bun-money’. Many were fleeced by that crew. The mystics were among the most effective of the ‘boards’ men and women. But most from that era have faded away, and people are much wiser, so the usual tricksters who couldn’t evolve are pathetic relics of another era.

I can recall ‘Jubal’, a conman with too many years gone, regaling a group of younger folk, including yours truly, about a scenario that happened to him. In fact, it was a scenario he had used in a con many years ago. I was about to say something when an older presence signalled me to say nothing. It seemed that if you consistently tell a lie long enough, you can convince yourself about the validity of your own fantasies. This, in the context of reality, is a very dangerous development; a confidence trickery in a collapsing mental state of throwing self in ‘boards’ strangled in one’s own web of lies. But this is a human failing, and not only reserved to confidence tricksters alone, as I have come to realise.

THE CONMEN OF TODAY
Today is not much different, though the techniques are upgraded. Take, for instance, this example. Two Sundays ago, I received a landline call at about quarter to twelve. The caller sounded quite professional. The guy began by telling me that I had won second place in a collaboration between GTT & DIGICEL, and that on behalf of GTT, I had won $175,000 and a refrigerator. He had the correct landline number, which is public information, and after asking me if my mobile was GTT or Digicel, he gave me pin# 9198210, reassuring me that from Digicel I would get a phone, but I would have to purchase $8,000 in Digicel cards, as a Digicel support for the phone I was getting. Okay, I thought; we’re getting there. I assured him that I would have to go out of the area, because I couldn’t get the cards in the area, and I’m sounding excited, too. I insisted that he give me a phone number I could call him back on, so that as soon as I’m back with the SIM cards, he can continue to advise me. With exalted confidence, he gave me the number #227 8381. This is actually a GRA number (I assumed the intention would be me completing the competition by handing over the DICEL pin numbers to this smooth facilitator, and losing $8,000). My cooperation allowed him to provide the false phone number, and, indeed, he did call back minutes before the hour was up. My youngest replied, and told him that I’m not going to be back until Wednesday. I had included my youngest, because, like us at their age, they pay attention to things like competitions, and most likely have schoolmates in these institutions to provide feedback. Elder folk are too busy trying to tie the bills together, and have long lost any faith in most promotions and competitions for the same economic reasons of where the cash in hand has to go.

I visited the commercial head office on mid-Brickdam, and paid my landline, which was much higher than the amount that showed up on my phone. I then spoke to the supervisor about the incident. She was not surprised, but in response to some questions, she suggested that I visit the PR people and make recommendations on concerns. Honestly, I’m not going to do that, unless a contract is tied to the visit, because ‘recommendations on concerns’ are intangible IPR project items.

The reality is, we the private and public working class are looking for avenues out of economic and social problems. This is the energy brew that the skill of the confidence trickster feeds on. The monetary urgency at the moment plaguing the mind can be vulnerable to ‘the promise of economic salvation’, and willingness to be enthralled into well-packaged promises. The fellow who called me from ‘wherever’ has talent; the skill to make it legitimately in the business world, on any legit promo, if he’s so inclined.