Confidence Man 101

An introduction:

Being a con artist is no easy task. Being a successful one is nigh impossible. You need to be able to think on your feet, answer every suspicion with an alibi and lie to others without shame. But lying isn't enough, your lies must be indistinguishable from your truths, even if it means you come to believe a few of them yourself. When giving information about yourself, give a mixture of real facts and fabrications. Replace or omit anything that might blow your cover. Start with yourself and proceed to craft a character, charismatic and charming, and most of all: trustworthy.

Be forewarned: This character is not you. You are a thief, a bastard, a douchebag. Your ultimate goal is to exploit the people that will come to call you friend. That being said, pretending to be their friend is often not enough. Trust is a two-way street. At very least you need to feign an equal level of trust for The Target. That means taking risks for their benefit, that means helping the people you will soon call enemies. They need to know you, and you need to know them.

Do not be tempted to abort The Plan in favor of friendship. This is not a romantic comedy. The Target will learn of your deception. The lie will not sustain itself indefinitely, and believe me when I tell you that when you are discovered for what you are The Target will act swiftly and mercilessly. Do not hesitate, do not reconsider.

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The Rules:

There are three simple rules that you should always refer to during any stage of The Plan. You may choose to ignore them if you feel it benefits, but be aware of the consequences.


Rule 1: Be Anonymous.
You will not be able to make use of The Goods if everyone in New Eden knows your name. Do not underestimate the wrath that the masses can inflict upon you. Do not advertise yourself, do not make calls for glory or infamy and for the love of Space Jesus do not shout into the heavens of your victories. This means don't post about successful cons on the EVE forums and don't go telling all of your contacts how your con is going so far. Fame and glory are for soldiers, cash and success are for thieves.

Anonymity is your greatest weapon. If you remain humble and smart The Target can check your background all they want, they won't find anything on you. If you go posting on the forums about how you just scammed Corp A, and then The Target looks in your Alt's employment history and sees that you just left Corp A, you're in for a world of hurt. If they don't shut you down right there they are going to turn the tables and con YOU. I personally have made this mistake, and be sure: You will only make it once.



Rule 2: Be Fickle.
Have standards. Do not choose a Target that consists of 10 members and describes itself as "an up-and-coming corp that will soon have access to 0.0 space." There is no money in stealing from nobodies. That being said, you should always take caution in stealing from those with powerful friends and deep pockets.

Analyze your target, take your time and don't rush into any commitments. Scams are not quick and they are not easy. After spending a month scouting ten different potential Target's, what's it going to hurt to cross a few off the list?



Rule 3: Be Smart.
Always be aware. Always over-analyze. Never be comfortable, never be relaxed. Paranoia in fighters and miners is something those people often strive to rid themselves of, requiring a calm to operate efficiently. Paranoia in thieves, on the other hand, will keep you safe and successful. Consider all possibilities, plan for every situation, always have an exit strategy. Most importantly, learn to keep this paranoia to yourself. On the inside you can be a nervous wreck, but on the outside you NEED to be calm and collected.

Never be afraid to settle for less. If you think The Target is on to you, take what you can and cut your losses. By the time The Goods are in sight you'll have spent months, or years, constructing a character and reputation. If those fail you had better make sure it wasn't for nothing.