Phase Zero: Prepare

Before you can construct your lies you first need a solid foundation. This can be established through several different procedures. Be warned, ill preparation WILL cost you time and effort, and it will oft be for nothing.


Create your Alias:
The most useful tool for an EVE Online con man is the Alternate Character. Alts cannot be traced to an account by anyone but CCP. This does not mean The Target will not be able to deduce your true identity. You need to keep your forum interactions to a minimum, censor yourself at every opportunity and always obey Rule 1 if you want your alias to be believed. NEVER scam people on a character that is not expendable. If you find yourself hesitating to push that "delete" button next to your character's portrait, you need to keep it clean and make a new one.

Start by creating your Alt. You will need to fund him with ISK and supplies from your main character. You will invest a great deal of ISK in this alt, and this means you need ISK to begin with. It takes money to make money, and you can't jump into scams without an established source of revenue. Have a legitimate Main trained and fitted to support your Alias.

The level of training your Alt requires depends entirely upon your plan for Infiltration (Phase Two.) One of the easiest and most popular methods of infiltration is to pose as a new player. Feigning ignorance of the game's systems will cover for the fact that you have no trained skills, as will be elaborated upon later. But if you're looking to infiltrate a very exclusive PvP corp, you will need to train your alt to a level of competence before you proceed.

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Establishing a Network:
Scams and Corporate Subterfuge are not the game for a lone wolf. EVE Online is all about teamwork, this is no exception. However, your team will have a much different structure than that of a corporation. You will need to make friends, turn contacts and find people that you can trust, all while maintaining no connected between them and your Alt. If you befriend a fellow con man and introduce him to The Target, you have effectively ruined all chance of success. The Target may be gullible, but you do not want to take that chance. Always assume your quarry is as ruthless and intelligent as you are.

As ironic as it is, a con man gets nowhere if he has no one he can trust. You will need to bring trustworthy allies along for the ride. Finding them can be difficult. If you are a member of a corporation that endorses this sort of activity, you could let them in on your plans with your Alt, but take great care not to tell them too much. Keep your Alias' name confidential until otherwise needed. Alternatively, you could rely on an outside community of friends and acquaintances. You never know where allies might turn up. Perhaps there is a discontent within The Target who would like to see them destroyed as much as you. Maybe a competing corporation would be interested to know you can help them deal a blow to their enemy's wallets. Keep your eyes open, and always remember Rule 3.

There is no guide to making friends, that you will need to learn on your own. But turning them into a network is simple. First, evaluate their interest on an individual basis. Second, if they are interested, tell them a very VAGUE outline of your plans, leaving names and details out of it so they have no chance of warning The Target. Third, evaluate their capabilities. Finally, months after establishing your network, call in your favors and build The Crew.

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Think:
It always helps to create lists. List alibis for your activities. Formulate basic cons and strategies before you jump in. Odds are you won't use most of them, but you never know when you'll need them.

There is one tip I can offer that is extremely useful to any con man. Remember: You are NOT the only con man in New Eden. I cannot tell you how many times someone has tried to scam ME whilst I was scamming THEM. An example:

I was posing as a miner in a dummy corporation filled with alts and demo account characters, advertising my whereabouts and attempting to get someone to allow me access to their own 0.0 space sector. The scam was simple, I would target small Low and Null Sec PvP corps with minimal industrial capacity. I would tell them that I could help them I could help them exploit all of their sector's resources for a very small cut of the profits, demanding a small deposit up front to deter piracy. Now, you may be thinking: "Lankist, this is stupid! Nobody does that!" That is the entire point, my friend. This scam attracts other scammers.

I got in touch with a PvP corp that was extremely interested in how many ships my (fake) mining corp had. I told them we had several Hulks and other various mining platforms. They offered to escort my (fictional) corp mates into 0.0 space to mine. I am not stupid, and neither are you. Their clear intention was to draw some stupid new players out into 0.0 with Hulks and the like and either blow us to hell or ransom us for our ships. This can work to your advantage as a con man. The Target believes they have an upper hand, and therefore they will overlook a great deal of deception on your part. If you offer them the promise of a billion credit ransom or an assload of Hulk kills, they will gladly pay that little 50,000,000 collateral up front. All without ever having to leave your little shuttle aboard your little station.