Michael Shermer has appeared on such shows as The Colbert Report, 20/20, Dateline, Charlie Rose, Oprah, and Larry King Live (but, proudly, never Jerry Springer!). He has been interviewed in countless documentaries aired on PBS, A&E, Discovery, The History Channel, The Science Channel, and The Learning Channel. He regularly contributes opinion editorials, essays, and reviews to: the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, Science, Nature, and other publications.
The art of the con is as old as civilization, employing the skills of deception, misdirection, and the psychology of human greed and the desire to get something for nothing. In this episode Shermer employs a professional con artist to teach him the fine art of conning people.
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how Akismet processes your comment data.
Copyright 2023 Michael Shermer | All Rights Reserved | 3938 State Street, Suite 101, Santa Barbara, CA, 93105-3114 | 1-805-576-9396
December 23rd, 2008 at 7:35 am
But why do so many people still believe homeopathy works, even to the point of getting angry if challenged?
I guess it’s not unlike the persistent belief in god.
December 23rd, 2008 at 7:46 am
I can’t believe he fell for it. I think I’d have alarm bells going off in my head at handing my wallet over to anyone… even if I did have $3k in my pocket, I could stand to loose so much more. Still it’s worked for ages.
December 23rd, 2008 at 9:01 am
So, if you’re in that situation, the proper response would be, “Oh my, yes, that is my wallet, thank you so much for noticing I dropped it!” Then you walk away with their three grand.
Too bad I’d never think quickly enough to pull it off, even if I ever did find myself in that situation. Thanks, Mr Shermer, for the video–it was very informative.
December 23rd, 2008 at 9:46 am
In November 2008 I was a gullible pigeon and lost $6000. Some people I understand have lost their life’s savings. Beware,of trying to help others if it involves money, and especially you are vulnerable if you are a senior citizen (whose instincts are not as sharp as they once were), which I am. The scam worked on me but was a different scenario yet similar to what you have shown.
December 23rd, 2008 at 12:58 pm
Amazing. I’d be interested in any thoughts about belief in God and religion as scams for the gullible. Any ideas about how to help people avoid that scam?
December 24th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
Ed,
Simple. Ask for proof. Not claims about miracles; hard, tangible proof.
December 26th, 2008 at 1:41 am
The day (the hour, the minute) God proves his existence, this world as we know it comes to an end. You can believe in God or leave him out of the picture, but proof will not be delivered as a matter of everyday life.
All kinds of hustlers can turn a profit on this fact, but it is a fact never the less.
December 26th, 2008 at 1:42 am
P.S. Thanks a lot for the videos. Instructive and funny.
December 26th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
Wow, these videos were awsome,
Crass,
Claims about supernatural events are only believable if they come directly from supernatural entities. (Although, by interacting with the world they would necessarily be “natural” entities, I suppose)
If claims of “end times” and other prophecies come from scraps of paper written upon with ink by very “non-supernatural” people (bronze-age con artists), then I am very skeptical of them.
Calling it a “fact” adds no heft to the argument.
December 31st, 2008 at 4:14 am
[…] The Pigeon Drop. […]
March 26th, 2009 at 1:51 am
Honest people with less greed are less vulnerable to such cons.