It might not be possible to resist a good con artist, according to award-winning author, journalist, and champion poker player Maria Konnikova. On the CyberWire’s Hacking Humans podcast, Konnikova explained that she interviewed several con artists for her upcoming book, “The Biggest Bluff,” but said she eventually had to stop talking to them because she felt their charisma beginning to warp her own opinions.
“It just makes you realize how powerful they are, how charismatic,” Konnikova said. “If you saw them coming, if you could actually spot this, then they wouldn't be very good con artists. So I think it's something very deep in them and deep in us that causes that connection, that trust to build. And you see how easy it is to take advantage of our trust, of our confidence. It's frightening.”
Konnikova explained that con artists usually display some common psychological traits, including psychopathy, narcissism, and Machiavellianism. Psychopathy is a lack of normal human emotion, which sometimes results in a lack of empathy or guilt. Narcissism is a feeling of entitlement that allows con artists to justify what they do, because they feel as though they deserve what they’re stealing. But Konnikova explained that Machiavellianism is the most important element of the con artist’s mindset.
“What Machiavellianism means is that you're able to convince people to do your bidding, but they think it's their idea,” she explained. “They think it comes from them. They don't realize that you're the one who planted those seeds, that you're the one whose suggestion it was. So it's this very kind of sneaky way of getting your victims to do what you want them to do, but they don't realize it, and so they still trust you.”
Konnikova emphasized that no one is immune to social engineering, regardless of how well-educated they might be. If a skilled con artist decides to target you, you might not stand a chance. Collectively, however, people are much more likely to detect them, since the tactics that work on one person might not work on another.
“First, I actually do not think that inoculation is possible,” she said. “Knowledge is incredibly powerful. And, yeah, you can inoculate yourself to certain types of cons if you know that they exist, you know, some very specific varieties. And I think that, you know, first, some of the most powerful advice is don't be overconfident and realize that there is really no such thing as the exception to the rule. And that includes you. You are not the exception. And listen to other people. That's what we don't usually tend to do.”
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