How to Identify and Beat Criminals
There are a few things to know about criminals. Firstly you almost certainly know more of them than you realise. I usually stumble for the right words when an acquaintance tells me they don’t know any crooks. Crooks don’t make a song and dance about it. Child abusers, thieves murderers, drug dealers are all out there living in the same towns and villages as the civilised human beings, but you won’t hear them say “you know what, I raped a couple of young girls last year.” They hide it. Not only do they not bring up the truth of what they are, but they will actively play mind games – lies and so forth – to cover up their true natures and convince everyone else they are really lovely people. There is a saying which goes “watch your friends”; good advice.
These unhealthy people plan in advance how to take advantage of their victims, and there are some methods which are common practice. Buttering you up. Watch out for the flattery, they’ll try to win you over, you’ll grow to like them, and because they say nice things about you, sometimes to others, you’ll want to help them out. They want you to believe they are your friends.
And they’ll be quick to describe themselves in a good light. I got involved with one criminal woman (a couple actually) who made sure she told me all her friends called her a saint. But would a saint really be so immodest? Chances are that a genuine good person is more likely to hide their good points and perhaps be open about their faults – fuelling the reality versus perception reversal. The other crooked partner I once had kept repeating her mantra “I have a great capacity for love”; yes I fell for it for a while until I eventually got switched on. So beware.
But experiencing villains can be empowering. When you know how to spot crooks, you can use your new insight to work against them. A man I was newly acquainted with became a customer of mine. He seemed like a really nice bloke, and we had mutual acquaintances who freely said to me “oh he’ll do anything for you.” Hmm. And he did a couple of small favours. Gave me some free stones for my rockery, very obliging I thought at the time. Reminded me of another crook who pointedly offered free home grown veg to all around. Cheap gifts both, and both quite publicly offered. Handy for one’s public image. Manipulating minds. So this new customer seemed very affable. Then he told me a tale of how he had helped some older gentleman to be aware of crooks “I told him, your much too trusting Albert, I said”. Seemed very nice of him to warn this old chap of con men in the neighbourhood. Painted my customer as a caring individual. Then I had a feint whiff of rat. He had sold about four of his own second hand drills on to people nearby; it seemed strange that anyone could justify getting through so many drills. And he was selling other stuff, like a cement mixer, that he offered to me. The smell got stronger. Then the telly had come from a mate of his. When his phone also seemed to come from somewhere unusual I made a point of very overtly asking where he got his phone from.
“Urr, ah, ask no questions and I’ll tell you no lies.” Stolen gear, as I had suspected. Being put on the spot like that forced him to either own up to being a crook, or skirt around it. The question was also asked to deliberately put him on his guard. I wanted him to have an element of uncertainty in his mind as to whether I had sussed him out or not. But only an uncertainty. That