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February 15th, 2023
Brian is a lover of motor sports and considers himself a student of many subjects. He reads 100+ books a year as part of his dedication to being a student of life. Brian has also went through hardships such as losing his late wife, which had a tremendous impact on his health. This lead to him suffering from heart complications that should have left him dead. It was an act of God that helped him get through adversity and make it back to full health. Despite Brian’s strong spirit to battle through problems, he would still have to face more losses when he fell victim to a con job. This time, of the monetary kind.
Before I delve into what happened to Brian, there’s a few things that must be discussed to help you understand the story and the people Brian was dealing with.
What is a Con Artist?
A con artist, short for “confidence artist,” is a person who uses deception to gain the trust of others and then exploits that trust for personal gain. Con artists are often skilled at creating a false sense of trust or confidence in their victims, which they then use to trick them into giving up money, property, personal information, or other valuables.
Con artists may use a variety of tactics to achieve their goals, including lying, manipulating, and misrepresenting themselves or their intentions. They may also use elaborate schemes and stories to create a sense of urgency or importance, which can make their victims more susceptible to their scams.
Common types of con artists include fraudsters who use fake identities or investment schemes to steal money from their victims, romance scammers who use fake online profiles to lure people into relationships and then extract money or personal information from them, and confidence tricksters who use psychology and persuasion techniques to gain the trust of their targets.
It’s important to be aware of the tactics that con artists use and to take steps to protect yourself from their scams. This can include being cautious of unsolicited phone calls or emails, researching investment opportunities and service providers thoroughly, and verifying the identity and credentials of anyone you deal with online or in person.
What are The Signs of a Con Artist?
Con artists are often skilled at deception, so it can be difficult to detect them at first. However, there are some signs and behaviors that may indicate someone is a con artist. Here are a few things to watch out for:
- Pressure tactics: Con artists often use high-pressure tactics to force their victims into making quick decisions. They may use fear or urgency to get their targets to act quickly, without giving them time to think things through.
- Too good to be true: Con artists may offer something that seems too good to be true, such as an investment opportunity with unusually high returns or a prize that you’ve supposedly won but never entered to win.
- Lack of credentials or documentation: Con artists often lack proper documentation or credentials to back up their claims. They may refuse to provide details about their background, education, or experience.
- Refusal to meet in person: Con artists may avoid meeting in person or refuse to give out their real name or contact information. They may insist on communicating only through phone or email, making it difficult to verify their identity.
- Inconsistencies in their story: Con artists may make mistakes or inconsistencies in their story or information they provide, as they try to keep up their deception.
- Requests for money or personal information: Con artists may ask for money, personal information such as Social Security numbers or bank account details, or access to your computer or phone.
What is a Con Artist Personality?
Con artists can come from all walks of life and have varying personalities, but there are some common traits that are often associated with con artists. These traits may include:
- Con artists are often very charismatic and charming, and they know how to make people feel at ease and comfortable.
- Con artists are usually very confident and assertive, which can help them convince their targets to believe their lies and trust them.
- Con artists are skilled at manipulating people’s emotions and beliefs to get what they want. They may use flattery, sympathy, or fear to gain their targets’ trust.
- Con artists may show little or no empathy for their victims, as they are focused solely on their own self-interest.
- Con artists may feel entitled to the money, property, or other valuables they are trying to steal. They may believe that they are smarter or more deserving than their victims.
- Con artists are often habitual liars and may tell elaborate stories or make up false identities to deceive their targets.
Signs of a Con Artist Friend
It can be especially difficult and upsetting to discover that a friend is a con artist, as it can involve a betrayal of trust and a sense of personal violation. Here are some signs that a friend may be a con artist:
They frequently ask for money or favors
A con artist friend may frequently ask you for money or other favors, often with promises to pay you back or return the favor in the future.
They tell elaborate stories
Con artists often have a way with words and may tell elaborate stories or make up false identities to deceive their targets. If your friend frequently tells unbelievable stories or seems to be hiding something, this could be a warning sign.
They are always in some sort of trouble
A con artist friend may always seem to be in some sort of financial or legal trouble, and may constantly ask for your help or sympathy.
They avoid or make excuses for meeting your other friends or family members
If your friend is a con artist, they may avoid meeting your other friends or family members, as this could expose their lies and deception.
They have a history of dishonesty
If your friend has a history of dishonesty, such as lying or stealing, this could be a warning sign that they may be a con artist.
They pressure you to make quick decisions
Con artists often use high-pressure tactics to force their victims into making quick decisions. If your friend is pressuring you to do something quickly without giving you time to think it through, this could be a warning sign.
How to Expose a Con Artist
Exposing a con artist can be a difficult and complex process, but it’s important to take action to protect yourself and others from their deceit. Keep a record of all interactions you have with the con artist, including emails, text messages, and phone calls. This can help you build a case against them and provide evidence to support your claims.
Use online resources to research the con artist’s background and history. Look for any criminal records, complaints or negative reviews from other victims, or evidence of a pattern of fraudulent behavior.
If the con artist has defrauded you of money or property, you may want to consult with a lawyer or financial advisor who can help you assess your legal options and take appropriate action.
If you have evidence that the con artist has committed a crime, such as fraud or identity theft, you should report them to the appropriate law enforcement agency. Provide as much detail as possible about the con artist’s actions, and include any evidence you have collected.
If you have evidence that the con artist is still actively operating, you may want to warn others to prevent them from falling victim to the same scam. You can do this by posting a warning on social media or reporting the con artist to a consumer protection agency.
The Costly Con: What Happened?
Back on November 6th 2022, Brian had met Eileen on Facebook dating. Blinded by her looks, he didn’t realize that she was dealing with a con artist. The photo he saw took his breath away and prompted him to comment on the beauty of her eyes and smile. He inquired on how she wound up in Owenton, KY. A few days later, Eileen had Brian contact Caroline. Caroline was the con artist that Eileen was working with. Caroline was a teacher at the University of London where Eileen studied fashion design. Caroline convinced Brian to get into e-commerce because she had made a killing in dropshipping. Caroline had him open an account with crypto.com and open a debit account on Chase and made an investment on AleExpresssells.com to conduct the dropshipping business. Brian immediately saw success with good returns and got excited for Black Friday. To get started, Brian withdrew $23,000+ from his Merrill Lynch retirement accounts and had a bank wire it to his account on crypto.com. With more financial instruction from Caroline, Brian saw his portfolio grow even more. The following Monday, he ended up spending $63,000 on laptops and made $16k+ on that sale.
According to Caroline she was clearing $200,000+ per month and he was showed the records by Eileen. Eileen had a business in Malaysia, a clothing factory. The business was in trouble, but she was rich. She had a white Bentley, a Robin egg blue Maserati and a Porsche. She ended up proposing to him. Brian accepted and the wedding was planned to happen March 4th. He chose a rose gold colored engagement ring in a contemporary setting but with a traditional solitaire stone. He bought her the ring and it was going to ship on December 23.
Brian had ordered the $82,000 in laptops placed an order for $232,000 which he could not support. Caroline and Eileen convinced him to withdraw another $110,000 from Merrill Lynch. Eileen transferred $70,000 from her crypto.com to his store. After some financial loops, he made $42,000+ on that computer sale. He then received an order from Mr. Patil’s friend named Mr. Abbott V. He had made $130,000+ in the first 2 1/2 weeks.
He made completed a few larger orders. His store profits were now over $270,000+. Actually higher. He told Eileen and Caroline he wanted to withdraw $30,000 to pay off his credit card debt. Caroline said no due to tax laws. He decided to withdraw $100,000 to pay the debt. We was gonna buy himself a 2005 yellow Corvette for $25,000 and have money left for the wedding.
Eileen needed $365,000 back due to a problem with an order. He decided to withdraw $450k with a 5% tax but he didn’t have the money. He needed to wait to ask Merrill Lynch to withdraw the amount. This brings us to the present. He’s still trying to pay the tax to withdraw the $450,000 from his e-commerce account.
Miscellaneous Interesting Story Points
We looked into Brian’s E-commerce website on Aliexpresssells.com and found that the website was created in September 2022 which leaves us to believe that this website is completely fake. We found that sell.aliexpress.com is the real and verified e-commerce website.
