10 points about a scam artist

Today at the office this guy calls. His voice, cadence, and confidence made me think he was a fairly smart person. I'll guess it's a scam, here's reasons why.

1) He was collecting information on Giant Robot for a business directory. That's already a red flag since of course, they want to sell you an advertisement in this directory.

2) He kept making interjections of opinion after any question I answered. Data collection doesn't include his opinion of Giant Robot. 

3) No website! When I asked, he changed the subject. Duh. Build a website for your scam.

Also it's important to note, that NO decision that's important and about money needs to be made right away. If there is something that needs to be made on the spot with a stranger, then it's a scam. Back to Kipling's... there are 100,000 members, it's a business directory, where they might list an executive for others to see. Ever heard of this book? Maybe if it's real, one of you can show me the site or show me the book. 

4) The book is bound with crazy design and red leather bound, and costs $400+, they also sell you a plaque, much like how newspapers get pimped by companies who want to turn an article on someone into a plaque and of course sell it to the person. They offer all of this. The guy said there are two options both being $900 and $600 respectively.

5) When I said no, then he said there were yet other options that were lower, and that's where he tapped into the journalistic integrity and was trying to push me to tell him if I wanted these. 

6) The guy used my answers from his questions to try and get me to take one of his money offers. As in since you're honest and fair, you should buy this stuff.

7) When I told him that this is gone too far, he just got quiet. What happened to the confidence?

8) He called himself smart. Maybe he is, since his job is to scam people, but that's a red flag. If you're calling "executives" to scam them, you have to do a better job. I've seen tons of scam artists, he wasn't so good, although he started off great.

9) The guy contradicted himself a few times, and even used 9/11 as some kind of sympathetic starting point.

10) The smart money is that he let me talk, then tried to get on the same level, which is how he connects with people in order to have them stay on the phone with him. If he was more dry, it would be a 1 minute conversation, this guy made me think I was getting into a directory. I think I gave him 5 minutes total. Never again.