Images from New York, part 1: The unbearable lightness of fraud

Seen in a bookstore in the Delta terminal at LaGuardia:

i-640d97c2af77fdb3c65b782a223a899f-Trudeau1.jpg

It makes perfect sense. What's left after fleecing millions of gullible readers selling books about "alternative" medicine and secret cures "they" don't want you to know about? Fleecing millions of gullible readers by selling books rife financial scams, of course. (I wonder how many pyramid schemes--excuse me, multilevel marketing investment opportunites"--are within this new book.) Of course, Kevin Trudeau definitely knows about financial scams. After all, he did spend time in jail for swindling banks and another for bilking his customers through credit card fraud.

It would be really humorous if it weren't for the fact that some credulous people will likely buy this book and fill Trudeau's coffers yet again. I must be behind the times, too, as I later learned that this book was released last year. How on earth did I manage to miss it, and how can I do it again with the next book that slithers out of the mind of this master snake oil salesman?

More like this

I once asked a Borders store manager why Kevin Trudeau's books were displayed so prominently, given that he was a convicted felon for health fraud and an undoubted con artist. The manager said people bought the books.

That explains everything.

This weekend I saw Trudeau's book on so-called debt cures and grimaced. I picked it up and noticed that the back cover was full of blurbs in small text. I replaced the book on the shelf with the back side out. Bookstore guerrilla war.

But no doubt people will buy it, trying to put it on their maxed-out credit cards.

When I saw that picture, my first thought was that it was a joke someone put together. Then I thought better and started crying on the inside.

Actually, it just occurred to me that the photo of Trudeau rubbing his hands together looks like he's eagerly anticipating separating you from your money.

I think Trudeau's success is just another sad testament to how prevalent the "victim/underdog mentality" is in America. It's easy to scam these miserable folks.

All you have to do is portray yourself as a fellow victimized underdog who's somehow learned the "secret" to outsmarting the always-evil THEM (whoever THEY are, no need to specify) in whatever area of life. Then present the strategies in an easy-to-follow format. (Don't make the strategies entail too much work though, else most people won't be inspired to follow them.)

Most importantly, use your Authoritative Voice. It doesn't matter if the strategies make sense or not, just be AUTHORITATIVE and support the readers' sense of victimhood and outrage.

After all, no one who agrees with and supports them can possibly be trying to rip them off at the same time. Right?

Ah, the old appeal to secret information that 'they' really don't want you to know. Sign X of many that some lame looking/sounding/smelling (take your pick) bird is about to quack.

How many other signs were on that back cover?

Surely there must have been testi-moan-ials there.

It's just another manifestation of the sad fact that most people would rather believe a pleasing lie than an unpleasant truth.

Back in the Clinton days, there was a poll that - in my opinion - said it all. In this poll, the majority said that they thought that Bill Clinton was a liar (or words to that effect) yet the majority also said that they "liked what he said".

The irony was apparently lost on the media reporters who read this poll on national TV, as well as the pollsters and the people taking the poll.

It's the only way I can make sense out of Kevin Trudeau's continued success despite FTC judgements against him. The people we - the citizens of the US - hired to protect us against frauds have said that this man committed a fraud with his advice books, yet people are lining up to buy his advice.

I suppose it also shows how fashionable it is to claim that there are vast, loony conspiracies to cover-up "the truth".

Will the last sane person please shut and lock the door on their way out?

Prometheus

Someone told me I should read his other "they don't want you to know" book. I replied that I thought he was a fraud and a scammmer...and that person hasn't spoken to me since.

Someone told me I should read his other "they don't want you to know" book. I replied that I thought he was a fraud and a scammmer...and that person hasn't spoken to me since.

The things you learn here! Someone actually found something that KT is good for -- who knew?

By D. C. Sessions (not verified) on 11 Aug 2008 #permalink

Mein Gott! I have seen a similar book from a commercial, and what the guy said was the usual conspiracy idiocy, saying everything can be cured, and bla bla bla. And how the hell is he a best selling author?! The woo, it truly is infectious.

Kevin Trudeau puts the artist in con artist. If lying were in the summer games, he'd take the gold. I've watched his infomercials countless times. His sincerity while spouting the most inane of pseudoscience is breathtaking.

I've skimmed through his books while browsing at B&N. The books are even more insane than the infomercials. My favorite Trudeau claim: If you cook using a Teflon pan with a pet bird on your shoulder, you'll kill the bird.

The best bit is that his last book was essentially an ad for his pay-to-access website. The man is a genius.

By Paul Murray (not verified) on 11 Aug 2008 #permalink

"If you cook using a Teflon pan with a pet bird on your shoulder, you'll kill the bird."
I've heard this as well, numerous times. When my cockatiels were still alive (they died of old age, being 20ish) I cooked with Teflon all the time and nothing happened to them. I do know you should never let a bird that's allowed out of the cage around open pans, for obvious reasons.

By Laser Potato (not verified) on 11 Aug 2008 #permalink

He dishonours the Trudeau name..

By Devin Trudeau (not verified) on 11 Aug 2008 #permalink

Trudeau obviously was not happy with scamming the ill out of their money, he had to go on and attack those who have money troubles. How despicable.

I wish for the day when Trudeau turns honest (not going to happen, I know) and writes the book "Ways to trick stupid people with scams that 'They' don't want you know about".

I mean, really, how does that guy sleep at night? Well, besides in a huge comfy bed in a house paid for by suckers, obviously.

Kevin rubbing his hands together on his cover reminds me of a fly rubbing its forelimbs together before digging into a nice, juicy rotten tomato.

By Laser Potato (not verified) on 12 Aug 2008 #permalink

Page 1:

The first thing to realize is that most people are suckers. The trick to solving you financial problems using my technique is very easy: Write a selfhelp book that the suckers will buy...

[Rest of book is blank]

Ironically, if this debt book *was* actually filled with good useful information, it'd probably do a ton of good.

The people who buy his health woo are undoubtedly *just* the kind of people who could really do with some financial self-defense skills and a primer in the fact that the financial industry is not your friend and actually does want you in debt forever.

(They hate customers who don't carry a balance. Such customers are called freeloaders. They'd much rather have you carrying a huge balance, at a high interest rate, paying the minimums every month, but occasionally mailing a payment - any payment to any creditor - a little late so they can slam you with late fees and raise the interest rate more.)

Oh, I know that. My credit card companies hate me because I always pay off my balance in full every month. I can remember carrying a balance on a credit card only maybe a couple of times in the last 20 years. Indeed, they keep raising my credit limit, hoping (I'm guessing) that I'll be tempted to charge more to the point where I do carry a balance.