- From Nigerian money scams
00:00:00.93\00:00:02.73
and phony IRS communications
in your email inbox
00:00:02.73\00:00:06.27
to Trojan horses
and computer malware,
00:00:06.27\00:00:09.90
we now live in a
world of dishonest people
00:00:09.90\00:00:12.77
who really don't care
what price you have to pay
00:00:12.77\00:00:15.91
for their dishonesty.
00:00:15.91\00:00:17.15
So today on "Authentic,"
00:00:17.15\00:00:18.88
we're going to take a look
00:00:18.88\00:00:20.12
at these modern
day digital predators.
00:00:20.12\00:00:22.45
[chill introspective music]
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During the Roaring
Twenties, times were pretty good
00:00:43.44\00:00:46.34
and there was a lot of cash
changing hands very quickly.
00:00:46.34\00:00:49.84
In fact, it was
really the first time
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a lot of people had
managed to accumulate
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a lot of real wealth.
00:00:53.85\00:00:56.58
So of course, that got
the attention of scammers
00:00:56.58\00:00:59.62
and conmen all over the planet.
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And maybe the most
notorious of them all
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was Count Victor Lustig,
00:01:03.63\00:01:05.66
who actually managed
to sell the Eiffel Tower,
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not once but twice.
00:01:08.36\00:01:11.33
And I know it
doesn't seem possible,
00:01:11.33\00:01:12.93
but here's how he did it.
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He posed as a businessman
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and showed up in the
city of Paris back in 1925,
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when Western Europe
was still recovering
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from the devastation
of the First World War.
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Lustig made an appearance at
a high flying hotel reception
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and after meeting a number
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of wealthy and
influential people,
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he sent out letters
stating that the Eiffel Tower
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was plagued with
engineering mistakes
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and the government
couldn't afford to repair it,
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so it would be sold
for scrap, demolished.
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Lustig put it up for bids and
the offers started rolling in
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and eventually he sold the
tower for millions of dollars
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to a guy by the
name of Andre Poisson.
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And one of the
reasons he got away with this
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was the same reason that conmen
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almost always get away with it.
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Poisson was so embarrassed
that he'd been deceived
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that he never told
anybody what happened.
00:02:02.28\00:02:04.85
And so Lustig was free
to sell the tower again
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a second time to somebody
else just one month later.
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Of course, Mr.
Poisson never had to cough up
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the millions of
dollars, because, well,
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the tower was
never really for sale.
00:02:17.80\00:02:20.44
But Lustig pretended to be a
bureaucrat who could be bribed,
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and so he walked away
with a $70,000 cash payment
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and Poisson obviously
wasn't about to tell anybody
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he'd been trying to
bribe government officials.
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Lustig's most famous con
was a wooden moneymaking box,
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a contraption
about a foot square
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with brass knobs and handles.
00:02:43.32\00:02:45.76
And he would insert $100
bills into one end of this box,
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or sometimes even $1000 bills,
00:02:49.73\00:02:52.97
then he would turn
the knobs and dials
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and it would look
like a perfect copy
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came out the other end.
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So of course, less than honest
people were very interested
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in buying a
machine that could do that.
00:03:03.75\00:03:06.01
So he managed to sell the box
over and over and over again,
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getting as much
as 10, 20, $30,000.
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Sometimes even more.
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In fact, at one
point he even convinced
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a local sheriff to buy this box.
00:03:20.50\00:03:22.36
And of course the
officer was furious
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when it didn't actually work,
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but Lustig simply told him
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he'd been turning the
dials in the wrong order,
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and he even gave back
his money to calm him down.
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Except that what Lustig gave
back was all counterfeit bills.
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According to Victor Lustig,
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he even managed to
swindle the mob boss Al Capone,
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who supposedly never
knew he'd been taken.
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What Lustig did was borrow
$50,000 from the famous gangster
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and promise that he could
double the money in two months.
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After two months went by,
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he went back to Capone's office
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and explained that the
scam he'd been planning
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had gone, well, horribly wrong,
00:04:01.44\00:04:04.17
and he failed to
double the money.
00:04:04.17\00:04:06.44
And Al Capone was so
impressed with his honesty
00:04:06.44\00:04:10.58
that out of sympathy
for a fellow criminal,
00:04:10.58\00:04:12.71
he gave him 5,000 on
the way out the door.
00:04:12.71\00:04:16.32
But of course,
as usually happens,
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Mr. Lustig got a
little too confident
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after a long
streak of successful cons.
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He got greedy
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and he started
spreading counterfeit bills
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at such an alarming rate
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that it actually threatened
the stability of the US dollar,
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which means that he
ended up on the radar
00:04:34.84\00:04:36.64
of the Secret Service,
00:04:36.64\00:04:38.17
and eventually they
arrested him in Pittsburgh
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and gave him a 20-
year stint in Alcatraz
00:04:40.94\00:04:43.98
where he finally died in 1949.
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Now, here's what I
want you to think about.
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Apart from the fact that
we all kind of admire a conman
00:04:50.25\00:04:53.79
for being so clever,
00:04:53.79\00:04:54.92
I mean, if we're
really honest about it,
00:04:54.92\00:04:57.33
what is it that actually
makes these guys successful?
00:04:57.33\00:05:00.40
Why do con games work?
00:05:00.40\00:05:03.20
Well, the answer's kind of
related to your smartphone.
00:05:04.63\00:05:07.57
You've probably
noticed that once in a while,
00:05:07.57\00:05:09.30
you'll get a message telling you
00:05:09.30\00:05:10.57
to update your operating system
00:05:10.57\00:05:12.64
because they've
discovered a vulnerability,
00:05:12.64\00:05:14.84
some kind of weakness
that a hacker can exploit
00:05:14.84\00:05:17.71
to steal your personal data.
00:05:17.71\00:05:19.95
And the reason con jobs
work is kind of related to that.
00:05:19.95\00:05:24.25
They work because
of vulnerabilities
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that most people
have in their character,
00:05:26.92\00:05:30.59
weaknesses that dishonest
people know how to leverage.
00:05:30.59\00:05:34.73
And one of those weaknesses
we have is painfully obvious.
00:05:34.73\00:05:38.07
The reason that
this Victor Lustig
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was so incredibly successful
00:05:39.90\00:05:41.60
was because he
was willing to exploit
00:05:41.60\00:05:43.77
our human
tendency toward dishonesty.
00:05:43.77\00:05:47.68
People were willing
to shell out big bucks
00:05:47.68\00:05:50.21
for a moneymaking box
00:05:50.21\00:05:51.55
because they planned
to use it dishonesty.
00:05:51.55\00:05:55.05
And of course people
were willing to bribe him
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to win the contract for
scrapping the Eiffel Tower.
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And because the
most effective scams
00:06:01.46\00:06:04.13
usually appeal to
a sense of dishonesty
00:06:04.13\00:06:06.56
or our appetite for easy gain,
00:06:06.56\00:06:09.80
a lot of the victims
never tell anybody what happened
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because, well, it
would implicate them.
00:06:12.17\00:06:15.14
Now, if there's one
thing we know about scammers,
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a lot of them love to
brag about what they've done
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because it's
usually pretty clever
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and they want someone to
realize how smart they are.
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Victor Lustig didn't
really fall into that category
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most of the time.
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He was incredibly careful.
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He even published a ten
commandments for scamming
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people. Let me show you
some of his commandments.
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Number one, be
a patient listener
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because it's not usually
the fast-talking con artist
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who gets the big money.
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What you wanna do, Lustig said,
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is let other people
do most of the talking
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because, well, that has a
way of making them trust you.
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His second
commandment, never looked bored,
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because of course most people's
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favorite subject is themselves
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and you don't
wanna give the impression
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that you're not
listening to people,
00:07:05.45\00:07:07.62
but if you give
people the impression
00:07:07.62\00:07:09.22
that they are the
center of the universe,
00:07:09.22\00:07:12.33
they're gonna be
less likely to notice
00:07:12.33\00:07:14.13
what you're
trying to do to them.
00:07:14.13\00:07:16.10
Commandment number three,
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let the other person reveal
his or her religious views
00:07:17.60\00:07:20.87
and then suddenly
have exactly the same ones.
00:07:20.87\00:07:24.24
And of course he did the
same thing with political views
00:07:24.24\00:07:26.41
and it's easy to
see why this works.
00:07:26.41\00:07:28.71
The word conman is
short for confidence man.
00:07:28.71\00:07:32.88
It's a scammer who
tries to make you trust him.
00:07:32.88\00:07:36.42
And nobody trusts a person
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who isn't on the same
ideological or religious page.
00:07:37.95\00:07:41.96
So a conman intentionally
mirrors your beliefs.
00:07:41.96\00:07:46.96
His eighth rule,
I'll just skip down to it.
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We won't read them all.
00:07:49.63\00:07:51.07
Rule number
eight said never boast,
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just let your
importance be quietly obvious.
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This is a pretty big one
and it makes a lot of sense
00:07:58.07\00:08:00.34
because nobody
likes or trusts a person
00:08:00.34\00:08:03.35
who is trying to demonstrate
how important they are.
00:08:03.35\00:08:06.72
But if you make people
suspect you're important
00:08:06.72\00:08:09.95
and you're trying
to keep it a secret,
00:08:09.95\00:08:11.65
suddenly it becomes
their idea to approach you.
00:08:11.65\00:08:15.89
And if you can
hesitate and make believe
00:08:15.89\00:08:17.93
that you really don't want
to let them in on a good thing
00:08:17.93\00:08:20.26
that you've got going,
00:08:20.26\00:08:21.63
they're gonna be
proud as all get out
00:08:21.63\00:08:23.47
when they apparently talk
you into taking their money.
00:08:23.47\00:08:28.47
So what Victor Lustig
has given us with his rules
00:08:29.90\00:08:32.47
is some decent insight
into how human nature works,
00:08:32.47\00:08:35.78
how our minds
are basically wired.
00:08:35.78\00:08:39.38
Unfortunately,
00:08:39.38\00:08:40.85
sometimes this kind of
learning comes from people
00:08:40.85\00:08:42.55
who have very bad intentions
00:08:42.55\00:08:44.12
because they have to be careful.
00:08:44.12\00:08:46.39
They have to know
what they're doing.
00:08:46.39\00:08:48.69
I mean, if you're gonna
walk into Al Capone's office
00:08:48.69\00:08:51.83
and talk him out of cash,
00:08:51.83\00:08:54.03
you'd better know human nature
00:08:54.03\00:08:56.00
or the price is
gonna be much higher
00:08:56.00\00:08:57.67
than just a prison term.
00:08:57.67\00:08:59.63
In that case,
00:08:59.63\00:09:01.17
Lustig defied another
criminal's expectations
00:09:01.17\00:09:03.84
by appearing incredibly honest.
00:09:03.84\00:09:07.34
Now, it's not just
the flaws in our character
00:09:07.34\00:09:09.88
that make us vulnerable.
00:09:09.88\00:09:11.41
Sometimes these people also
exploit our positive traits,
00:09:11.41\00:09:14.22
such as the desire
most of us have to trust.
00:09:14.22\00:09:17.55
And so there are
plenty of innocent victims
00:09:17.55\00:09:19.42
in addition to those who
are just hoping for easy riches.
00:09:19.42\00:09:23.83
And of course, Lustig
lived back in the 1920s,
00:09:23.83\00:09:26.53
well before the internet,
when times were simpler.
00:09:26.53\00:09:30.03
Now the game has gotten
much more sophisticated,
00:09:30.03\00:09:33.40
even though the principles
are pretty much the same.
00:09:33.40\00:09:35.64
So don't go away.
00:09:35.64\00:09:37.57
I'm coming right back
to talk about Facebook.
00:09:37.57\00:09:40.54
- [Announcer] Dragons,
beasts, cryptic statutes.
00:09:42.71\00:09:46.98
Bible prophecy can be
incredibly vivid and confusing.
00:09:46.98\00:09:51.59
If you've ever read
Daniel or Revelation
00:09:51.59\00:09:53.76
and come away scratching
your head, you're not alone.
00:09:53.76\00:09:56.79
Our free Focus on
Prophecy guides are designed
00:09:56.79\00:09:59.73
to help you unlock
the mysteries of the Bible
00:09:59.73\00:10:01.96
and deepen your
understanding of God's plan
00:10:01.96\00:10:04.40
for you and our world.
00:10:04.40\00:10:06.03
Study online or
request them by mail
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and start bringing
prophecy into focus today.
00:10:08.44\00:10:11.37
- If you've been
the victim of a scam,
00:10:12.87\00:10:14.68
you shouldn't feel too bad
00:10:14.68\00:10:15.98
because most of
us fall for something
00:10:15.98\00:10:18.15
at some point in our lives.
00:10:18.15\00:10:19.68
And if it's just a few bucks,
you tend to, well, let it go.
00:10:19.68\00:10:23.95
So for example,
00:10:23.95\00:10:25.49
I'll admit that I went
for the envelope stuffing scam
00:10:25.49\00:10:28.12
when I was in my early twenties,
00:10:28.12\00:10:29.56
even though my
gut kind of told me
00:10:29.56\00:10:32.09
it seemed too good to be true.
00:10:32.09\00:10:34.36
Now, if you're too young
to remember the envelope scam,
00:10:34.36\00:10:36.60
here's how it worked.
00:10:36.60\00:10:38.10
Someone would put an
ad in the classifieds
00:10:38.10\00:10:40.27
claiming that you
could work from home.
00:10:40.27\00:10:42.30
You would be stuffing envelopes.
00:10:42.30\00:10:44.97
And back in the day,
00:10:44.97\00:10:46.51
it seemed like a perfectly
reasonable proposition.
00:10:46.51\00:10:48.08
Direct mail advertising
was a really big deal,
00:10:48.08\00:10:51.71
and so there was no reason
somebody couldn't or shouldn't
00:10:51.71\00:10:54.88
be stuffing envelopes from home.
00:10:54.88\00:10:57.69
So because our income was tight,
00:10:57.69\00:10:59.89
and who wouldn't like a
little extra spending money,
00:10:59.89\00:11:02.86
I sent away for their package.
00:11:02.86\00:11:05.19
What you got in
return was a letter
00:11:05.19\00:11:07.03
explaining that they had
three tiers of participation,
00:11:07.03\00:11:09.70
$5, $10 and $20.
00:11:09.70\00:11:12.87
And you had to choose which
level you wanted up up front.
00:11:12.87\00:11:15.60
Now, at that point I
knew this was likely a scam
00:11:15.60\00:11:18.77
because anytime you
have to pay up front,
00:11:18.77\00:11:20.98
that's usually the case.
00:11:20.98\00:11:22.78
So I knew, I knew
something was wrong,
00:11:22.78\00:11:25.01
but my curiosity
got the better of me
00:11:25.01\00:11:27.05
and I sent away for the
cheapest package, five bucks,
00:11:27.05\00:11:30.29
because I figured I
could afford to lose those $5
00:11:30.29\00:11:33.36
and I really wanted
to see what happened.
00:11:33.36\00:11:35.99
What I got in the mail
was a letter explaining
00:11:37.16\00:11:39.33
that I should take out
an ad in the classifieds
00:11:39.33\00:11:41.53
and when people responded,
00:11:41.53\00:11:42.90
I should stuff an
envelope with a letter
00:11:42.90\00:11:44.60
explaining they could ask me
for the 5, 10 or $20 package.
00:11:44.60\00:11:48.80
And I guess what they were
doing was technically legal
00:11:48.80\00:11:52.71
because they actually delivered
what they said they would.
00:11:52.71\00:11:55.28
I mean, they were still lying,
but technically it was true.
00:11:55.28\00:11:59.18
So I guess I'm
saying don't be embarrassed
00:12:00.45\00:12:03.05
if something like
this has happened to you
00:12:03.05\00:12:04.65
because I pretty
much knew it was a scam
00:12:04.65\00:12:07.62
and I sent them five bucks
anyway, you know, just in case.
00:12:07.62\00:12:11.53
But now with the
advent of the internet,
00:12:12.59\00:12:14.13
it's a
completely different game.
00:12:14.13\00:12:16.16
Online predators have
more immediate access to people
00:12:16.16\00:12:19.73
and they can pretty much
pose like anybody they want to.
00:12:19.73\00:12:23.10
They can steal profile pictures
00:12:23.10\00:12:24.84
and pretend to be somebody else.
00:12:24.84\00:12:26.64
They can hack
into your friend list
00:12:26.64\00:12:28.34
and start scamming people
looking as if they're you.
00:12:28.34\00:12:32.25
Or they can just friend you
00:12:32.25\00:12:34.15
and patiently win
your confidence over time.
00:12:34.15\00:12:37.32
Maybe one of the more despicable
forms of internet scams
00:12:38.65\00:12:41.46
is the one that now
preys on lonely people.
00:12:41.46\00:12:45.03
A single person,
maybe a widow or widower,
00:12:45.03\00:12:47.93
meets somebody online who
appears to be their soulmate.
00:12:47.93\00:12:52.13
After months of
going back and forth
00:12:52.13\00:12:53.84
and even falling in love,
00:12:53.84\00:12:55.44
suddenly this love of their life
00:12:55.44\00:12:57.54
says he got a
massive medical bill
00:12:57.54\00:12:59.64
or that he's
about to lose his house
00:12:59.64\00:13:01.74
and he timidly asks for money.
00:13:01.74\00:13:04.41
"I'm so
embarrassed to ask," he says,
00:13:04.41\00:13:06.01
"but I really need your help."
00:13:06.01\00:13:08.25
People have lost
hundreds of thousands of dollars
00:13:08.25\00:13:11.32
to these online predators
because they managed to exploit
00:13:11.32\00:13:14.62
one of the most fundamental
needs a human being has:
00:13:14.62\00:13:17.76
love and companionship.
00:13:17.76\00:13:21.20
So again, you can learn a lot
00:13:21.20\00:13:22.66
about how human
beings think and operate
00:13:22.66\00:13:24.80
from the people who prey on us.
00:13:24.80\00:13:27.07
And honestly,
00:13:27.07\00:13:28.34
you don't have to be on
a platform like Facebook
00:13:28.34\00:13:30.01
for more than a few days
00:13:30.01\00:13:31.51
to figure out
that online predators
00:13:31.51\00:13:33.21
are multiplying like crazy
and keeping themselves very busy
00:13:33.21\00:13:37.35
in a world that has
billions of potential victims.
00:13:37.35\00:13:42.35
So now let's think about
some of the more common rackets
00:13:43.75\00:13:46.12
that pop up in
your social media feed.
00:13:46.12\00:13:49.02
One of them a little while ago
00:13:49.02\00:13:50.43
would appear to send a
direct message from a friend,
00:13:50.43\00:13:52.76
and it had a video file
attached with the question,
00:13:52.76\00:13:55.56
"Hey, is this
you in this video?"
00:13:55.56\00:13:58.80
And of course, a
lot of people panic,
00:13:58.80\00:14:00.47
wondering if
somebody caught them
00:14:00.47\00:14:02.30
doing something embarrassing,
00:14:02.30\00:14:03.94
and so they click on the link
00:14:03.94\00:14:06.11
out of a desperate need
to save their reputation.
00:14:06.11\00:14:09.28
And if you have been
doing something wrong,
00:14:09.28\00:14:11.75
the scam is all
the more effective
00:14:11.75\00:14:13.55
because guilt and
the need to save face,
00:14:13.55\00:14:17.15
well, those are
very powerful motivators.
00:14:17.15\00:14:20.06
There's also another scam
00:14:20.92\00:14:22.12
where somebody
sends you an email
00:14:22.12\00:14:23.66
claiming to know what you've
been doing on your computer.
00:14:23.66\00:14:26.23
And they say
they're gonna post it
00:14:26.23\00:14:27.76
for the whole world to see
00:14:27.76\00:14:30.07
unless you pay them a
substantial sum of money.
00:14:30.07\00:14:33.03
I've actually had this one
land in my work email inbox,
00:14:33.03\00:14:36.60
and so I returned the favor.
00:14:36.60\00:14:38.57
I sent them a note telling them,
00:14:38.57\00:14:39.74
"Man, I can't wait
00:14:39.74\00:14:40.98
for you to publish
this video you have
00:14:40.98\00:14:42.68
because man, I can't
wait to be internet famous.
00:14:42.68\00:14:45.58
So please put it
online as soon as possible.
00:14:45.58\00:14:49.35
Of course I never heard back
00:14:49.35\00:14:50.55
because they didn't
actually have anything.
00:14:50.55\00:14:53.72
But afterwards, as I
was thinking about this,
00:14:53.72\00:14:56.32
it occurred to me,
00:14:56.32\00:14:57.73
the people who do
these kinds of things
00:14:57.73\00:14:59.29
are just playing a numbers game,
00:14:59.29\00:15:00.73
counting on the
fact that enough people
00:15:00.73\00:15:02.36
do use their computer
for embarrassing activity
00:15:02.36\00:15:05.63
that somebody out there
is going to pay the ransom.
00:15:05.63\00:15:09.80
So again, we have another scam
00:15:11.04\00:15:13.44
that works by cashing
in on vulnerabilities.
00:15:13.44\00:15:16.64
And if someone
happens to be immoral
00:15:16.64\00:15:18.95
or fails to develop
an upstanding character,
00:15:18.95\00:15:21.62
they're going to be
an even bigger target.
00:15:21.62\00:15:24.69
So it seems to me that while
nobody is perfectly immune,
00:15:24.69\00:15:27.96
I mean a lot of people do fall
for these things innocently,
00:15:27.96\00:15:31.33
people who value things
like morality or good character
00:15:31.33\00:15:35.46
are less likely
to become victims.
00:15:35.46\00:15:38.90
I mean, it's not perfect,
00:15:38.90\00:15:40.37
but it certainly
does better your odds.
00:15:40.37\00:15:43.41
Enough of these
scams are built on the idea
00:15:43.41\00:15:45.44
of easy or dishonest gain
00:15:45.44\00:15:46.91
that simply being honest in life
00:15:46.91\00:15:49.18
might be the best
protection you could hope for.
00:15:49.18\00:15:52.35
Now again, I wanna be careful.
00:15:52.35\00:15:54.08
I'm generalizing because
we all fall for something
00:15:54.08\00:15:56.95
at some point,
00:15:56.95\00:15:58.05
and it's not
necessarily an indication
00:15:58.05\00:15:59.92
that you have some
kind of serious moral flaw.
00:15:59.92\00:16:02.96
But at the same time,
00:16:02.96\00:16:04.43
the way that a lot of
these scams appear to work
00:16:04.43\00:16:06.36
certainly indicates that
it doesn't hurt to be honest.
00:16:06.36\00:16:11.33
The other day, I
found a short article
00:16:11.33\00:16:12.93
on how to protect it yourself
from Facebook Messenger scams,
00:16:12.93\00:16:15.87
which I
understand are on the rise
00:16:15.87\00:16:18.24
because it never
takes criminals long
00:16:18.24\00:16:21.04
to figure out how
to use a new platform.
00:16:21.04\00:16:24.81
This comes from Lauren Cahn.
00:16:24.81\00:16:26.61
and it was published
recently in "Reader's Digest."
00:16:26.61\00:16:29.65
She says, "The
common thread is the scammer
00:16:29.65\00:16:33.22
either creates an account
00:16:33.22\00:16:34.62
impersonating an
actual Facebook account,
00:16:34.62\00:16:37.46
or hacks into an
existing Facebook account.
00:16:37.46\00:16:40.33
In either case,
00:16:40.33\00:16:41.53
the scammer then uses
the fake hacked account
00:16:41.53\00:16:44.37
to send private messages to
the account holder's friends
00:16:44.37\00:16:47.00
that elicit either
money or personal information.
00:16:47.00\00:16:50.67
The messages vary, but
all are designed to prey
00:16:50.67\00:16:53.04
on our human
vulnerabilities, including..."
00:16:53.04\00:16:56.54
And then she goes on to list
five common vulnerabilities.
00:16:56.54\00:17:00.12
And again, this
gives us amazing insight
00:17:00.12\00:17:02.88
into what makes
human beings tick.
00:17:02.88\00:17:05.19
Here are the five
vulnerabilities that she
00:17:05.19\00:17:08.72
provides. First of all,
the desire to be a hero.
00:17:08.72\00:17:12.46
So in other words,
00:17:12.46\00:17:13.96
the pleasure you derive
from saving somebody else.
00:17:13.96\00:17:16.56
The desire to appear generous.
00:17:16.56\00:17:19.07
The desire to win free money.
00:17:19.07\00:17:21.24
The desire to be
loved and admired.
00:17:21.24\00:17:23.54
The desire to avoid
shame or punishment.
00:17:23.54\00:17:27.01
Now, you'll notice some of
those are relatively harmless.
00:17:28.41\00:17:30.41
Some of them are
things that most people want.
00:17:30.41\00:17:33.05
But the one thing
they all have in common
00:17:33.05\00:17:36.35
is the appeal to self.
00:17:36.35\00:17:38.92
The online
predator offers a shortcut
00:17:40.46\00:17:42.46
to the things
that most people crave.
00:17:42.46\00:17:44.69
And this is one of the
biggest vulnerabilities
00:17:44.69\00:17:46.86
that most of us have.
00:17:46.86\00:17:48.50
All of us, no matter how noble,
00:17:48.50\00:17:51.23
still see the world
from the perspective of self.
00:17:51.23\00:17:54.80
And we have this
powerful instinct
00:17:54.80\00:17:56.44
to preserve self
above everything else.
00:17:56.44\00:17:59.57
And it's an instinct that's
almost impossible to conquer
00:17:59.57\00:18:03.78
and criminals know it.
00:18:03.78\00:18:06.15
So now we're gonna
take a little break
00:18:06.15\00:18:07.85
because it's about
that time in the show.
00:18:07.85\00:18:10.09
But when we come back,
00:18:10.09\00:18:11.35
I'm gonna show you how
to make $10,000 a month
00:18:11.35\00:18:13.59
without ever having to work.
00:18:13.59\00:18:15.36
And if you believe that,
you should probably stay tuned.
00:18:15.36\00:18:18.83
- [Announcer] Life
can throw a lot at us.
00:18:21.16\00:18:23.60
Sometimes we don't
have all the answers,
00:18:23.60\00:18:26.97
but that's where
the Bible comes in.
00:18:26.97\00:18:29.40
It's our guide to a
more fulfilling life.
00:18:29.40\00:18:32.51
Here at the Voice of Prophecy,
00:18:32.51\00:18:34.04
we've created the
Discover Bible guides
00:18:34.04\00:18:36.18
to be your guide to the Bible.
00:18:36.18\00:18:37.78
They're designed to
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00:18:37.78\00:18:40.28
and provide answers to many
of life's toughest questions.
00:18:40.28\00:18:43.28
And they're absolutely free.
00:18:43.28\00:18:45.32
So jump online now,
00:18:45.32\00:18:46.82
or give us a call and
start your journey of discovery.
00:18:46.82\00:18:49.89
- [Announcer] Here at
the Voice of Prophecy,
00:18:51.43\00:18:52.66
we're committed to creating
00:18:52.66\00:18:53.90
top quality programming
for the whole family.
00:18:53.90\00:18:56.33
Like our audio adventure
series, "Discovery Mountain."
00:18:56.33\00:18:59.73
"Discovery Mountain"
is a Bible-based program
00:18:59.73\00:19:02.27
for kids of all
ages and backgrounds.
00:19:02.27\00:19:04.61
Your family will enjoy
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00:19:04.61\00:19:07.38
from this small
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00:19:07.38\00:19:10.25
With 24 seasonal
episodes every year
00:19:10.25\00:19:12.75
and fresh content every week,
00:19:12.75\00:19:14.92
there's always a new adventure
00:19:14.92\00:19:16.55
just on the horizon.
00:19:16.55\00:19:18.05
- So here's the
interesting thing
00:19:21.56\00:19:23.36
about those online scams and
all the con artists out there.
00:19:23.36\00:19:27.30
Generally speaking,
they're taking advantage
00:19:27.30\00:19:29.26
of vulnerabilities
that most of us have,
00:19:29.26\00:19:31.47
weaknesses in our character.
00:19:31.47\00:19:34.80
And if you understand that,
you're already mostly inoculated
00:19:34.80\00:19:38.74
against what
they're trying to do to you
00:19:38.74\00:19:40.14
because knowing is at
least half the battle.
00:19:40.14\00:19:43.88
Now, the same thing is true
00:19:43.88\00:19:45.25
with the subject
of moral temptation.
00:19:45.25\00:19:48.32
Knowing how the game works
00:19:48.32\00:19:49.82
and how it takes advantage
of your vulnerabilities
00:19:49.82\00:19:52.05
is at least half the battle.
00:19:52.05\00:19:54.86
There's an interesting
passage in the New Testament
00:19:54.86\00:19:56.83
written by James,
the brother of Jesus.
00:19:56.83\00:19:59.26
And here's what it says.
00:19:59.26\00:20:01.83
"Blessed is the man
who endures temptation;
00:20:01.83\00:20:05.07
for when he has been approved,
00:20:05.07\00:20:06.53
he will receive
the crown of life
00:20:06.53\00:20:08.54
which the Lord has
promised to those who love Him."
00:20:08.54\00:20:12.21
So there is
something to be gained
00:20:12.21\00:20:14.34
from studying
how con games work.
00:20:14.34\00:20:16.78
He continues, "Let no
one say when he is tempted,
00:20:16.78\00:20:20.35
'I am tempted by God';
00:20:20.35\00:20:21.95
for God cannot
be tempted by evil,
00:20:21.95\00:20:24.62
nor does He
Himself tempt anyone."
00:20:24.62\00:20:27.49
You know, that
would probably make
00:20:27.49\00:20:28.56
a great topic for another day,
00:20:28.56\00:20:30.29
because I find it fascinating
00:20:30.29\00:20:31.83
how many people
wanna give God credit
00:20:31.83\00:20:33.76
for the evil in this world.
00:20:33.76\00:20:35.30
But for now, let's stay
with the topic we're looking at.
00:20:35.30\00:20:38.27
"But each one is
tempted," he says,
00:20:38.27\00:20:40.84
"when he is drawn away by
his own desires and enticed.
00:20:40.84\00:20:45.77
Then, when desire has conceived,
00:20:45.77\00:20:47.61
it gives birth to sin;
00:20:47.61\00:20:49.14
and sin, when it is
full-grown, brings forth death.
00:20:49.14\00:20:52.85
Do not be deceived,
my beloved brethren."
00:20:52.85\00:20:57.62
Okay, so right off
the bat, James tells us,
00:20:57.62\00:21:00.36
you don't have to be deceived.
00:21:00.36\00:21:02.49
There are ways to
protect yourself against moral
00:21:02.49\00:21:06.66
temptation. In fact,
this is what the Apostle Paul
00:21:06.66\00:21:09.70
says on the same subject over
in the Book of 1 Corinthians.
00:21:09.70\00:21:13.40
He writes, "No
temptation has overtaken you
00:21:13.40\00:21:16.64
except such as
is common to man."
00:21:16.64\00:21:19.81
So on the one
hand, the Bible suggests
00:21:19.81\00:21:22.04
you don't need to
keep beating yourself up
00:21:22.04\00:21:23.55
for the mistakes
you've made in the past,
00:21:23.55\00:21:25.95
because we're
all in the same boat.
00:21:25.95\00:21:27.55
And I promise you,
00:21:27.55\00:21:28.98
you are not the only
person to do what you did.
00:21:28.98\00:21:33.05
But then on the other hand,
00:21:33.05\00:21:34.56
we need to recognize that we
don't have to do these things
00:21:34.56\00:21:36.66
because, well, Paul continues,
00:21:36.66\00:21:38.89
"God is faithful,
who will not allow you
00:21:38.89\00:21:42.50
to be tempted
beyond what you are able,
00:21:42.50\00:21:45.10
but with the temptation
will also make the way of escape
00:21:45.10\00:21:48.57
that you may be
able to bear it."
00:21:48.57\00:21:51.44
So while God doesn't tempt you,
00:21:51.44\00:21:54.48
He is on deck to save you,
00:21:54.48\00:21:57.11
which means that you and I don't
have to fall for the things
00:21:57.11\00:21:59.71
that tend to destroy our lives.
00:21:59.71\00:22:01.85
And James provides us
with a logical progression.
00:22:01.85\00:22:05.22
He says we are tempted when
we are drawn by our own desires.
00:22:05.22\00:22:10.23
Then when we
coddle those desires
00:22:11.33\00:22:12.89
and place our wishes at
the center of the universe,
00:22:12.89\00:22:15.86
it leads to sin, which of course
eventually leads to death.
00:22:15.86\00:22:20.87
So it's really the same
vulnerability that conmen use:
00:22:22.24\00:22:26.14
the desire to put self first.
00:22:26.14\00:22:28.98
And we kind of know when
we're faced with temptation
00:22:28.98\00:22:31.51
that what we're doing is wrong,
00:22:31.51\00:22:34.62
but there's a flaw
in our mental process
00:22:34.62\00:22:36.72
that tries to pretend
00:22:36.72\00:22:38.22
that nobody's ever going
to notice what you're doing,
00:22:38.22\00:22:40.12
that somehow you'll
just get away with it
00:22:40.12\00:22:42.09
and God won't even notice.
00:22:42.09\00:22:44.76
There's a famous
passage in the Bible
00:22:45.89\00:22:47.50
that appears more than once,
00:22:47.50\00:22:48.60
and it goes like this.
00:22:48.60\00:22:50.33
"The fool has said in his
heart, 'There is no God.'"
00:22:50.33\00:22:55.30
Now, most people assume
that's talking about atheists,
00:22:55.30\00:22:57.94
people who say
God does not exist.
00:22:57.94\00:23:00.48
And some people
like to use that verse
00:23:00.48\00:23:02.44
when they're arguing
with the godless heathens
00:23:02.44\00:23:05.25
they come
across on social media.
00:23:05.25\00:23:07.55
But honestly, that's not
what the verse is talking about.
00:23:07.55\00:23:10.42
It's talking
about people who behave
00:23:10.42\00:23:13.22
as if God doesn't exist,
00:23:13.22\00:23:14.96
as if He's not going
to see what they're doing
00:23:14.96\00:23:17.76
or call them to account.
00:23:17.76\00:23:19.46
This is one of the biggest
vulnerabilities that we have,
00:23:20.86\00:23:24.40
morally speaking,
00:23:24.40\00:23:26.03
the mistaken notion
that we're operating
00:23:26.03\00:23:28.14
in some kind of vacuum
00:23:28.14\00:23:29.84
where we're never gonna
have to face consequences.
00:23:29.84\00:23:32.94
Our capacity for long-range
thinking suddenly gets shut down
00:23:32.94\00:23:36.85
by the overpowering
desire to take a shortcut
00:23:36.85\00:23:40.02
or put self ahead.
00:23:40.02\00:23:42.42
I can't tell you how many people
00:23:42.42\00:23:44.15
have come through my
office over the years
00:23:44.15\00:23:45.75
complaining after their
marriage has been destroyed
00:23:45.75\00:23:49.12
that their
brains just turned off
00:23:49.12\00:23:51.56
in a moment of
selfish passion and, quote,
00:23:51.56\00:23:53.93
"One thing led to another
and it just kind of happened."
00:23:53.93\00:23:58.77
Here's what I say to that.
00:23:58.77\00:24:00.20
No, it didn't
just kind of happen.
00:24:00.20\00:24:02.44
That's a terrible excuse.
00:24:02.44\00:24:04.71
It doesn't work that way.
00:24:04.71\00:24:06.54
It didn't happen
without your choice.
00:24:06.54\00:24:09.34
When you choose to
feed your moral flaws
00:24:09.34\00:24:11.81
instead of deal with them,
00:24:11.81\00:24:13.08
you can't call what
you did in accident.
00:24:13.08\00:24:15.75
I mean, let's be
honest, you did it on purpose.
00:24:15.75\00:24:20.32
Now fortunately,
00:24:20.32\00:24:21.72
just like you can
get security patches
00:24:21.72\00:24:23.59
for your laptop
or your smartphone,
00:24:23.59\00:24:25.89
the Apostle James
gives us a security patch
00:24:25.89\00:24:28.26
for moral weaknesses, the
ones that always take us down.
00:24:28.26\00:24:32.83
I'll be right back to
show you what those are.
00:24:32.83\00:24:35.14
[bright inquisitive music]
00:24:37.17\00:24:38.87
- [Announcer] Are
you searching for answers
00:24:38.87\00:24:40.11
to life's toughest questions,
00:24:40.11\00:24:41.74
like where is
God when we suffer?
00:24:41.74\00:24:44.01
Can I find real happiness?
00:24:44.01\00:24:45.81
Or is there any hope
for our chaotic world?
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00:25:15.98\00:25:18.28
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00:25:18.28\00:25:20.38
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00:25:25.42\00:25:29.56
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00:25:29.56\00:25:33.36
- Right after James
explains how selfish desires,
00:25:38.40\00:25:41.50
if you feed them, will steer
you down a destructive path,
00:25:41.50\00:25:44.97
he offers this advice.
00:25:44.97\00:25:46.64
This is the security
patch for your character.
00:25:46.64\00:25:49.21
He says, "Therefore,
lay aside all filthiness
00:25:49.21\00:25:52.95
and overflow of wickedness,
00:25:52.95\00:25:54.62
and receive with
meekness the implanted word,
00:25:54.62\00:25:58.49
which is able to
save your souls."
00:25:58.49\00:26:02.22
What he's saying
00:26:02.22\00:26:03.69
is that we need to
become aware of our weakness.
00:26:03.69\00:26:05.66
You need to understand
how the con game works.
00:26:05.66\00:26:08.53
Once you understand how and
why people fall for temptation,
00:26:08.53\00:26:11.97
you become far less
likely to go for it.
00:26:11.97\00:26:15.27
Naming your enemy is
the right first step.
00:26:15.27\00:26:18.81
And thence once you recognize
00:26:18.81\00:26:20.44
how feeding self can set
you up for a world of hurt,
00:26:20.44\00:26:23.98
you can start identifying
the problem areas in your life
00:26:23.98\00:26:26.72
and get rid of them.
00:26:26.72\00:26:28.55
But more than that,
00:26:29.88\00:26:31.05
it's important to
start feeding your mind
00:26:31.05\00:26:33.05
the right information
00:26:33.05\00:26:34.86
so that your
vulnerabilities start to shrink,
00:26:34.86\00:26:37.76
which is why James tells us
00:26:37.76\00:26:39.16
to receive with
meekness the implanted word.
00:26:39.16\00:26:42.56
It's the thing that
David says over in Psalm 17.
00:26:42.56\00:26:46.70
He writes, "You
have tested my heart;
00:26:46.70\00:26:50.07
you have
visited me in the night;
00:26:50.07\00:26:51.54
you have tried me
and found nothing;
00:26:51.54\00:26:53.64
I have purposed that my
mouth shall not transgress.
00:26:53.64\00:26:57.05
Concerning the works of
men, by the word of your lips,
00:26:57.05\00:27:00.75
I have kept away from
the paths of the destroyer."
00:27:00.75\00:27:04.55
Look, I know that some
of you dismiss this book
00:27:05.72\00:27:07.92
as a collection of
ancient fairy tales.
00:27:07.92\00:27:10.09
And I also know that a lot
of seemingly religious people
00:27:10.09\00:27:13.86
have used this book
00:27:13.86\00:27:15.03
to con people out of
their hard-earned money
00:27:15.03\00:27:16.80
like this is a con game.
00:27:16.80\00:27:18.33
I mean, just watch religious
television on the weekend
00:27:18.33\00:27:20.90
to see what I'm talking about.
00:27:20.90\00:27:22.87
But here's what I
want you to understand.
00:27:22.87\00:27:25.34
There are thousands
of years of case studies
00:27:25.34\00:27:27.64
from very
sincere and honest people
00:27:27.64\00:27:29.51
who took this book seriously,
00:27:29.51\00:27:32.25
and most of them
went to their graves
00:27:32.25\00:27:33.82
not being victims
like the rest of us.
00:27:33.82\00:27:36.99
Life is hard
enough the way it is,
00:27:36.99\00:27:39.25
so if there's some chance
00:27:39.25\00:27:40.86
that you can mitigate
the damage before it happens
00:27:40.86\00:27:43.16
simply by being
aware of how it works,
00:27:43.16\00:27:46.53
well, that would seem to me
like it would be worth your time
00:27:46.53\00:27:49.80
to take this
book and check it out.
00:27:49.80\00:27:52.67
Thanks for joining
me again this week.
00:27:52.67\00:27:54.54
I'm Shawn Boonstra and
this has been "Authentic."
00:27:54.54\00:27:58.51
[chill introspective music]
00:27:58.51\00:28:02.18