Asia Sentinel

Asia Sentinel

Confidence and Con Men

Our Correspondent
Jan 31, 2012
∙ Paid
Share

The term “confidence man” first came into general use about 160 years ago during the trial in New York of a crook named William Thompson, who accosted strangers and talked them into loaning him their watches, then simply walked off with the timepieces.

Thompson has been followed by a long parade of con men, as they are now known. And what makes a great c…

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to Asia Sentinel to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 Asia Sentinel
Publisher Privacy
Substack
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture