Three links, all to do with scams

[dolorosa_12]

I have an endless fascination with scams, pyramid schemes, and multi-level marketing schemes (whether they involve crypto bros or fundamentalist stay-at-home mothers selling leggings and essential oils). There’s something about the peculiar, cultish nexus of capitalism, evangelical religion and self-help that is both infinitely interesting, and desperately sad.

I’m not sure if the release of the glossy new Shondaland drama about Anna Delvey happening at the same time as these three deep-diving articles is a coincidence, but in any case it’s an interesting juxtaposition.

These Women Say Satan Has Taken Over An Essential Oil MLM

The elaborate con that tricked dozens into working for a fake design agency

‘I More So Consider Myself a Con Artist Than Anything’ What Danielle Miller learned at Horace Mann and Rikers. (With bonus Anna Delvey: apparently there is something of a revolving door of overlapping New York socialite financial scammers.)

All three stories are at once fascinating from a sociological perspective, and desperately sad when thinking about the individuals involved.

Comments

[dolorosa_12]

I read that article when it was first published, but I read it again today and just boggled at the whole thing all over again. The chutzpah is just extraordinary, and what I find particularly bizarre is that this guy was obviously clever enough and competent enough to succeed in the publishing world without all the lies and manipulations. He just wanted to do so.

[adore]

what I find particularly bizarre is that this guy was obviously clever enough and competent enough to succeed in the publishing world without all the lies and manipulations. He just wanted to do so.

I find that particularly disturbing too. He decided not to have sincerity in any of his relationships and abuse sympathies. He didn't need to, but he wanted to. And I'm just like... why would you want that? After laughing at everyone behind their backs, aren't you lonely at all?