April 1995 Topics - Part 1
Proximics, Pay Through the Nose, Mouse Milking,
Rescam (Recovery Scam), Credit Card Swindle, Inside Job, Fat Chance, Access Device Fraud, and Smart Dollar
 

Distances affect an interview.
Interrogators recommend the "knee-to-knee" method.
 

Proximics
The study of how distances affect an interview. Some experienced interrogators recommend the “knee-to-knee” method, which is close enough to touch without being too close, and without any chairs, desks, barriers, distractions, or other objects placed between the subject and the interrogator. For white middle class males, the limit of proximity is about 27 inches. If the interrogator moves closer, the subject may become uncomfortable and uncooperative. If the interrogator moves further away, the interrogator may not be able to read the subject’s facial expressions or nonverbal signs of deception.

 

Pay Through the Nose
To be charged an extremely high price or penalty. In ancient Ireland, delinquent taxpayers were punished by having their noses slit with a knife or sword. The scar was a permanent reminder to all other citizens to pay their taxes in full and on time.
Christine Ammer, Have a Nice Day - No Problem!, Plume Books, New York, 1992, p. 275.

 

Mouse Milking
Spending a large amount of effort for disproportionately small results. Some critics have accused the Resolution Trust Corporation and other governmental agencies of mouse milking - spending excessive amounts for investigative and legal fees and recovering minimal amounts for the taxpayers and victims of fraud.

 

Rescam (Recovery Scam)
To scam victims of previous frauds. In Arizona, three persons operated a recovery operation under 16 company names. The fraudsters found their victims by buying lists of names from telemarketing companies that had run phony operations. The trio made phone call solicitations to the previous victims and offered to recover funds that were previously lost to telemarketers. The victims were asked to send recovery fees in advance to one of several mailbox locations in the Phoenix area. No recoveries or refunds were ever made. Over 1,000 victims were rescammed. Most of the victims were elderly and from out of state. The recovery scam collected $2,000 to $4,000 a day for 18 months ($1 million to $2.2 million).

 

Credit Card Swindle
A mail fraud in which a product or service is advertised with a credit card. No merchandise or services are ever provided. The victim receives only the credit card bill.

 

Inside Job
A crime committed with the assistance of someone inside the business. The inside assistant may provide valuable information about business activities, trade secrets, merchandise, services, or customers. The inside assistant may provide access to the business premises or computer systems.

 

Fat Chance
No chance at all.

 

Access Device Fraud
In 1994, a computer hacker devised software to trap telephone calling-card numbers as they were transmitted through the telephone switching equipment of a long distance provider. The software trapped and stored over 100,000 calling-card numbers and personal access codes on computer disks. The hacker sold the software disks and numbers to co-conspirators, who resold them to more computer hackers in the United States, Spain, and Germany. The stolen numbers were used to make more than $50 million worth of long distance calls (about $500 per number). Customers of MCI, Sprint, AT&T and some local telephone companies were victims of the fraud. The hacker was an employee of a long distance provider.

 

Smart Dollar
Money that has been obtained through trickery, cunning, or deceit.

 

ã Copyright 1995 Larry C. Adams. All rights reserved.
 

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