Anatomy of a Con Artist

The 14 Red Flags to Spot Scammers, Grifters, and Thieves

By: Johnathan Walton

Narrated by: Johnathan Walton

These are the 14 red flags to identify the scammer in your life before they con you—from a victim-turned-vigilante and host of the hit podcast Queen of the Con.

“Johnathan Walton has written a master class on how to spot scammers, con artists, grifters, and thieves. And his storytelling reads like a crime novel. . . . A must-read.”—Joe Navarro, FBI special agent (ret.) and author of the international bestseller Dangerous Personalities

“Some people play golf on the weekends,” Johnathan Walton says. “I hunt con artists.”

Con artists are everywhere—your new boyfriend or girlfriend, your new neighbor or coworker, your new friend—and they don’t outsmart you; they out-feel you to get their hands on your money. In Anatomy of a Con Artist, Walton lays out “the tells” based on hundreds of real-life cases he’s investigated, including:

Red Flag #1—A Stranger Offering Help: Someone new and overly helpful insinuates themselves into your life.

Red Flag #3—Drama, Drama, Drama: Constant dramatic “emergencies” to pull you in.

Red Flag #8—Beak Wetting: Faux generosity—gifts, money, or favors to bring your guard down.

After being scammed out of nearly $100,000 by a devious con artist, Walton was turned away by police. Infuriated and armed with the investigative skills he’d gained from years as a TV reporter, Walton launched his own investigation and built a compelling criminal case authorities could not ignore. Walton got his con artist charged, prosecuted, and convicted, then devoted his life to helping other victims do the same. This book packs in all he has learned.

Some con artists scheme for money, some for attention, some just for the thrill of lying. And if you think it can’t happen to you, then you are exactly the kind of “mark” a professional con artist is looking for. With this insightful guide in your hands, you are far less likely to get conned and far more likely to spot these nefarious manipulators from a mile away—and cross the street when you see them coming.

Critic reviews

“Johnathan Walton has written a master class on how to spot scammers, con artists, grifters, and thieves. And his storytelling reads like a crime mystery novel. A must-read.”—Joe Navarro, FBI special agent (ret.) and author of the international bestseller Dangerous Personalities

“Conversationally written, grippingly told, and full of practical advice, Anatomy of a Con Artist yanks the veil off the suite of tricks swindlers use to ensnare even the most skeptical targets. Con artists should fear Walton.”—Waylon Cunningham, Pulitzer Prize–winning Reuters business reporter

“I’ve watched with admiration as Walton has turned lemons into lemonade—by outing the criminal who wronged him, creating a hit podcast about how he did it, and now, writing this fine new book about how you, too, can spot a hustler.”—Lisa Napoli, nationally bestselling author of Susan, Linda, Nina & Cokie

“Anatomy of a Con Artist is a compelling and insightful guide to understanding the tactics of scammers. Walton’s expertise shines through as he breaks down 14 key red flags, offering readers practical tools to protect themselves from manipulation. This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to navigate the world with greater awareness and avoid falling victim to con artists.”—Carlos Verdoni, economic crimes detective, Sarasota, Florida

“I’m a victim of a con artist and lost all my money. And they were waving every single one of these red flags at me and I didn’t realize it until reading this book. Don’t be like me. Learn these red flags so you can spot these evil people before they get you.”—Vanessa Spatz, victim of red flag #1, swindled out of her savings

Great read!

This is a great read for anyone of all ages. Anyone is at risk of being conned and Jonathan does a phenomenal job of narrating not just his story but other captivating stories similar.

Must read

Author provides helpful guidelines on spotting scammers and cons with examples and stories from his experiences. I will listen to it again.

Sending to everyone I care about…

I consider myself an optimist. My wife, meanwhile, is a classic pessimist, or at least an “equal opportunity skeptic.” But after being bamboozled by enough rotten humans, I felt I needed a healthy dose of reality to temper my doe-eyed outlook.

Enter Johnathan Walton.

I think what I most enjoyed about this book was his tone. He never came across heavy handed or looking to say, “The whole world is bad! Run and hide!” If anything, I think he believes that there are far more good people than bad in the world, and it’s up to the good to shine a light on the malcontents. As such, he offers his comprehensive list of red flags, which not only single out con artists, but also help you determine who isn’t one. That’s equally as valuable.

Very appreciative of his work in researching, [sadly] experiencing, and producing this excellent book. I want to send a copy to everyone I care about.

Five stars all around.

Don't think that everyone is your true friend.

I learned that I should lock every one of my financials. doors solid. make sure that no one could get in it. and that I should not ever lead with emotions.

Entertaining and informative

I loved Jonathan’s pod cast series! I enjoyed getting the “fleshed out “ stories. I found the information on how to avoid cons and what to do if you have been very practical.
It’s 1 part pod cast, one part how to and 1 part self help.