Psychology of financial crime and Scams

By Sam Vaknin Author of "Malignant Self-love: Narcissism Revisited"

In December 2008, Bernard Madoff, a pillar of the Jewish community and of Wall Street, admitted to having run a 50 billion USD Ponzi (Pyramid) scheme, the biggest scam in history. It is still debatable whether Bernard Madoff fits the profile of a classic scammer. AntiSemites blame his ancestry, the society and culture he grew in: http://www.narcissistic-abuse.com/jews.html To understand his psychology, you may wish to start by reading this short story I have written. It tackles in minute detail the psychodynamic processes in a con-man's mind as well as the curious bond that inevitably forms between perpetrator and victim http://www.narcissistic-abuse.com/conman-en.html Madoff is, in all likelihood, a psychopathic narcissist: For a more detailed view of pathological narcissism and the Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) - click on these links: http://malignantselflove.tripod.com/npdglance.html http://samvak.tripod.com/personalitydisorders12.html http://samvak.tripod.com/personalitydisorders13.html http://samvak.tripod.com/personalitydisorders14.html http://malignantselflove.tripod.com/narcissismglance.html NPD (Narcissistic Personality Disorder) and AsPD (Antisocial Personality Disorder, Psychopathy, or Sociopathy) http://samvak.tripod.com/personalitydisorders16.html http://samvak.tripod.com/personalitydisorders15.html Is Madoff malicious?

http://www.narcissistic-abuse.com/journal65.html He feels immune to the consequences of his actions and reinterprets his crimes to fit an egosyntonic narrative: http://www.narcissistic-abuse.com/faq57.html http://www.narcissistic-abuse.com/faq45.html The Narcissist and Psychopath as Criminals http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/narcissisticabuse/message/5003 The Narcissist is Above the Law http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/narcissisticabuse/message/4983 The Narcissist as Liar and Con-man http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/narcissisticabuse/message/4951 Does the Narcissist Have a Multiple Personality (Dissociative Identity Disorder)? http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/narcissisticabuse/message/4950 Grandiosity, Fantasies, and Narcissism http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/narcissisticabuse/message/4923 He feels no remorse http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/narcissisticabuse/message/4931 He blames his victims (or the Universe) for the mess (he has alloplastic defenses) http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/narcissisticabuse/message/5002 He loves the attention http://www.narcissistic-abuse.com/corporatenarcissism.html You can download my book about financial crime here: http://www.narcissistic-abuse.com/freebooks.html