"The problem with getting a real street education is that you have to go through a lot of hard knocks and pain for the degree. Jim Rose has remedied that dilemma for the masses by contributing monthly to Punk Globe Magazine ." It is Jim Roses opinion that the psychology of being street wise is crucial to protecting ones self, furthering careers and in some cases just fun to know.

The contents of this article could be dangerous. Misuse of the material can cheapen an art form or at the very least make you look stupid. More importantly, misuse of this information may result in jail time or death. Do not attempt any of these tricks without the direct supervision of a responsible professional. I know more about snake oil than any person alive. I've been selling it for most of my life. Quite simply, snake oil is my lifeblood. Magic, circus stunts, hypnotism, hustles, mind-reading; any and every graft known to man. If there's a con, I know about it. Snake oil, ladies and gentlemen, is the art of the gyp, hoodwink, shuck, sandbag. Identify a weakness or susceptibility and manipulate to your personal advantage. The term originates from traveling "salesmen" in the 19th century who peddled a concoction, usually giving it an exotic name like snake oil, promising to cure all ills. Of course, it was a big scam and eventually the term snake oil came to represent any deceptive product or enterprise.Growing up in Phoenix, Arizona, life's calculations, misdirections, and manipulations became a fascination of mine. During this semi-lawless era reminiscent of the Wild West, slicksters, con-artists, and hucksters roamed the terrain looking for easy marks. Phoenix has now, I've been told, become quite civilized and the days of flim-flam are long gone. Don't believe it. The art of selling snake oil is constantly being reinvented, bastardized and ultimately improved in a perpetual, strangely perverse evolution. Just like me. My introduction to the swindle of snake oil began during my formative teenage years. Working at the state fair, I was initiated into the world of eccentrics with a school-of-hard-knocks education in street smarts. In the late eighties, this education allowed me to found the Jim Rose Circus, touring the planet non-stop for fifteen years. During this odyssey of the odd, I became part of a living eclectic encyclopedia.

Go to a bar to order three or four drinks that they dump out when no one is looking. After establishing their alibi, they call the police to report the accident. They tell a story about how they went into shock during the accident and had stumbled to a bar for a few drinks to calm the nerves. The police can't prove if they had gotten drunk before or after the accident. Some people don't like talking to the police at all when they're drunk, so they wait until the next day and report their car stolen.

A defense that has worked in many DWI cases is to say that you burped when you took the breathalyzer. Burping forces more alcohol into the breathalyzer making the record inaccurate. The skewed logic is if you're drunk anyway, you might as well knock the needle off.

There are some people who break the speed limit on purpose. They are not drunk, it's a sport to them and they rarely get a ticket. When pulled over, they get out of their car and start looking around at the tires. When the policeman walks up, the hustler talks first and says: "Officer, I'm having problems with my breaks, would you follow me to a gas station?" The policeman will either consider it his civic duty, or suggest that it's too dangerous and the car should be towed. Either way he won't give him a ticket and doesn't have time to wait with him for the tow truck.

People who think they are very clever usually end up running away from something, and are in need of a new life.Locating a New Identification: The best way is to choose an identity of a person who died very young. Some hustlers use the obituary section in old newspapers found at libraries. Once they find someone about their age and sex, they take down all the pertinent information. Some info like parents names and mother's maiden name can also be found at the U.S.. Census Bureau, hospital records, or church baptismal records.

They file for a duplicate birth certificate to replace the one they have "lost." It never arouses suspicion because the lack of an original birth certificate is so common in this country. The U.S. Passport office provides information on how to request a certified copy for a fee. After getting the birth certificate, everything opens up to them, all under a new name.

Once they get the birth certificate, they go to the Department of Motor Vehicles and get a driver's license.

They easily obtain it once they have proper identification and a birth certificate.

They never use the same social security number twice. Every time they are asked they make up a new one. Where They Hide: They go to big cities. It's easier for them to stay lost there than settling in a small town with nosy neighbors. There are also more job opportunities, public transportation, etc.

To build references, they do low-paying or part-time jobs. If they have valuable skills, they free-lance their services until they build up enough references to get a decent full-time job. They avoid jobs that are similar to previous employment. They usually seek temporary agencies and temporary work because they eventually lead to a full-time job. They avoid all jobs that put them in the public eye, like entertainment, bartending, hotel desks, etc.

Usually no more than two or three job references are required to get work. The hustlers get two or three mailbox addresses with fake company names. They write their own letters of reference on letterheads printed with the fake names. If they are asked for a phone number, they give a friend's number who poses as a former employer, or they use a secretarial service that always says the person is not available, and will take a message. If in need of educational credentials, they either buy the degrees by mail order or they go through the educational process to get a new set of degrees and diplomas.

To become unrecognizable, they try to become the opposite of what they were. They usually change their hair and the type of clothing; gain or loose weight; wear or remove eyeglasses; take on smoking or quit; grow or shave a beard. They hide scars, marks and tattoos with makeup or hair. Sometimes they change the way they walk by placing objects inside one shoe. In extreme cases they get cosmetic surgery to change their features. They adjust their speech or change their accent or dialect to fit in with their new surroundings. In all cases they are chameleons who avoid attracting any attention to themselves. The successful ones never have their photos taken and are careful with paper trails (always use mail boxes for all correspondence).Also, they totally separate themselves from their original existence. And most of all, they never reveal their secret to anyone because that makes them vulnerable to apprehension or blackmail.



One, Two, Three, on Billy Hiding Behind that Door Ever met someone you wished you knew more about but didn't want to get a private investigator involved? The full name, last known address, birth date, and social security number can easily and legally be obtained. There are many cross-reference systems available at the library that have the names and addresses listed. A simple form letter and a small fee to the Register of Voters, the county courthouse, and property tax division, will provide a data search allowing you complete access to divorce decrees, garnishments, child support, mortgage holders, and just about anything else. These records should satisfy your initial goal, but hey, why stop here?

From the Motor Vehicle Dept. you can get moving violations, accident records, height, weight, sex, and color of eyes and hair. The last bit of information you will need to finish this phase is a T.R.W. report. T.R.W. is a national credit information company. For a small fee you can access their data base system. It is so complete that often times they know more about people than the people know about themselves. You should now have a pretty good official profile of this person. Your next step is to make inventive phone calls to the numbers that have crossed your path. Talk to ex-fellow employees, school mates and family members. Soon you will have enough information to write a book about this person. Access to information in other countries is a little different but the same strategic formula works.

Be sure to read more of "Jim Rose Circus Scam, Fraud, Rip Off, and Con Artists Beware" in next month's Punk Globe Magazine...

Copyright 2005 by Jim Rose
www.JimRoseCircus.com