So, when you listened to Casey Serin's most recent Friday Night Fraudcast?
Did you feel like you were going crazy?
You know?....Particularly when the woman with the question voice?
Just wouldn't stop talking?
You know the one?
Every sentence that came out of her mouth went up at the end?
So instead of making statements, she was asking questions?
And then she tried to talk Casey out of committing suicide?
Because she's had a lot of tragedy in her life?
And, you know, Casey Serin has never alluded to suicide?
But that didn't stop her?
And so, maybe you, like me, felt like YOU wanted to commit suicide?
Were thinking about the practicalities of balancing a shotgun in your mouth and pulling the trigger with your big toe?
Because this fucking person wouldn't shut the hell up?
And while you understood that she was delivering an anti-suicide speech, she was actually succeeding in advocating FOR suicide?
Because the longer she talked?
The more you were convinced you didn't want to live?
And you never knew it was possible to have a more annoying voice than Casey Serin?
But you found someone who did?
And you hope she never procreates?
And so on?
And so on?
And so on?
Oh, and did I mention?
I just say that because....?
Well, I once had a friend of a friend's hairdresser?
And her great-aunt once....?
And even though you've been lulled into some sort of hypnotic stupor?
You still want to blow your own head off in order to make her voice stop?
It's moments like this that makes me question why the Catholics can't understand that THIS is purgatory.....
On a completely different topic, someone who's been referred to as one of Casey Serin's supporterz is coming out of the woodwork.
More soon...
7/07/2007
7/03/2007
Casey Serin, Sociopath
This is my response to the question "What's Wrong With This Picture?" Casey Serin's cycle of deflection and manipulation has continually reminded me of something I've seen before. And after looking into it a bit further, I'm convinced that Casey Serin is a sociopath.
Sociopaths are the individuals with Antisocial Personality Disorder. In her book, The Sociopath Next Door
, author Martha Stout points out that "We are accustomed to think of sociopaths as violent criminals, but...the chief symptom is that that person possesses no conscience. He or she has no ability whatsoever to feel shame, guilt, or remorse....they can do literally anything at all and feel absolutely no guilt."
The author includes a checklist of sorts to identify a sociopath in your midst. "The 6-7 tell-tale signs of the typical sociopath--the irresponsibility, a lack of social-conscience, the inability to accept blame ("Because I didn't know what to do at the time..."), a delusional and overinflated opinion of oneself, ("After me, no one will want you...") attitude, the need to dominate, inability to compromise, the continuous need of affirmation from others, the habitual lying and covering up, and, of course, the complete and utter lack of remorse."
Anyone who's read Casey Serin's "I Am Facing Foreclosure" story will recognize many of these traits. So what are the exact characteristics of a sociopath? A basic overview of Antisocial Personality Disorder shows that:
"The symptoms of antisocial personality disorder include a longstanding pattern of disregard for the rights of others. There is a failure to conform to society's norms and expectations that often results in numerous arrests or legal involvement as well as a history of deceitfulness where the individual attempts to con people or use trickery for personal profit. Impulsiveness if often present, including angry outbursts, failure to consider consequences of behaviors, irritability, and/or physical assaults.
Some argue that a major component of this disorder is the reduced ability to feel empathy for other people. This inability to see the hurts, concerns, and other feelings of people often results in a disregard for these aspects of human interaction. Finally, irresponsible behavior often accompanies this disorder as well as a lack of remorse for wrongdoings.
It is important to note that, in order for a conclusive diagnosis of APD, some or all of these traits must be apparent in adolescence. And from Casey Serin's first online Ponzi scheme at the age of 14, we see that the handwriting has been on the wall for over a decade.
This profile of a sociopath offers a clear picture of the sociopath in his daily life:
-Glibness and Superficial Charm.
-Manipulative and Conning.
-They never recognize the rights of others and see their self-serving behaviors as permissible. They appear to be charming, yet are covertly hostile and domineering, seeing their victim as merely an instrument to be used. They may dominate and humiliate their victims.
-Grandiose Sense of Self. Feels entitled to certain things as "their right."
-Pathological Lying. Has no problem lying coolly and easily and it is almost impossible for them to be truthful on a consistent basis. Can create, and get caught up in, a complex belief about their own powers and abilities. Extremely convincing and even able to pass lie detector tests.
-Lack of Remorse, Shame or Guilt.
-A deep seated rage, which is split off and repressed, is at their core. Does not see others around them as people, but only as targets and opportunities. Instead of friends, they have victims and accomplices who end up as victims. The end always justifies the means and they let nothing stand in their way.
-Shallow Emotions. When they show what seems to be warmth, joy, love and compassion it is more feigned than experienced and serves an ulterior motive. Outraged by insignificant matters, yet remaining unmoved and cold by what would upset a normal person. Since they are not genuine, neither are their promises.
-Incapacity for Love.
-Need for Stimulation. Living on the edge. Verbal outbursts and physical punishments are normal. Promiscuity and gambling are common.
-Unable to empathize with the pain of their victims, having only contempt for others' feelings of distress and readily taking advantage of them.
-Poor Behavioral Controls/Impulsive Nature.
-Early Behavior Problems/Juvenile Delinquency.
-Usually has a history of behavioral and academic difficulties, yet "gets by" by conning others. Problems in making and keeping friends; aberrant behaviors such as cruelty to people or animals, stealing, etc.
-Irresponsibility/Unreliability. Not concerned about wrecking others' lives and dreams. Oblivious or indifferent to the devastation they cause. Does not accept blame themselves, but blames others, even for acts they obviously committed.
-Lack of Realistic Life Plan/Parasitic Lifestyle. Tends to move around a lot or makes all encompassing promises for the future, poor work ethic but exploits others effectively.
-Criminal or Entrepreneurial Versatility. Changes their image as needed to avoid prosecution. Changes life story readily.
Other Related Qualities:
-Contemptuous of those who seek to understand them
-Does not perceive that anything is wrong with them
-Authoritarian
-Secretive
-Paranoid
-Only rarely in difficulty with the law, but seeks out situations where their tyrannical behavior will be tolerated, condoned, or admired
-Conventional appearance
-Goal of enslavement of their victim(s)
-Exercises despotic control over every aspect of the victim's life
-Has an emotional need to justify their crimes and therefore needs their victim's affirmation (respect, gratitude and love)
-Ultimate goal is the creation of a willing victim
-Incapable of real human attachment to another
-Unable to feel remorse or guilt
-Extreme narcissism and grandiose
-May state readily that their goal is to rule the world
In regard to their work habits, sociopaths typically do not work. When they do, they are frequently absent or may quit suddenly. They will do this without regard to others' wishes or welfare. They often lie, both to gain personal pleasure and for profit.
Sociopaths may default on loans, fail to provide for their families, engage in high risk sexual behavior. Impulsiveness, failure to plan ahead, aggressiveness, irritability, irresponsibility, and a reckless disregard for their own safety and the safety of others are common traits of the antisocial personality.
For the untold dozens of people who have been trying to help Casey Serin, I'm sorry to tell you that it really is all for naught. Because one of the underlying traits of sociopaths is their delusion that they are better than everyone else, they are incredibly difficult to treat.
"Treatment for this disorder is very rarely sought. There is a limited amount of insight into the symptoms, and the negative consequences are often blamed on society. In this sense, treatment options are limited. Some research has found long term insight oriented therapy to be effective, but getting the individual to commit to this treatment is a major obstacle.
Prognosis is not very good because of two contributing factors. First, because the disorder is characterized by a failure to conform to society's norms, people with this disorder are often incarcerated because of criminal behavior. Secondly, a lack of insight into the disorder is very common. People with antisocial personality disorder typically see the world as having the problems, not him or herself, and therefore rarely seek treatment. If progress is made, it is typically over an extended period of time."
Additionally, this inability to form emotional attachments or bonds with others prevent people like Casey Serin from feeling any shame, guilt, or remorse. This is dangerous because these are the typical filters that prevent most human beings from engaging in actions that will damage those around them.
For those who have repeatedly stated that Casey Serin's critics are too harsh, the reality is that he will only stop this cycle of manipulation, confidence scams, theft, deception and other criminal activity when he is forced to stop. And this means prison. Casey Serin's behavior shows that he is unable or unwilling to stop himself from inflicting harm on his friends, family, or community.
Casey Serin needs to be removed from the population in order to be stopped from engaging in his sociopathic tendencies. If left to his own devices, even with the help and support of those around him, he will only continue to repeat these behaviors, convinced that he is entitled to do so.
Anyone else having an "aha" moment?
Sociopaths are the individuals with Antisocial Personality Disorder. In her book, The Sociopath Next Door
, author Martha Stout points out that "We are accustomed to think of sociopaths as violent criminals, but...the chief symptom is that that person possesses no conscience. He or she has no ability whatsoever to feel shame, guilt, or remorse....they can do literally anything at all and feel absolutely no guilt."The author includes a checklist of sorts to identify a sociopath in your midst. "The 6-7 tell-tale signs of the typical sociopath--the irresponsibility, a lack of social-conscience, the inability to accept blame ("Because I didn't know what to do at the time..."), a delusional and overinflated opinion of oneself, ("After me, no one will want you...") attitude, the need to dominate, inability to compromise, the continuous need of affirmation from others, the habitual lying and covering up, and, of course, the complete and utter lack of remorse."
Anyone who's read Casey Serin's "I Am Facing Foreclosure" story will recognize many of these traits. So what are the exact characteristics of a sociopath? A basic overview of Antisocial Personality Disorder shows that:
"The symptoms of antisocial personality disorder include a longstanding pattern of disregard for the rights of others. There is a failure to conform to society's norms and expectations that often results in numerous arrests or legal involvement as well as a history of deceitfulness where the individual attempts to con people or use trickery for personal profit. Impulsiveness if often present, including angry outbursts, failure to consider consequences of behaviors, irritability, and/or physical assaults.
Some argue that a major component of this disorder is the reduced ability to feel empathy for other people. This inability to see the hurts, concerns, and other feelings of people often results in a disregard for these aspects of human interaction. Finally, irresponsible behavior often accompanies this disorder as well as a lack of remorse for wrongdoings.
It is important to note that, in order for a conclusive diagnosis of APD, some or all of these traits must be apparent in adolescence. And from Casey Serin's first online Ponzi scheme at the age of 14, we see that the handwriting has been on the wall for over a decade.
This profile of a sociopath offers a clear picture of the sociopath in his daily life:
-Glibness and Superficial Charm.
-Manipulative and Conning.
-They never recognize the rights of others and see their self-serving behaviors as permissible. They appear to be charming, yet are covertly hostile and domineering, seeing their victim as merely an instrument to be used. They may dominate and humiliate their victims.
-Grandiose Sense of Self. Feels entitled to certain things as "their right."
-Pathological Lying. Has no problem lying coolly and easily and it is almost impossible for them to be truthful on a consistent basis. Can create, and get caught up in, a complex belief about their own powers and abilities. Extremely convincing and even able to pass lie detector tests.
-Lack of Remorse, Shame or Guilt.
-A deep seated rage, which is split off and repressed, is at their core. Does not see others around them as people, but only as targets and opportunities. Instead of friends, they have victims and accomplices who end up as victims. The end always justifies the means and they let nothing stand in their way.
-Shallow Emotions. When they show what seems to be warmth, joy, love and compassion it is more feigned than experienced and serves an ulterior motive. Outraged by insignificant matters, yet remaining unmoved and cold by what would upset a normal person. Since they are not genuine, neither are their promises.
-Incapacity for Love.
-Need for Stimulation. Living on the edge. Verbal outbursts and physical punishments are normal. Promiscuity and gambling are common.
-Unable to empathize with the pain of their victims, having only contempt for others' feelings of distress and readily taking advantage of them.
-Poor Behavioral Controls/Impulsive Nature.
-Early Behavior Problems/Juvenile Delinquency.
-Usually has a history of behavioral and academic difficulties, yet "gets by" by conning others. Problems in making and keeping friends; aberrant behaviors such as cruelty to people or animals, stealing, etc.
-Irresponsibility/Unreliability. Not concerned about wrecking others' lives and dreams. Oblivious or indifferent to the devastation they cause. Does not accept blame themselves, but blames others, even for acts they obviously committed.
-Lack of Realistic Life Plan/Parasitic Lifestyle. Tends to move around a lot or makes all encompassing promises for the future, poor work ethic but exploits others effectively.
-Criminal or Entrepreneurial Versatility. Changes their image as needed to avoid prosecution. Changes life story readily.
Other Related Qualities:
-Contemptuous of those who seek to understand them
-Does not perceive that anything is wrong with them
-Authoritarian
-Secretive
-Paranoid
-Only rarely in difficulty with the law, but seeks out situations where their tyrannical behavior will be tolerated, condoned, or admired
-Conventional appearance
-Goal of enslavement of their victim(s)
-Exercises despotic control over every aspect of the victim's life
-Has an emotional need to justify their crimes and therefore needs their victim's affirmation (respect, gratitude and love)
-Ultimate goal is the creation of a willing victim
-Incapable of real human attachment to another
-Unable to feel remorse or guilt
-Extreme narcissism and grandiose
-May state readily that their goal is to rule the world
In regard to their work habits, sociopaths typically do not work. When they do, they are frequently absent or may quit suddenly. They will do this without regard to others' wishes or welfare. They often lie, both to gain personal pleasure and for profit.
Sociopaths may default on loans, fail to provide for their families, engage in high risk sexual behavior. Impulsiveness, failure to plan ahead, aggressiveness, irritability, irresponsibility, and a reckless disregard for their own safety and the safety of others are common traits of the antisocial personality.
For the untold dozens of people who have been trying to help Casey Serin, I'm sorry to tell you that it really is all for naught. Because one of the underlying traits of sociopaths is their delusion that they are better than everyone else, they are incredibly difficult to treat.
"Treatment for this disorder is very rarely sought. There is a limited amount of insight into the symptoms, and the negative consequences are often blamed on society. In this sense, treatment options are limited. Some research has found long term insight oriented therapy to be effective, but getting the individual to commit to this treatment is a major obstacle.
Prognosis is not very good because of two contributing factors. First, because the disorder is characterized by a failure to conform to society's norms, people with this disorder are often incarcerated because of criminal behavior. Secondly, a lack of insight into the disorder is very common. People with antisocial personality disorder typically see the world as having the problems, not him or herself, and therefore rarely seek treatment. If progress is made, it is typically over an extended period of time."
Additionally, this inability to form emotional attachments or bonds with others prevent people like Casey Serin from feeling any shame, guilt, or remorse. This is dangerous because these are the typical filters that prevent most human beings from engaging in actions that will damage those around them.
For those who have repeatedly stated that Casey Serin's critics are too harsh, the reality is that he will only stop this cycle of manipulation, confidence scams, theft, deception and other criminal activity when he is forced to stop. And this means prison. Casey Serin's behavior shows that he is unable or unwilling to stop himself from inflicting harm on his friends, family, or community.
Casey Serin needs to be removed from the population in order to be stopped from engaging in his sociopathic tendencies. If left to his own devices, even with the help and support of those around him, he will only continue to repeat these behaviors, convinced that he is entitled to do so.
Anyone else having an "aha" moment?
What's Wrong With This Picture?
Something has been bothering me...
In reading or listening to Casey Serin interact with his audience, the conversation always follows a certain, telling, pattern. First, Casey Serin adopts a jovial approach to offset abject criticism. The most recent Foreclosure Friday Fraudcast offers as good an example as any.
"ENDGAME
Yeah, if you were my brother I would kick your mother-f*cking ass when you came home.
CASEY
Oh. (laughing weakly) Really? You know what? They might be waiting for me, they might be with, you know, who knows what, so... we'll see."
When asked something he doesn't want to answer, he goes into a repetitive cycle of mirror questioning. This line of questioning is meant to both diffuse and distract the other party. In many cases, it is an attempt to get the other person to talk about themselves rather than Casey Serin:
"SIXFIGUREW2LOOSER
Because it's not real entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship is creating a product or service of genuine value that... is a new invention, is a new, is truly a new way of doing business. Something that nobody thought of before. You know, going out and taking all these loans out, and with the intent of flipping it on the ever-escalating rise of home prices: that is not based in reality, not based in income, it is pure speculation. It just creates damage and harm for people, like me, who -- for Christ's sake Casey, I make over six figures, all right? Full benefits, everything. And I can't even--
CASEY
Yeah. You're set up nice, huh?
SIXFIGUREW2LOOSER
Yeah, I am. And you wanna know why? Because I worked hard--
CASEY
Sweet cashflow coming in. Yeah.
SIXFIGUREW2LOOSER
Uh? Yeah, it's cashflow coming in, because it's money deposited to my account every two weeks.
CASEY
Doing good, yeah."
Casey Serin also utilizes half-right reflexives, a form of questioning where one posits a half-truth in the form of a question in order to get the other party to agree. Take, for example, this back-and-forth.
"HEYCASEY
But you can receive international calls on it [the prepaid Australian cell], so why don't you write CashCall an email and say "hey, what's up, why don't you try to figure out what's going on, obviously I'm making some sweet income on my ads on my blog right now, so why don't you just garnish my wages?" but, I don't know. Plus, by the way--
CASEY
(speaking over HeyCasey) That's a good point, that's a good point, can't keep hiding under the rocks for too long, is that what you're saying?....
HEYCASEY
Exactly, you need to file personal gains tax, which I'm sure you haven't done in a year or so.
CASEY
Yeah man, sweet! Yeah, I mean, the tax, you gotta pay that sweet tax, I mean, the IRS doesn't mess around, right?"
When backed into a corner, Casey Serin tends to drop his voice to create a false intimacy. This empathetic air is an attempt to diffuse the topic at hand, which I'm sure the Serin family has seen time and time again when Casey is painted into a corner. When Annie called in with some very pointed questions, this is how Casey Serin answered:
"ANNIE
Okay. Now, do you feel comfortable-- I can't imagine anybody freeloading like you do, and asking people to pay your way, because that's, you've been asking people, "buy me a ticket", "let me visit your house", you know, "pay for this", "pay for that". At the same time, you're saying that you made two thousand dollars last week, you sent one thousand dollars home just now, so you're making money, why are you freeloading?
CASEY
Okay. And then, that kinda angers you right? Why does that anger you?"
See what happens there? We've seen this a lot over the past ten months, when he flips something back on the other party--this isn't about me, this is about you. Let's talk about you. After all, everyone loves to talk about themselves.
Casey Serin continues his mirror questions, hoping to throw Annie off topic:
"ANNIE
Okay, so it was okay with them. So, you leave on a Wednesday to go to Australia. Two days later it's Friday. Did you have a thousand dollars on the table at home?
CASEY
Uh, what was that? Are you asking about the timing? When it all happened, or...?
ANNIE
No, no, no! I'm being very clear, I'm being extremely clear. You left to go to Australia on a Wednesday, right?
CASEY
Um, I think so. Is that what it was?"
Yet when Annie doesn't let it go, Casey shifts into victim mode:
"ANNIE
But you said last week you made two thousand dollars! So, last week, where's the two thousand dollars from last week?
CASEY
Well yeah, I made two thousand dollars, to transfer it, it takes two business days for it to transfer, I mean, that's all process. So, are we splitting hairs here? (ignores Annie's vehement 'No.') You're trying to put me in a corner like that guy on Triple J did."
When Annie still doesn't take the bait, Casey Serin becomes contemptuous and his demeanor shifts to a sense of "you're such a peon you could never understand such complex doings." See for yourself:
"ANNIE
No, I'm not putting you in a corner, I'm asking you a very simple question, and the question is, last week--
CASEY
(interjects) Of course, very simple to you!
ANNIE
(continues) You made two thousand dollars, and then, where, what day did you put that money in the bank? What day did the money clear? And then, what--
CASEY
(interrupts, exasperated) Annie, what am I gonna do, give an accounting of every minute and every little dollar I spent? I mean, come on. I'm telling you what I did, you don't believe me, you're trying to trip me up somehow, what's the point of this?
ANNIE
I'm not trying to trip you up--
CASEY
(irritated) Honestly, honestly, you don't believe me! You wouldn't continue asking me if you believed me. You simply don't believe me, which is fine, just say it like that.
ANNIE
Well I don't believe you! And how can anybody believe you? (forges on despite Casey's 'There you go!') You're not giving me or anybody else a straight answer. If you want us to believe you, then you've got to say something that's useful.
CASEY
Well look, look, I'm not looking at everything, all the figures in front of me right now, I'm telling you what I did. I don't have the exact hours, and minutes, and dollar figures in front of me right now. So I'm telling you what was done, you don't believe me because you think I'm lying, or this and that... but I mean, clearly, that's fine. You asked your questions--
ANNIE
Well you! You have a history of lying. You have a history of--
CASEY
(chuckling) Alright, alright, fine. Yes, I'm a criminal, right, I'm a scam-- I'm a fraud, I'm a conman, yeah, what else am I?"
Finally, Casey Serin's frustration throws his own game off, and he reveals his sense of entitlement, in a couple of sentences that suggest "I'm smarter and better than you, and good things will come my way because I deserve that to happen."
"ANNIE
I wouldn't say that, but going back to the begathon, you begged people and asked people to pay for your, you know, CashCall, 'cause they were calling--
CASEY
Yeah! And that pisses you off because I'm able to do that! What is wrong with me giving a service for money? Nothing! It's business! It's business."
This is a pattern of manipulation that we've seen time and time again with Casey Serin. First, deflect--make a joke out of a serious topic, then laugh along with it. If that doesn't work, shift into mirror questions in the hope the other party takes the bait and starts talking about him/herself. Combine that with some half-right reflexives to get the other party back on the same page with you.
Round three is to play the victim, asking the other party why they continue to persecute with the repeated line of questioning. And the final straw is to walk away, stating that "you just don't understand" because the topic at hand is obviously too complex for the questioning party to grasp.
And I've always had a vague sense that I'd seen it somewhere before. In reading Caseypedia's excellent transcript of the fraudcast, it finally occurred to me what the missing link most likely is. It's something that I first picked up on when reading through the nightmarish quagmire of Casey Serin's del.icio.us bookmarks, which showed that he was reading up on "How To Read People for Profit."
Since this post is already pretty long, see the next post for the answer...
In reading or listening to Casey Serin interact with his audience, the conversation always follows a certain, telling, pattern. First, Casey Serin adopts a jovial approach to offset abject criticism. The most recent Foreclosure Friday Fraudcast offers as good an example as any.
"ENDGAME
Yeah, if you were my brother I would kick your mother-f*cking ass when you came home.
CASEY
Oh. (laughing weakly) Really? You know what? They might be waiting for me, they might be with, you know, who knows what, so... we'll see."
When asked something he doesn't want to answer, he goes into a repetitive cycle of mirror questioning. This line of questioning is meant to both diffuse and distract the other party. In many cases, it is an attempt to get the other person to talk about themselves rather than Casey Serin:
"SIXFIGUREW2LOOSER
Because it's not real entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship is creating a product or service of genuine value that... is a new invention, is a new, is truly a new way of doing business. Something that nobody thought of before. You know, going out and taking all these loans out, and with the intent of flipping it on the ever-escalating rise of home prices: that is not based in reality, not based in income, it is pure speculation. It just creates damage and harm for people, like me, who -- for Christ's sake Casey, I make over six figures, all right? Full benefits, everything. And I can't even--
CASEY
Yeah. You're set up nice, huh?
SIXFIGUREW2LOOSER
Yeah, I am. And you wanna know why? Because I worked hard--
CASEY
Sweet cashflow coming in. Yeah.
SIXFIGUREW2LOOSER
Uh? Yeah, it's cashflow coming in, because it's money deposited to my account every two weeks.
CASEY
Doing good, yeah."
Casey Serin also utilizes half-right reflexives, a form of questioning where one posits a half-truth in the form of a question in order to get the other party to agree. Take, for example, this back-and-forth.
"HEYCASEY
But you can receive international calls on it [the prepaid Australian cell], so why don't you write CashCall an email and say "hey, what's up, why don't you try to figure out what's going on, obviously I'm making some sweet income on my ads on my blog right now, so why don't you just garnish my wages?" but, I don't know. Plus, by the way--
CASEY
(speaking over HeyCasey) That's a good point, that's a good point, can't keep hiding under the rocks for too long, is that what you're saying?....
HEYCASEY
Exactly, you need to file personal gains tax, which I'm sure you haven't done in a year or so.
CASEY
Yeah man, sweet! Yeah, I mean, the tax, you gotta pay that sweet tax, I mean, the IRS doesn't mess around, right?"
When backed into a corner, Casey Serin tends to drop his voice to create a false intimacy. This empathetic air is an attempt to diffuse the topic at hand, which I'm sure the Serin family has seen time and time again when Casey is painted into a corner. When Annie called in with some very pointed questions, this is how Casey Serin answered:
"ANNIE
Okay. Now, do you feel comfortable-- I can't imagine anybody freeloading like you do, and asking people to pay your way, because that's, you've been asking people, "buy me a ticket", "let me visit your house", you know, "pay for this", "pay for that". At the same time, you're saying that you made two thousand dollars last week, you sent one thousand dollars home just now, so you're making money, why are you freeloading?
CASEY
Okay. And then, that kinda angers you right? Why does that anger you?"
See what happens there? We've seen this a lot over the past ten months, when he flips something back on the other party--this isn't about me, this is about you. Let's talk about you. After all, everyone loves to talk about themselves.
Casey Serin continues his mirror questions, hoping to throw Annie off topic:
"ANNIE
Okay, so it was okay with them. So, you leave on a Wednesday to go to Australia. Two days later it's Friday. Did you have a thousand dollars on the table at home?
CASEY
Uh, what was that? Are you asking about the timing? When it all happened, or...?
ANNIE
No, no, no! I'm being very clear, I'm being extremely clear. You left to go to Australia on a Wednesday, right?
CASEY
Um, I think so. Is that what it was?"
Yet when Annie doesn't let it go, Casey shifts into victim mode:
"ANNIE
But you said last week you made two thousand dollars! So, last week, where's the two thousand dollars from last week?
CASEY
Well yeah, I made two thousand dollars, to transfer it, it takes two business days for it to transfer, I mean, that's all process. So, are we splitting hairs here? (ignores Annie's vehement 'No.') You're trying to put me in a corner like that guy on Triple J did."
When Annie still doesn't take the bait, Casey Serin becomes contemptuous and his demeanor shifts to a sense of "you're such a peon you could never understand such complex doings." See for yourself:
"ANNIE
No, I'm not putting you in a corner, I'm asking you a very simple question, and the question is, last week--
CASEY
(interjects) Of course, very simple to you!
ANNIE
(continues) You made two thousand dollars, and then, where, what day did you put that money in the bank? What day did the money clear? And then, what--
CASEY
(interrupts, exasperated) Annie, what am I gonna do, give an accounting of every minute and every little dollar I spent? I mean, come on. I'm telling you what I did, you don't believe me, you're trying to trip me up somehow, what's the point of this?
ANNIE
I'm not trying to trip you up--
CASEY
(irritated) Honestly, honestly, you don't believe me! You wouldn't continue asking me if you believed me. You simply don't believe me, which is fine, just say it like that.
ANNIE
Well I don't believe you! And how can anybody believe you? (forges on despite Casey's 'There you go!') You're not giving me or anybody else a straight answer. If you want us to believe you, then you've got to say something that's useful.
CASEY
Well look, look, I'm not looking at everything, all the figures in front of me right now, I'm telling you what I did. I don't have the exact hours, and minutes, and dollar figures in front of me right now. So I'm telling you what was done, you don't believe me because you think I'm lying, or this and that... but I mean, clearly, that's fine. You asked your questions--
ANNIE
Well you! You have a history of lying. You have a history of--
CASEY
(chuckling) Alright, alright, fine. Yes, I'm a criminal, right, I'm a scam-- I'm a fraud, I'm a conman, yeah, what else am I?"
Finally, Casey Serin's frustration throws his own game off, and he reveals his sense of entitlement, in a couple of sentences that suggest "I'm smarter and better than you, and good things will come my way because I deserve that to happen."
"ANNIE
I wouldn't say that, but going back to the begathon, you begged people and asked people to pay for your, you know, CashCall, 'cause they were calling--
CASEY
Yeah! And that pisses you off because I'm able to do that! What is wrong with me giving a service for money? Nothing! It's business! It's business."
This is a pattern of manipulation that we've seen time and time again with Casey Serin. First, deflect--make a joke out of a serious topic, then laugh along with it. If that doesn't work, shift into mirror questions in the hope the other party takes the bait and starts talking about him/herself. Combine that with some half-right reflexives to get the other party back on the same page with you.
Round three is to play the victim, asking the other party why they continue to persecute with the repeated line of questioning. And the final straw is to walk away, stating that "you just don't understand" because the topic at hand is obviously too complex for the questioning party to grasp.
And I've always had a vague sense that I'd seen it somewhere before. In reading Caseypedia's excellent transcript of the fraudcast, it finally occurred to me what the missing link most likely is. It's something that I first picked up on when reading through the nightmarish quagmire of Casey Serin's del.icio.us bookmarks, which showed that he was reading up on "How To Read People for Profit."
Since this post is already pretty long, see the next post for the answer...
7/02/2007
Was I Wrong About the Timeline?
Casey Serin says he's now back in the U.S., which would mean my guess that he would miss the July 5 deadline was wrong. And I have to say, I really do hope I'm wrong on this one. It would be good news that Casey Serin is back on U.S. soil, within the grasp of law enforcement, and more importantly, within the grasp of his family.
I posted yesterday about Casey Serin's plans to hustle his way around the globe. And I still stand by the information as it was relayed. There were always going to be two problems with posting that info....first and foremost, anything that originates from Casey Serin is suspect. We've seen him lie, cheat, and steal for the past ten months, even when it directly impacts his own family.
The second issue stemmed from the timing. I knew it was coming out on the cusp...but on the cusp of what was the question. The whole scenario was definitely at a crossroads. In my mind, it was worth publishing in the event that he had decided to persue his harebrained scheme of a worldwide media tour.
I'd rather be wrong about a timeline than read the latest about Casey Serin posting from Japan or Indonesia, lining up new pigeons along the way. And for the record, Casey missing the July 5 deadline was my guess, no one else's.
I can't imagine that, if Casey Serin is indeed home, that it will be a very happy homecoming. The family has to be absolutely livid, his wife exponentially more so. On the other hand, Mark Villasenor is probably dancing with glee.
Will Casey Serin actually meet a deadline and appear in Superior Court to answer Mark's charges? Oh, god, I hope so. Casey seems physically incapable of telling the truth, so if Mark Villasenor is able to provide the court with the documentation that proves Casey Serin's multiple frauds and continued criminal enterprises, it will be an Independence Day of a whole new shade.
I've got to be in the office early today, as a whole slew of meetings and conference calls await. It's my own fault that I let my looser W-2 job get in the way of important blogging. But Rob Dawg says he's got a bombshell to drop today, so the week should start off with a bang.
I posted yesterday about Casey Serin's plans to hustle his way around the globe. And I still stand by the information as it was relayed. There were always going to be two problems with posting that info....first and foremost, anything that originates from Casey Serin is suspect. We've seen him lie, cheat, and steal for the past ten months, even when it directly impacts his own family.
The second issue stemmed from the timing. I knew it was coming out on the cusp...but on the cusp of what was the question. The whole scenario was definitely at a crossroads. In my mind, it was worth publishing in the event that he had decided to persue his harebrained scheme of a worldwide media tour.
I'd rather be wrong about a timeline than read the latest about Casey Serin posting from Japan or Indonesia, lining up new pigeons along the way. And for the record, Casey missing the July 5 deadline was my guess, no one else's.
I can't imagine that, if Casey Serin is indeed home, that it will be a very happy homecoming. The family has to be absolutely livid, his wife exponentially more so. On the other hand, Mark Villasenor is probably dancing with glee.
Will Casey Serin actually meet a deadline and appear in Superior Court to answer Mark's charges? Oh, god, I hope so. Casey seems physically incapable of telling the truth, so if Mark Villasenor is able to provide the court with the documentation that proves Casey Serin's multiple frauds and continued criminal enterprises, it will be an Independence Day of a whole new shade.
I've got to be in the office early today, as a whole slew of meetings and conference calls await. It's my own fault that I let my looser W-2 job get in the way of important blogging. But Rob Dawg says he's got a bombshell to drop today, so the week should start off with a bang.
7/01/2007
Casey Serin's UnderLYING Agenda
Is Casey Serin really headed back to the United States? If so, he's been planning a rather circuitous route home.
A few interested parties started forwarding me some information about Casey Serin's Australia trip, several weeks ago. Each one asked that I hold off posting anything about these plans, in the hope of talking some sense into the wayward fraudster. Now that Casey Serin is claiming to be headed directly back home, one of these parties has given the green light to fill in some blanks.
True to form of mining his Inbox for gold nuggets, Casey Serin has been searching for offers of housing throughout the world. He had previously posted on his website, "I Am Facing Foreclosure" that he was open to accepting housing offers from his readers, if anyone would allow him to stay at their homes.
Some newbies bit, thinking that Casey Serin was just a misguided and somewhat lost kid who was probably in need of a hot meal and some words of wisdom. Other offers came from folks who had been following Casey Serin's story for a while, who thought it might be a laugh to meet the "World's Most Hated Blogger" in person.
There are still others, those who have been helping Casey Serin with his website and various other enterprises while he's touring Australia. Casey has managed to keep in contact with them more frequently and consistently than his own wife and family. And even they think that's pretty seedy.
(Note to Casey Serin: You think Mark Villasenor has it out for you? You don't even know the half of it. You're trusting people who shouldn't be trusted further than they can be kicked. The haterz called it from the beginning. But once again, great judgement on your part!)
Showing his usual lack of discretion, Casey Serin started working his contacts to see what he could get. While he's telling the world that he's headed back to California, Casey Serin is actually trying to couch-surf his way around the world.
He felt pretty solid after getting some sweet media attention upon arrival in Australia. He hopes to travel the world, duplicating this media exposure in every country he visits. According to Casey, this will earn him new advertisers in each place he travels, as well as attract some new nefarious business contacts, which we all know by now means collecting some new marks along the way.
While Casey Serin's own wife, Galina Serin, cannot reach him via phone during his travels, those whom he considers to be in his inner circle have had fairly free and unfettered access to the amateur con artist and admitted mortgage felon.
Note to Galina Serin: While your husband is not so inclined to answer his Aussie cell since the haterz leaked the number (yes, it is 042 441 5051, but he's looking for another one now) you can reach him on Skype with the username "caseyserin." Redirect some of those CashCall calls there, and let your husband have a taste of what you've been dealing with in his absence.
There are plenty of, frankly, fools out there who are willing to let Casey Serin come into their lives and homes. So while Mama Serin may be offering a return flight home, Casey Serin has been telling others that he will divert those funds to a different destination entirely.
At this point, don't expect him home for Mark Villasenor's July 5 deadline, or any others. He's convinced that there are untold thousands of dollars (big thinker, he) to be mined from what he considers to be a media tour of the world.
(A sidenote: Until I'd caught up on a few of Rob's posts at EN this morning, I didn't realize that the Serin family didn't have a way to contact Sercasey. I knew there was a lack of contact on both sides, but assumed it was mutual. Had I known, I would have forwarded the phone number and Skype contact to the family via Duane LeGate or Rob Dawg.)
A few interested parties started forwarding me some information about Casey Serin's Australia trip, several weeks ago. Each one asked that I hold off posting anything about these plans, in the hope of talking some sense into the wayward fraudster. Now that Casey Serin is claiming to be headed directly back home, one of these parties has given the green light to fill in some blanks.
True to form of mining his Inbox for gold nuggets, Casey Serin has been searching for offers of housing throughout the world. He had previously posted on his website, "I Am Facing Foreclosure" that he was open to accepting housing offers from his readers, if anyone would allow him to stay at their homes.
Some newbies bit, thinking that Casey Serin was just a misguided and somewhat lost kid who was probably in need of a hot meal and some words of wisdom. Other offers came from folks who had been following Casey Serin's story for a while, who thought it might be a laugh to meet the "World's Most Hated Blogger" in person.
There are still others, those who have been helping Casey Serin with his website and various other enterprises while he's touring Australia. Casey has managed to keep in contact with them more frequently and consistently than his own wife and family. And even they think that's pretty seedy.
(Note to Casey Serin: You think Mark Villasenor has it out for you? You don't even know the half of it. You're trusting people who shouldn't be trusted further than they can be kicked. The haterz called it from the beginning. But once again, great judgement on your part!)
Showing his usual lack of discretion, Casey Serin started working his contacts to see what he could get. While he's telling the world that he's headed back to California, Casey Serin is actually trying to couch-surf his way around the world.
He felt pretty solid after getting some sweet media attention upon arrival in Australia. He hopes to travel the world, duplicating this media exposure in every country he visits. According to Casey, this will earn him new advertisers in each place he travels, as well as attract some new nefarious business contacts, which we all know by now means collecting some new marks along the way.
While Casey Serin's own wife, Galina Serin, cannot reach him via phone during his travels, those whom he considers to be in his inner circle have had fairly free and unfettered access to the amateur con artist and admitted mortgage felon.
Note to Galina Serin: While your husband is not so inclined to answer his Aussie cell since the haterz leaked the number (yes, it is 042 441 5051, but he's looking for another one now) you can reach him on Skype with the username "caseyserin." Redirect some of those CashCall calls there, and let your husband have a taste of what you've been dealing with in his absence.
There are plenty of, frankly, fools out there who are willing to let Casey Serin come into their lives and homes. So while Mama Serin may be offering a return flight home, Casey Serin has been telling others that he will divert those funds to a different destination entirely.
At this point, don't expect him home for Mark Villasenor's July 5 deadline, or any others. He's convinced that there are untold thousands of dollars (big thinker, he) to be mined from what he considers to be a media tour of the world.
(A sidenote: Until I'd caught up on a few of Rob's posts at EN this morning, I didn't realize that the Serin family didn't have a way to contact Sercasey. I knew there was a lack of contact on both sides, but assumed it was mutual. Had I known, I would have forwarded the phone number and Skype contact to the family via Duane LeGate or Rob Dawg.)
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