C9. Imposters, Con Artists, and Their Webs of Deception

In the history of humankind, we often detect unusually clever personalities who assume a double life or use fraudulent methods to deceive the innocent for their own purposes. The motive for such deception may be to escape capture and punishment for a crime or to gain power, prestige, and wealth or simply to gain satisfaction in duping someone in a high position. We will study the lives of these imposters and con artists, many of whom have been exposed and brought to justice, including Whitey Bulger, Adolf Eichmann, Clark Rockefeller, and Jim Bakker.

INSTRUCTOR: Margaret Watson is a product of the Big Ten, having received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Michigan and then pursuing further graduate study at the Ohio State University. She is Professor Emerita from Quinsigamond Com-munity College, serving both on the faculty and the administration in her thirty-six year tenure

NO REQUIRED BOOKS, supplementary materials will be provided by instructor