Prince Charming or Prince Cunning? How tell if your Significant Other is a Con Man

If he seems too good to be true you can almost bet he's not true. Chances are the wonderful, loving, attentive Romeo who has just strolled into your life is not a Romeo at all. There is a very strong chance that you have just attracted a seasoned con man. Here are a few questions to ask yourself and, if you are wise, him, to determine whether or not the intentions of the charming new gentleman in your life are on the up and up.

Start with yourself. Ask yourself the following questions. Where did he come from? How did you meet him? Do you know anyone in common? If he is saying extremely complimentary things about you, if you are honest with yourself, are they true? For example, if you are fifty-five, do you look twenty-five, do you look like Beyonce or Selma Hayek, or do you honestly feel like yours is a face that could launch a thousand ships like the Greek myth? How quickly did he start complimenting you? How soon did he start implying this could be love?

Who is he? Has he told you about a phenomenal background that seems as though it could only have occurred in a movie? Has he lived all over the world or all over the country? Does he imply that the type of work he does he's not really at liberty to discuss? Is this a difficult time for him, a time perhaps of change in which he is between jobs or needs to back off from the dangerous or stressful life he has been living. Has he told you that what he really wants in life is to find a good woman, to settle down, and live happily ever after?

Are you answering these questions? Are red flags waving in the back of your mind yet? Has your gut instinct been nagging you and you've been ignoring it because you don't want to feel like a fool? That's what he hopes is happening with you? If your Prince Charming is Prince Cunning then he has worked very hard to set you up psychologically, to invade your life, to become a part of your world, to meet your friends, and to put you in a position where you will feel extremely foolish if he is suddenly gone and you are suddenly left to try to explain what happened to that wonderful guy who seemed to adore you. He is counting on your ego being stronger than your doubt, your saving face meaning more than your saving your bank account.

Speaking of bank accounts, has he needed a loan to tide him over while he's waiting on his check to arrive, or that new opportunity to gel, or his ex-wife to release his funds? How soon did you start picking up the tab for your dates? Has he needed to borrow your credit or debit card for an emergency? Is he discussing with you a can't-miss venture that is going to need a small cash injection to get off the ground that is going to result in a wind fall back to you if you are that injector? Has he purchased you a phenomenal piece of jewelry that he charged to your credit card with the promise he's going to pay for it as soon as that ship your face could launch comes in?

If any of this sounds the least bit familiar it is time for you to take a very close look at the person who has entered your life, your world, your space, and your dreams. He may not deserve to be there. Better yet, he may deserve to be in a 5'x5' cell, because there is a very strong chance that his devious behavior did not begin with you, and that law enforcement in a number of states may well be trying to track him down. Saving face, protecting ego, is not as important as putting an end to a campaign of abuse from someone who is totally callus about your emotions, your life, your reputation, or your hard earned money.

Do you believe that you have possibly been victimized by a con man? Report him to authorities. Use wisdom and caution, be careful not to personally accuse or confront him, even if you are angry, because he may be dangerous. But there is no shame in having been the victim of a seasoned criminal! The only crime would be for you to remain in his grasp if the opportunity and wisdom comes to you to end his unsavory abuse.