America's Funniest Con Man - The Steve Comisar story
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Who is Steve Comisar and how did he start his con career?
So this podcaster apparently conned people out of millions of dollars. So the guy's name is Steve, and he's in his 20s, he's from Beverly Hills, and Steve has been trying to make it work as an actor for years. But unfortunately, he just can't catch his big break. So one day in the 80s, he decides to make money in a different way. He's going to scam some people. And so he starts out by just picking up the phone and cold calling people. And he gets into telemarketing fraud. And unfortunately for him, it doesn't go great. And bam, he gets caught and arrested. Here's a mugshot. Cool hair, bro. Then around the 1990s, Steve decides to get a little more creative with his schemes. He comes up with something that's so stupid it's genius.
What was Steve Comisar's infamous 'solar-powered clothes dryer' scam?
He puts ads in magazines saying that he's selling a revolutionary solar-powered clothes dryer. And he's selling it at the incredibly low price of $49.95. Here's the thing about this solar powered clothes dryer. When the customers receive their order, they open the package and they're shocked to find all he sent them is a simple clothesline. Like one your grandma would hang in the backyard and dry clothes on it. Which, to be fair, I guess that is technically a solar-powered clothes dryer, but you know, not worth spending 50 bucks on. And so the customers are understandably upset. And when people start to complain to Steve, he responds that they had received exactly what he advertised. And technically, he's not wrong.
Anyway, he claims that he made over a million dollars from this scam. before his business is finally shut down. Now, I have my doubts about whether or not he actually made a million dollars, but that's what he says. Anyway, after this, Steve definitely isn't gonna stop. I mean, that was too easy.
How did Steve Comisar continue his cons and what were the consequences?
So, he keeps the cons going, and he gets involved in some investment scams, and he gets people to invest in oil wells that don't actually exist, and bam, he gets caught and arrested again. Here's another mugshot. And so he gets sent to prison, and now suddenly ol' Steve has a lot of free time on his hands, sittin' in a cell all day. And so he decides to write a book called America's Guide to Fraud Prevention, and he writes it under the name Brett Champion for some reason. And this book actually gets published. And this is where he starts to sell himself as this reformed con man who is now trying to help others not get scammed. A few years later, in 1997, he's out of prison at this point. Like, he's done his time.
Did Steve Comisar try to reform and how?
And suddenly, things are starting to look up for Steve. Like he starts going by his new name, Brett Champion, which definitely sounds like a made up name. But as Brett Champion, he somehow convinces people that he's a fraud expert. And he starts appearing on TV shows as a fraud prevention specialist. And like here he is on The View, here he is on Dateline, here he is on CBS, here he is on some other talk show, here he is on The View again. And so the talk show circuit is really buying into his story. And so it seems like he's turned his life around and he's changed his con man ways. He's got a new name. He's got a new career. And now he's out here helping people not get conned.
Why did Steve Comisar return to fraud after appearing as a fraud prevention expert?
What a great guy. Until... A few years later in 1999, I guess he gets tired of being a fraud prevention specialist. And he's like, I think I'll go commit some more fraud myself. And he comes up. with a whole new scam he starts cold calling people and claiming he's producing a TV show like a quiz game show and that he's looking for investors and he asks these people to invest in the show and he says that former pro football player Joe Namath is going to be involved And that this is going to get such good ratings and it'll be such a huge hit and they're all going to be so rich. But unfortunately for these investors, there is no quiz game show. And former pro football player Joe Namath, not involved. And any money these people give Steve doesn't go to produce anything for TV. It goes right into his pocket. And eventually he gets reported for this scam and bam, he gets arrested again.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
Who is Steve Comisar and how did he start his con career?
0:00–0:49
2
What was Steve Comisar's infamous 'solar-powered clothes dryer' scam?
0:49–1:54
3
How did Steve Comisar continue his cons and what were the consequences?
1:54–2:39
4
Did Steve Comisar try to reform and how?
2:39–3:20
5
Why did Steve Comisar return to fraud after appearing as a fraud prevention expert?
3:20–8:18
Speakers
1 identifiedMore from Ray William Johnson: True Story Podcast
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