November Newsletter: Charity cons, lots of questions and drugs mules

Welcome to November’s newsletter looking at all the ways we can get to the truth by looking at the words people use. This month there’s a big focus on questions.

Dodging down under

Have a look at this video. It’s former boxer Barry McGuigan arriving at an Australian airport to take part in the tv show I’m A Celebrity. His issue is that although he’s been rumoured to take part in the show, the line up hasn’t been officially announced. So while the journalists are throwing questions at him about the show, he can’t say anything about it. So he employs many of the tactics a liar uses to evade the questions.

You’ll see how happy he is to answer easy questions that he can be honest about like “how are you” and “how was your flight”. When he’s asked “you’re not here for anything else” he goes for a classic liar’s answer “no, no, no absolutely not”. No is repeated three times for emphasis, liars often repeat their lies to ensure they sink in and have many opportunities to be hears. And then “absolutely” which so often is a signal that deception it happening.

When he does the response “I can’t hear you” it’s exactly what liars do to buy thinking time when a sensitive question is put to them.

It’s a great example, in a no stress situation, of how a liar behaves when they face questions they don’t want to deal with.

Another lesson in questions

Lots of people get into fights online to prove a point. I’m no difference although the point I wanted to prove is that when you notice someone is avoiding answering your questions you can use that against them. Have a look at this exchange from X.

That’s the set up! Hooked in the lovely Iceman and asked him a question and what did he do? Answered a question I didn’t ask, in the exchange below I asked “who appointed Michael” and Iceman talks about who appointed Martin Brundle, when I point out he’s avoiding the question he doubles down.

I then restated the first question. Once more Iceman gives more avoidance, I ask “who appointed Michael” and he tells me how many people agree with Michael. Not the same thing. You’ll note his stress go up, he can’t now give an honest answer (no one appointed Michael) so he gives more away by getting insults out.

I never heard from Iceman again. Sad really, he was a useful tool in examining how someone on sticky ground will divert and avoid when being asked questions about their position.

Drug Mule Fool

Have a look at this. https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/31646210/i-carried-two-suitcases-of-cocaine-uk-from-mexico/

The woman in the article is accused of smuggling drugs, she claims she didn’t know the drugs were in the cases she was asked to carry. Should be believe her? I’m not so sure.

She says:

“I’m not a bad person. I’ve never been in trouble in my life and I’m not guilty of what they are accusing me of.”

She gives us a resume statement which is totally irrelevant then a very qualified statement “I’m not guilty of what they are accusing me of”. She downplays drug trafficking to “what they are accusing me of”, often a sign of guilt. “I’m not guilty” is a legal concept rather than a factual one and the whole statement is in the negative. She doesn’t tell us who she us or what she did, she tells us who she isn’t and what she’s not guilty of.

She also says she was told she was taking $250,000 of cash in the cases “I agreed to it because there was no reason not to.” More in the negative and for someone who’s never been in trouble in her life, carry that amount of money through customs without declaring would be… well… trouble causing.

There’s more in the article. Get involved in the comments if you spot anything else.

Charity begins at home

“There were serious and repeated instances of misconduct and/or mismanagement in the administration of the charity in respect of the conduct and actions of Mr and Mrs Ingram-Moore. The Commission also concluded that there was mismanagement by the unconflicted trustees who were in post at the relevant times.”

That is the findings of a report into a charity set up in the name of Captain Tom Moore. Was there any way of knowing it was dodgy? Of course there was, this is what I wrong about the aforementioned Mrs Ingram-Moore nearly three years ago.

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Next Month

A very special Christmas Card!