Flim Flam : Canada's Greatest Frauds, Scams, and Con Artists

__Flim Flam__ explores the world of Canadian white-collar crime, a place inhabited by hustlers, wild gamblers, and crazy dreamers. It takes the reader to the Vancouver Stock Exchange, where dream salesmen have peddled wild stories of easy money, through the "moose pasture" scams of northern Canada, to the con artists who have been drawn to Toronto’s financial district. Along the way, you’ll meet crooked politicians, a young con man who confessed to a church congregation after he was "born again," disbarred lawyers, and the creator of a huge paper fortune who was left with nothing but a wolfskin coat when his real estate empire fell apart. Greed is a powerful motivator that has taken some Canadians down strange roads. Some have ended up pocketing millions, but many more of Canada’s con artists have self-destructed, taking with them the fortunes of the people they bilked. In the end, they’ve usually fooled themselves, too. __Flim Flam__ shows that Canadians aren’t nearly as dull as we’d like to believe. When it comes to conning each other, we have some of the most colourful and interesting hucksters in the world. This book contains stories from all regions of the country. It will appeal to business and true-crime readers, as well as people who are students of human nature. Annotation Flim Flam explores the world of Canadian white-collar crime, a place inhabited by hustlers, wild gamblers, and crazy dreamers. It takes the reader to the Vancouver Stock Exchange, where dream salesmen have peddled wild stories of easy money, through the "moose pasture" scams of northern Canada, to the con artists who have been drawn to Toronto's financial district. Along the way, you'll meet crooked politicians, a young con man who confessed to a church congregation after he was "born again," disbarred lawyers, and the creator of a huge paper fortune who was left with nothing but a wolfskin coat when his real estate empire fell apart.Greed is a powerful motivator that has taken some Canadians down strange roads. Some have ended up pocketing millions, but many more of Canada's con artists have self-destructed, taking with them the fortunes of the people they bilked. In the end, they've usually fooled themselves, too.Flim Flam shows that Canadians aren't nearly as dull as we'd like to believe. When it comes to conning each other, we have some of the most colourful and interesting hucksters in the world. This book contains stories from all regions of the country. It will appeal to business and true-crime readers, as well as people who are students of human nature.1302Mark Bourrie, a Parliamentary Press Gallery journalist specializing in legal issues, has written for Canada's largest newspapers and magazines including: the Toronto Star, the London Free Press, Reader's Digest, and Canadian Lawyer. He is also the author of three books: Chicago of the North, a history of Canadian Pacific passenger ships, Ninety Fathoms Down: Canadian Stories of the Great Lakes, and Canada's Parliament Buildings.Mark Bourrie, a Parliamentary Press Gallery journalist specializing in legal issues, has written for Canada's largest newspapers and magazines including: the Toronto Star, the London Free Press, Reader's Digest, and Canadian Lawyer. He is also the author of three books: Chicago of the North, a history of Canadian Pacific passenger ships, Ninety Fathoms Down: Canadian Stories of the Great Lakes, and Canada's Parliament Buildings Through this exploration of white-collar crime in Canada, you'll discover that we have some of the most colourful hucksters in the world