Maria Konnikova wrote a wonderful article on how we are all "born to be conned." She writes about one person in New York who walked by a three-card monte game on Broadway. She was instantly sucked in by the man's demeanor and the "drama" he created, "Easily double your money, all you have to do is 'follow the lady.'" She was a little low on cash and needed to buy a winter coat, so she put her $20 down on the table, and just like that it was gone. As Konnikova says, in a powerful way, "That's the power of the good con artist: the ability to identify your deepest need and exploit it. It's not about honesty or greed; we are all suckers for belief."

Possible Preaching Angle:

Sounds a lot like the world we live in, and the sins that can entangle us. Sin preys on our deepest needs and exploits those desire in wrong ways.

Source:

Maria Konnikova, “Born to Be Conned, “The New York Times (12-5-15)