Fake Socialite, Fake President, and the Red Flags of a Con

I figured out who Trump reminds me of: Anna Delvey Sorokin, the woman who was convicted of conning some of New York’s money-elite. She was convicted on four counts of theft of services, grand larceny, and attempted grand larceny. Sorokin was acquitted on two counts, including the count over her promises to friends for an all-expense trip to Morocco made famous by a book and television movie.

I’ve been listening to the audiobook version of My Friend Anna: The True Story of a Fake Heiress by Rachel Williams, one of Sorokin’s friends/victims. Before I retired, I spent about 40 years working for financial institutions. One of my jobs was to detect and unravel fraud, which is why I’m interested in the subject.

In my job, my group kept a list of red flags for fraud. William’s description of Sorokin’s actions fits many of them, and many of Trump’s actions fit them, too.

My comments about Sorokin are based on Williams’ book and various new stories.

Differences

There are differences between Sorokin’s actions described in the media and Trump's. First, Trump was a nepo trust fund baby. During his life, Trump’s father put Trump on contracts, leases, and various trusts. Trump inherited money. According to media sources, Sorokin was not a trust fund baby. If her family ever had money, they gave her little of it. However, Trump’s bad investments and six bankruptcies may have leveled that playing field.