My book, Thieving Bastards, recounts my experience over 30 years of tracking down, befriending, and learning from professional cheats. Here are answers to the three most common questions I am asked about that journey.
How did you convince cheats to talk to you?
The real question is, “How did you convince the first guy to talk?”
The first few interviews were pivotal because they allowed me to demonstrate to subsequent interview subjects that I had privileged access and could maintain confidences. Several early interviews were set up by friends who worked in game protection. I was vouched for by people with formidable reputations. Ron Conley told me recently he never would have agreed but for that critical connection. He was glad he did, in hindsight, because he now says it is a unique American historical record that can never be reproduced.
Early interviews led to further introductions, but didn’t guarantee an interview. I had to develop a fast pitch, which allowed me to flag names that could verify I was known and could be trusted. Every person who agreed was guaranteed final veto on the finished transcript. Where requested, we would use a pseudonym and change names of dramatis personae, the location of a scam, or sometimes the exact details of the amount of money extracted.