ABSTRACT
The art of acting is the art of impression management. Impression management is the social process, sometimes conscious and sometimes unconscious, by which individuals wish to control how others see and react to them. The attempt to influence the perceptions of others in social interaction is affected by regulating and controlling information. Some of Bernard Madoff's victims did know him, some only casually, but some quite well. Accounts from these victims show that consistently, and without exception, Madoff presented himself as somebody other than what he was. Reports from victims of how and why they decided to invest with Madoff or in one of the feeder funds that invested with him were not in any way unusual. A number had heard of the opportunity to invest from family or friends or from financial advisors or accountants. During the course of work with confidence men and their victims, we observed a strongly theatrical quality in what transpired.
