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Elmar Habermeyer, director of Puk, explains what drives scammers.
SDA
Why do people become fraudsters? According to Zurich-based forensic scientist Elmar Habermeyer, there is no simple answer to this question. In this interview, he explains why most perpetrators are mentally healthy, how inhibitions shift—and why many continue to escalate their crimes.
On Wednesday, a man will appear before the Zurich District Court. He is accused of swindling approximately 3.2 million francs from a Zurich-based company. But why does a person become a fraudster or a con artist? Whether it’s a million-franc fraud against a company or smaller instances of embezzlement at one’s own workplace, the motives of fraudsters are varied. “There is no single motive,” says Prof. Dr. med. Elmar Habermeyer, Director of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the University Psychiatric Hospital of Zurich. In this interview, he explains why people cheat and why their inhibitions can change over time.
People who cheat do so for various reasons. Some want to enrich themselves, while others feel they’ve been passed over at work and are “taking back what’s rightfully theirs.” Still others have a tendency toward grandstanding and want to boost their self-esteem with money or luxury. Often, several motives overlap.
“People with low self-esteem, in particular, may try to compensate for it through consumerism, money, or wealth,” says Habermeyer. However, this merely explains a possible underlying factor and does not automatically constitute a crime.
Habermeyer does not see a direct link between fraud and serious mental illness. For this reason, fraudsters are often not even subjected to psychiatric evaluation but are instead tried in standard criminal proceedings. “In most cases, it is the role of the justice system to assess the case and, accordingly, impose a just punishment,” says Habermeyer.
University Psychiatric Hospital of Zurich
Dr. Elmar Habermeyer is the director of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the University Psychiatric Hospital of Zurich. Previously, he served, among other roles, as deputy clinic director at the University of Rostock and as a senior physician at the University Hospital of Aachen.
However, there are personality traits that could contribute to fraudulent behavior. Narcissistic or histrionic traits are particularly common among con artists. These people are often very concerned with how they are perceived by others, can come across as charming, and are able to deliberately influence others. “But even that is only one possible explanation,” Habermeyer emphasizes. It does not necessarily lead to someone committing fraud.
Habermeyer believes it is a misconception that fraudsters must be particularly intelligent. “Sometimes they’re intelligent, but sometimes they’re not,” he says. He has even encountered cases in which people with below-average intelligence successfully committed fraud.
Sometimes, it is precisely a low-key demeanor that can prevent those around you from becoming suspicious. “People tend to underestimate the other person and therefore fall into the trap,” says Habermeyer. High intelligence is therefore “by no means an indicator” of fraudulent behavior.
Often, the decisive factor is not the first instance of fraud, but the lack of consequences. According to Habermeyer, anyone who successfully embezzles money over a long period of time without being caught gradually loses their inhibitions.
“Short-term successes have an enormous stabilizing effect on behavior,” says Habermeyer. In other words, success motivates people to keep going. The first step is often still a hurdle. Over time, however, the behavior becomes a habit and is hardly ever questioned. “It just works,” Habermeyer concludes.
«The guilt fades over time»
Elmar Habermeyer
Director of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychotherapy
On top of that, the risk of being caught seems to diminish with every successful scam. “Quick wins with relatively low risk—that’s always a problematic combination,” says the forensic expert.
According to Habermeyer, many perpetrators do not start out by stealing large sums of money. Sometimes, the person who is tempted to commit fraud is initially in a financial crisis. But once the first fraud goes undetected, the temptation grows.
“Your appetite grows as you eat,” says Habermeyer. Many people initially intend to pay the money back later. But because nothing happens, they just keep going. “At the same time, their guilty conscience fades over time. The risk of being caught seems to get smaller and smaller.”
Eventually, this behavior becomes part of everyday life. “Many people are quite surprised when their actions are eventually discovered,” explains Habermeyer.
In many cases, the forensic expert observes a familiar pattern: “Opportunity makes thieves.” When people have access to money or assets and the opportunity to divert them unnoticed, this can encourage the existing propensity to commit such acts.
Many perpetrators do not even see themselves as criminals. “They don’t have an outlaw mentality,” says Habermeyer. Rather, they gradually corrupt themselves. They get used to having the extra money at their disposal and just keep going.
According to the forensic expert’s experience, fraudsters are “usually just as healthy as you and me.” For this reason, dealing with them is primarily a matter for the justice system, not psychiatry. Many change their behavior after being convicted or simply no longer have the opportunity to commit further crimes.
The image of the brilliant con artist often doesn’t match reality. While such cases do exist, they are more the exception than the rule. “Most fraud cases are relatively mundane,” says Habermeyer. Often, it’s simply a matter of embezzling money or illegally resolving financial difficulties. Movies like “Catch Me If You Can” therefore convey only a small part of reality.
16.07.2026, 04:30
16.07.2026, 06:47
