Fraudsters capitalize on this tendency to accept what we've seen in a short, curated experience as representative of a larger reality. Theranos put a special demonstration mode called the "null protocol" into their miniaturized blood-testing machines and used it during investor pitch meetings. After taking a tiny blood sample from a visiting dignitary, placing it in a cartridge, and inserting it into the device, the Theranos representative would tap the screen as though it were operating normally, but the device merely emitted a series of noises without actually carrying out any medical assays.
The sample then was spirited away to a traditional laboratory for analysis while the marks—the investors—were taken to lunch or given a tour (which skipped the location where their blood was actually being analyzed).
The entire procedure was discussed and rehearsed ahead of time.
Like magicians, the Theranos executives manipulated the attention of their audiences, leading them to think they had seen something that never really happened.
Even the venerable automaker Volkswagen did something similar: It programmed its cars to minimize emissions only during testing so that they would meet the required standards, a deceptive practice that led to about $40 billion in government fines#5855•