ISpyForGood

For The Baffler‘s excellent collection of essays on “the profession that doesn’t exist” (i.e., writing), Bertrand Cooper recounts his time investigating insurance claims, seeking out possible scams while being closely monitored by his own employers. Cooper pairs stories of his claim investigations with a detailed accounting of his own circumstances, from the family scammers he observed as a child to the debt that stalks him through job searches. The result is an extraordinary study of the power of financial stability and what it enables—from health and care to writing. When I started paying my own rent and utilities, I frequently lied to the landlord and the gas company, saying the check was on its way when it wasn’t. I didn’t believe that scamming, or any illicit activity, even if done correctly, could ever be fruitful enough to get me or anyone else out of poverty—though it could easily attract the police or people of ill intent, who would make life worse. My experience was only that dishonesty of some degree was needed to stay out of foster homes, feed myself, and obtain a few days’ grace on a bill.