What Othello teaches you about investment scams

Investors should be on guard for treacherous scams by modern-day Iagos.

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Othello: beware of treachery
(Image credit: Credit: Geraint Lewis / Alamy Stock Photo)

William Shakespeare's tragedy from 1603 is a tale of jealousy, suspicion and revenge. It tells the story of Othello, a Moor who is put in charge of the Venetian army.His decision to appoint Cassio, instead of the more experienced Iago, leads to Iago taking revenge by coming up with a plot to convince Othello that his new wife, Desdemona, is having an affair with Cassio.

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Dr Matthew Partridge
Shares editor, MoneyWeek

Matthew graduated from the University of Durham in 2004; he then gained an MSc, followed by a PhD at the London School of Economics.

He has previously written for a wide range of publications, including the Guardian and the Economist, and also helped to run a newsletter on terrorism. He has spent time at Lehman Brothers, Citigroup and the consultancy Lombard Street Research.

Matthew is the author of Superinvestors: Lessons from the greatest investors in history, published by Harriman House, which has been translated into several languages. His second book, Investing Explained: The Accessible Guide to Building an Investment Portfolio, is published by Kogan Page.

As senior writer, he writes the shares and politics & economics pages, as well as weekly Blowing It and Great Frauds in History columns He also writes a fortnightly reviews page and trading tips, as well as regular cover stories and multi-page investment focus features.

Follow Matthew on Twitter: @DrMatthewPartri