It’s interesting to note that the iconic “snake oil salesman” never had a storefront, like a pharmacy, but instead pulled into the town square with his wagon and hawked his magical products directly to the crowds, and then often “hightailed it” to the next town before the truth of his products became more widely known. Google defined snake oil salesmen as those who deceived people in order to get money from them. The successful ones were highly persuasive people. When one has such ability, it seems so puzzling that such a person could not find a “legitimate” avenue in which to practice those skills and be successful without all the ignominy. Good salespeople are in demand everywhere and for everything—why resort to fraud? What can Creator tell us about exploiting the masterful use of persuasion to willfully engage in fraud?

What you are describing is what is seen as surface characteristics, with respect to having a talent for persuasion, coupled on a deeper level with a lack of morality when it comes to acting with integrity. While there is a sliding scale from persuasion to coercion, the various nuances and gradations along the way reflect, in fact, numerous soul attributes that blend together in making a kind of composite wherewithal and ultimately, in the choice of behaviors leading to an outcome, there will be many strengths and weaknesses contributing to the sum total of all that happens. Someone who uses their charm, intelligence, and natural gifts to convince others to follow their example or take their advice are drawing on inner strengths but of a narrow kind. So the snake oil salesman is a good example of an incomplete human being with respect to a basic array of soul attributes needed to be centered as well as strong and capable as an independent being. When morality is lacking or compromised so the person is too self-serving, with a sense of entitlement, lacking in empathy for others, and believing they are the most important consideration—their needs, their personal comforts, their position in society, and their security—the temptation is to take shortcuts to gain things for the self by taking them away from others if need be. So the snake oil salesman is basically a kind of criminal engaged in theft but in a clever way that relies on the ability to persuade others to hand over their money rather than use coercion to rob them forcefully through use of threat. The best that can be said here is that this is a more genteel life of criminality than being an armed robber, but the Law of Karma will see this as having many flaws because theft is theft no matter how it comes about. Even when it is never noticed, it taints the soul of the thief and they will be forced to reckon with it eventually through the Law of Karma bringing back around this imbalanced energy they have caused, to have a reckoning, and perhaps lose what they gained and then some.