Ten-Shilling Fraud

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30823, 7 August 1965, Page 1

Ten-Shilling Fraud

A ten-shilling note “doctored” to do the work of £l, handed into the Christchurch Central Police Station yesterday by a taxidriver, was accepted by detectives as the first, professional sign of spring in the city.

The C. 1.8. is aware of three ten-shilling notes, cut in half, being accepted as payment by taxi-drivers and a shopkeeper in the last two days. The notes have been cut in two by a confidence trickster. Brown paper has been fastened with sticky paper to

each half, so that the portion of note and brown paper are equal in area to a whole note. The notes have been passed for payment carefully folded so that they seem genuine. As each “half” contains only one serial number, the person who accepts them for payment cannot cash them. The Reserve Bank will not accept the half with only one serial number—it will accept two halves with both identical serial numbers. “In two instances, the ‘notes’ have been taken from the trouser fob pocket before being handed over as payment,” said the Christchurch crime prevention officer (Detective-Sergeant D. C. Lee)

yesterday. “It seems obvious that persons receiving notes as payment should unfold them immediately,” he said.

It is no concidence that this confidence trick coincides with the first day of the Grand National meeting. The con men, detectives note each year, become active with the large crowds who come to Christchurch for this meeting, followed by more racing, the New Zealand Industries Fair, and Carnival Week. “The annual season of confidence tricks has opened,” commented Mr Lee. “The public are advised to take care—and, at present, to be chary of accepting folded money at face value.”