THE SPANISH SWINDLE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 210, 29 May 1908, Page 8

THE SPANISH SWINDLE.

AN OLD FRAUD. 1 STATEMENT BY COMMISSIONER DINNIE. The Govornment has received through tho Colonial Office a copy of a dispatch from His Majesty's Ambassador at Madrid, warning British subjects against the notorious "Spanish swindle." This fraud, which/is practised by a gang of Spanish thioves, is almost invariably carried out, on tho following lines:— An* individual, purporting .to act as tho exccut-or of some person who has recently died'in. a Spanish prison, writes to tho intended victim, stating that tho deceased prisoilor has left a sum of money to his relative—tho intended victim—on the condition that the latter will adopt and care for his orphan child. But, , before tho money . and child can bo sent, it is' necessary that tho executor should receivo a sum of money, generally, betwoon £50 and £100, in order to defray the legal expenses connected with the prisoner's will. Needless to say, onco , the money has been sent nothing more is heard of tho alleged legacy.; The swindlers have for several years past found easy victims in various countries, including Great Britain, and, although numerous "cases have been brought to the notico ofthb Spanish Govornment, it has not yet beeD possible to obtain a conviction of the offenders. ' ,As it now appears that/the thieves turning their, attention to the subjects of British colonies, the prevalence of these fraudulent practices is being brought under the 'notice of the Colonial Governments, in order that they, issue warnings to the public through the . Press. Mr. W. Dinnie, Commissioner of"'Police, states that the Spanish swindle: has been practised for many , years. . There are no records of New Zoalanders having been vie-, timised, but tlyj tricksters have long carried on successful business in Great Britain, and'the operations of,the gang aro continually being brought under the notice of Scotland Yard. When Mr. Dinnie was a member of that historic force ho succeeded in bringing to justice an agent of the gang in England. He states that ..when the victim has forwarded his cheque for'supposed legal oxpenses, he is generally directed for the reward to some spot in his own country where treasure is alleged to bo. concealed. With the co-operation of an agent in each country which they exploit, the swindlers are able to . give'most , detailod and convincing descriptions of, such spots. It was the business ,of -the ■ man whom Mr. Dinnie arrested to find sequestered nooks in England which would lend ' themselves to tales of buriod treasure, arid send the most minute descriptions of them to his Spanish employers. Mr.' Dinnie also states that on one occasion an English lady who had been deceived went to Spain, and brought a criminal charge against certain members of •the gang. The Spanish Govornment, however, 'had no aversion, .in those days, to seeing the foreigner' plucked, and the case was kept hanging'on so long by means of legal quibbles that the lady' returned home in disgust, whereupon the accused persons were released. "without a stain upon their characters." Tho present King of Spain, however, has appointed an officer from Scotland Yard to superintend his country's detective force,. and it is possible'that the perpetrators of the " Spanish swindlo" may no longer enjoy the official _ tolerance which formorly assisted their designs. ■