CONFIDENCE TRICK

Hokitika Guardian, 12 November 1934, Page 6

CONFIDENCE TRICK

VICTIMS IN DOMINION CITIES.

STORIES ABOUT RELATIVES

GISBORNE, November 11

Several instances of confidence man using information concerning Gisborne relatives of tlieir victims have been reported from Auckland and Wellington. The popular procedure on the part of these men appears to be to gain and use some intimate knowledge of people living in a distant town, and, to relatives in the city, offer some story to account for an immediate-lack of funds, with a request for help , over a temporary embarrassment,- Promise of; re* payment within a few days is made. In some instances the excuse off erect is the loss of a cheque book or purse, while in others, all the narrator s> money has been spent on travel so as t o get to the city, where work has been secured. Persons carrying out this means of deception have often gone the rounds of a whole family in the city before their bona fldes have been found to be lacking. In other cases people who have advanced money on such excuses have not found out their mistakes until writing to those relatives whose names have been used. In one case, news of which lias just come to hand, the confidence man had intimate knowledge of many memberof a family living in Gisborne and or their recent activities. Th e deception was so complete that money was advanced on the excuse of a lost purse.