A Cunning Scheme.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 8198, 26 January 1906, Page 5

A Cunning Scheme.

Local Basmfss Men SufferOn Wednesday we mentioned that; ser/eral local persons had been victimfeed by some residents or persons unknown by means of valueless cheques. The fnaud seems to have been practiced on quite a large scale in Palmerston, fully half-a-dozen tradesmen having taken the cheques. The method adopted by the operator is a bold and ingenious one. First a tour was made of some of the offices in various parts of the town, and unbeknown to the owners, their unpaid accounts sent in by tradesmen were removed. Then the tradesmen were j waited on and offered cheques 111. payment of the- accounts-. In every case the cheque exceeded the amount of the account,, and so the operator received from the tradesman, the balance in cash, a common-enough occurrence m commercial transactions. Of course the cheques were valueless. In some instances they were drawn on an Auckland firm and in. others the signature purported to be that of the person whose account was being paid. One of those whose office was raided was Mr E. J. Armstrong.. Several bills which were on a file on his table were removed and it has since come to Mr Armstrong's knowledge that a man, pretending to lie a relative of his. has endeavoured to pay the amounts of the bills with cheques exceeding the sum owing. Mr Armstrong wishes to warn business men not to accept such cheques unless it is- first ascertained that tliey are genuine. It would be as well if all tradespeople took similar care. In one instance a £3G cheque was presented, and would have been accepted and a large sum in excess given as change,, but for the fact that the tradesman had not the requisite money on hand. The operator, coolly remarked that he had several other bills to pay and would return later on when lie had cashed the cheque..