THE LATEST MISSING-RELATIVE SWINDLE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13453, 1 June 1907, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE LATEST MISSING-RE-LATIVE SWINDLE.

\ PARTicci/ABLY despicable kind of fraud las been invented by ingenious swindlers in :onnection with the inquiries for missing 'datives published in newspapers of to-day. J Many people have probably noticed that at .he head of the "Missing Relative" column i notice is generally printed to the effect! ,hat those making inquiries are advised not o forward pecuniary assistance to persons idio may reply to the same, until it has jeen definitely ascertained that the applicants are the persons actually sought for. The necessity for this warning is amply illustrated by a case which came under the lotice of the writer recently. A poor widow. living in the North of England, asked a I well-known London newspaper to publish; i description of her son, who had been missing for over fifteen years. This was done, md, to the woman's great delight, she rejeived a letter written from the East End of London a few days after the publication of the details, in which the writer stated that he was well acquainted with the person about whom she inquired. The letter went on to say, however, that the son was in very poor circumstances. In fact, he was practically destitute, owing to misfortune and ill-health. His failure had made him ashamed to send home, although he (the writer of the letter) knew that the son would be only too glad to return to his mother if he had the means to do so. Then followed the suggestion that the widow should send the cost of railway fare and a few shillings for general expenses to her son, care of the writer, who would see that he started for the North as soon as the money was received. All unsuspecting the widow managed to get £3 together, and this she sent to the "kind stranger," who, of course, had never seen her son, and of whom she heard nothing more. It was only after she had communicated with the police that she learned,) through them, how she and others had been swindled by this man. j ============