NOVEL SYSTEM OF SWINDLING.

Tuapeka Times, Issue 1491, 19 September 1888, Page 6

NOVEL SYSTEM OF SWINDLING.

A London correspondent, says the editor of the " Christian Leader," sends me in considerable detail some facts regarding a novel system of swindling carried on from a certain town in the east of Scotland. The field of operation is doubtless a wide one, but our in. formant is accquainted only with some of the cases carried through in the metropolis. Considerable ingenuity and patience have been expended on its working, and it has met with much success. This is the 'plan of campaign. 1 The opening move is to send to a large firm a registered letter on some trivial subject connected with their trade. Now the 'first post.' in which this letter comes, is delivered to the office porter or house-keeper, as he is called, the office not being opened. He gives a receipt to the postman for it, and puts it in the basket with the others. "Whet, the letter is opened, it is passed at once into the waste-basket. If note be taken that it was registered, it is put down to some mistake of the sender. At this point the matter rests for, say two months. The firm then receives a letter in tbe following terms : — 'Two months ago I sent an order to you for so and so, and two ten pound notes. I have neither received the goods nor the receipt for the money. As I do not require these goods oow kindly return the money on receipt and oblige. P.S.— *[ am sorry I did not take the numbers of the notes.' Now the ball Is open9d. The cash book is searched, and contains no record of cash received. .There is no entry of any order in the day-book. The correspondent is advised by return of post that his letter was not received. There must be some mistake. But he replies there is no mistake, at least on his side ; that he holds a receipt for the letter, and doubtless tbe London Post Office people can show a receipt for it. On application to them they produce tbe receipt. The ' housekeeper ' can throw no light on tbe matter. Has the letter been lost somehow? or is somebody dishonest ? No one can tell, but everything seems so straightforward with regard to the'r correspondent that the money is returned with many apologies. The authorities of St. Martin's le-Grand say that they have a pile of correspondence upon this man's registered letters heavier than one man can carry. From inquiry they find that he has no known means of livelihood, but that sottftbow he contrives to lire comfortably without working. Evidently he is growing reckless through success, for within the last month he has opened communications with a firm he successfully swindled of £15 two .years ago. In the recent ease his letters, asking for money sent, were not replied to ; then he threatened prosecution, and finally he has let the matter drop.