Confidence Tricksters

Waikato Times, Volume 118, Issue 19765, 21 December 1935, Page 15 (Supplement)

Confidence Tricksters

Trapping the Unwary : Elaborate Methods.

(Detective-Inspector Morrlsh in Police Journal.)

T MUST appear strange to those not j§T conversant with the personality and I methods of operation of confidence tricksters that so many members of the public continue year after year to be victimised by such rogues. It. Is stiver stilf when we know that many of the vie U s have at some time or another been warned against this P»rU«ul.r Blass ot nrtae In order to evade the numerous traps se , bv these criminals, however, it is necessary not only to be ultra-cautious, but to understand thoroughly the many types of p ■sons to be met with whilst travelling in England and abroad. In the first place we have to recognise that the manner of approaching the Intended victim on; the part of the tricksters is one of entire mnooence and apparent nonchalance. There is no type of criminal in the world so able as the confidence trickster to Mask His Real Intentions. The qualifications of these man vary, and they are used to full advantage as occasion requires. As far as 'can be judged by outward appearance, one type is immaculately dressed and generally affects to be a wellbred gentleman. He has travelled widely, and being well informed, he is able to convince his dupes that he is acquainted with those cities and towns from which they come- He is often able to converse fluently in French and German. The victims -selected are, of course, among those who travel to and from the colonies and the Continent- By a clever system of espionage the tricksters are able to obtain information from various sources concerning members of the public who are about to go on tour. It may -be a person who has lived in the, colonies 'many years, and Is visiting ‘the old Country’; an Englishman going for a holiday on the Continent, or an American or Canadian who has never visited England before, and is determined to see as much of it as possible. The victim selected Is generally an affable gentleman, unsuspecting, and likely to make friends quickly. The information obtained is passed from one member of the sang to another, who is possibly in another part of the globe. Cablegrams are used with a secret code, and frequently the Intended victims are followed, without their knowledge, for thousands of miles. Opportunities are taken by the criminals on voyages to ingratiate themselves with their quaiTy whilst taking part in the deck games. The wide world is the home of many confidence tricksters, and they spend hundreds of pounds in travelling and other expenses whilst Preparing the Balt to Entrap Their Dupes. The principal countries through which they travel are England, Canada, Australia, America, France, Italy and Spain. Many of them are natives of England, Ireland, Australia and America. Two’confederates, “A" and " B, " having ascertained the details of a wealthy colonial’s route of travel, will sail thousands of miles in order to get into his confidence. This having been accomplished, they arrange by cable to be met by confederate “ C ’’ either in London or some other large city. As soon as they arrive their movements are shadowed by “ C," and a few days later he Is met, ostensibly by accident, by either “A” or 11 B,” who is in the company of the selected victim. An introduction follows, and it is explained that “ C,” is an iniluentlal and successful stockbroker. The association continues; luncheons and meetings are arranged at various hotels, and ihc dupe believes that the integrity of the other three men is beyond question- The main topic at these meetings is finance; the rise and fall of various shares, of which 'the victim knows little or nothing. His ignorance is overlooked, and he is encouraged to converse. Confidence man “ C ” ultimately puts forward a scheme by means of which, according to him, they will make a large sum of money. He has made a special study of certain shares, and knows just the moment In buy I hem. His confederates are able to grasp his idea, and with little difficulty Hie dupe is induced lo lake part in the scheme. “C" is supplied' with the usual documents of a stockbroker, and the unsuspecting visitor is by these means often llccced of thousands of pounds. In one such case as lliat described the confidence tricksters staged a “terrible quarrel” after the dupe’s ‘’winnings” were supposed lo have been reinvested by one of ihc thieves. 'lhc \iclirn .in this case, who lost over £IO,OOO, was induced after the quarrel lo accompany lo Paris and Milan one of the criminals who he believed was studying his interests. It was many days later, -when the dupe discovered tiiat tills was only a Ruse to Get Him Out of England lie fore lie -realised he had been robbed. In Hits case the victim had been for month*, on sea and land in the company of two

clever international confidence tricksters without in the least suspeoting them.” The fact that the small fry among the confidence tricksters, who lack the imagination and the qualifications to carry out big swindles, can continue to find victims by means of tricks that are hoary with age, and have been exposed in the newspapers hundreds of times, seems to justify the maxim that “every minute a sucker is born.” Familiar as is the story of the man who has been left a fortune by a rich relative on condition A that he obtains the assistance of some honest man in distributing a large amount deserving' objects' (provided the said honest man can give a satisfactorily financial guarantee to Justify the confidence that is to he reposed in him), it is still reaping a harvest of victims- But what the confidence trickster longs for is a trick that will deprive the victim of his money without bringing the operators of the trick within the clutch t of the law. To devise a trick of this kind needs some originality of thought, and few crooks ever display any originality- For the most part they move along beaten tracks, but In America some ingenious frauds Which answer the requirement of keeping the swindlers outside the reach of the law have been practised. One of these.frauds, which was carried out in the boom days before Hie present depression set in, was Successfully Worked In Various Ways in a number of American cities. Dressed a* a prosperous citizen from Oklahoma, a man wotild go into the shop of an expensive jeweller and ask to be shown some pearls, as he wished to make a present to his wife. He could not be tempted by any of those shown to him at first by the salesman—they were not good enough. “I’ve come all the" way to your city to get the best, because they tell me it’s here if you can pay for it,” he would say to the salesman. “I want-a real old he-pearl for my wife none of these blobs. We're wasting time looking at them. If you’ve got any really good, trot her out and I’ll buy it.” He would be shown into the sanctum of the head of the firm by the salesman, and from the manager’s safe would be produced one of the chief treasures of the firm—a large pearl of lustrous beauty. The manager would dilate on its beauty, and finally Mr Blank would buy it for 20,000 • dollars (£4000). He would pay in genuine 1000dollar bills, and the gem would be sent to his hotel —one of the best in the city. The manager would congratulate himself on a very profitable deal. A few days later Mr Blank would return and ask for another pearl exactly like the first, or as near to I fas it is possible to get. He wants a pair to be worn as ear-rings by his wife. Oil has been struck on his ranclie and he doesn’t care how much he spends. ( Tlie manager would try to explain that they haven’t another pearl like it—that pearls of such a size are rare, and he is doubtful If another can be obtained. But the more -difficult it is to obtain the more determined is Mr Blank to have It. He declares that he is prepared to pay up to 40,000 dollars for a pearl that will match . the one in his possession. The manager promises to make inquiries in the gem trade, and to let Mr Blank know the results. When Mr Blank returns a few days later the manager can only offer his apologies. He has found it Impossible to Obtain Another Pearl, like the one he sold Mr Blank. The latter suggests that the manager hasn't really tried. He doesn’t believe that big pearls like the one he has got are as rare as he has been told. He knows a lady friend of his wife who has one almost exactly like the one he has bought. The manager suggests that the lady’s pearl is an Imitation, but Mr Blank is indignant at the idea. He gives the lady’s name and address so that the firm can verify his statement. The manager says he will make another try to get >Mr Blank a suitable pearl, and asks him fo call again in a day or two. In the meantime a trusted representative of the firm is sent, fo Ihe lady’s address by the * manager, with instructions to pay as much as 35,000 dollars for it if it is genuine, and ir he can’t get it for less. At this price there will still ho a profit of &000 dollars for the firm when sold to Mr Blank for 40,000 dollars. The lady is reluctant to sell, but finally parts with her pearl for 35,000 dollars. The representative of the firm comes back to the shop with the pearl, and the manager, on examining it closely, finds he has paid 35,000 dollars for the pearl which he sold to Mr Blank for 20,000 dollars. By this time Mr Blank has left his hotel, and no one knows where he has gone. The lady who sold the pearl for 33,000 dollars says -she knows nothing about him, She declines to say where she obtained th« pearl, and successfully defies the police to do anything to her.