Scoundrels Games

Anthony Riniti on Saturday, March 15th, 2014 Comments Off on Scoundrels Games

Pros and Cons

 

The Big Cons — the Spanish Prisoner, the Wire, the Pay Off and the Rag

The Spanish Prisoner is a confidence game dating back to the early 1900s and probably to the days of Cervantes in Spain.

In its original form, the confidence man (con-man) tells his victim that he is in correspondence with a wealthy person of high estate who has been imprisoned in Spain under a false identity. The alleged prisoner cannot reveal his identity without serious repercussions, and is relying on the confidence trickster to raise money to secure his release.

The confidence trickster offers to let the victim supply some of the money, with a promise that he will be rewarded generously when the prisoner returns; financially and perhaps also by being married to the prisoner’s beautiful daughter. However, once the victim has turned over his money, he learns that further difficulties have arisen, requiring more money, and the trickster continues attempting to get more money until the victim is cleaned out and the process ends, presumably with the victim realizing he has been defrauded and that there is neither a rich man, nor a reward coming to him.

Key features of the Spanish Prisoner trick are the emphasis on secrecy and the trust the confidence trickster is supposedly placing in the victim not to reveal the prisoner’s identity or situation. The confidence trickster will often claim to have chosen the victim carefully, based on his reputation for honesty and straight dealing, and may appear to structure the deal so that the confidence trickster’s ultimate share of the reward will be distributed voluntarily by the victim.

Modern variants of the Spanish Prisoner include the advance fee fraud, in particular the Nigerian money transfer fraud (or “419 fraud”). In the advance fee fraud, a valuable item must be ransomed from a warehouse, crooked customs agent, or lost baggage facility before the authorities or thieves recognize its value. In the Nigerian variation, a self-proclaimed relative of a deposed African dictator offers to transfer millions of ill-gotten dollars into the bank account of the victim in return for small initial payments to cover bribes and other expenses. More recent examples feature people sharing the same surname as the intended victim, with the scammer guessing that the surname from observing patterns in email addresses , or obtaining full text names harvested email headers.

The Wire is a big con game in which the inside-man (passing as a Western Union official) convinces the mark that he can delay the race results going to the bookmakers long enough for the mark to place a bet after the race is run. The roper makes a mistake, and the mark loses.

The Pay-Off is the most lucrative of all big-con games, with touches running from $10,000 dollars and up, with those of $100,000 being common. It operates on the principal that a wealthy mark is induced to believe that he has been taken into a deal whereby a large racing syndicate is to be swindled. At first he plays with money furnished him by the confidence men, then is put on the send for all the cash he can raise, fleeced, and blown off. The Pay-off (invented in 1906) evolved from the short-pay at the track and was fully developed by 1910, when the big stores appeared in many of the larger cities.

The Rag is an intricate big con game very similar to the Pay-Off, except that stocks are used instead of the races. The inside-man poses as an agent for a broker’s syndicate which is trying to break the bucket shops. The mark profits on several investments, is sent for a large sum of money, and is fleeced.

The Gold Brick Scheme

An old scam that reappears from time to time in different forms. Bat Masterson was said to have played this short con. Doc Baggs was the acknowledged master of the con. On a train, a traveler from Omaha on his way west meets an interesting and colorful character. The gentleman reveals that he is carrying a real gold brick, and shows it to the newly met friend. He offers to sell the brick for less than half what it is worth. It is the real deal, and not a fake. After the exchange, at the next town, several officers board the train and arrest both men, confiscating all of their money and the gold brick, and arrest them both for grand larceny and murder. The first gentleman insists that the second gentleman is totally innocent and knew nothing of a robbery, and had purchased the stolen merchandise in good faith. He is insistent and convincing, and eventually the officers agree to let the victim get back on his train. The officers and the first gentlemen get back on a return train to Omaha, and work the scam in the Eastern direction.

The Pedigree Dog

This is a great scam and can work with any object, but certainly using a dog adds an emotional hook that makes it even better.  A guy walks into an establishment and asks the owner if he can watch his puppy for a minute while he takes care of some business in the building across the street.  He makes a point to say the dog is so much more work than he realized when he bought him.  The dog is left on his leash attached to a pole or fence.

 

Along comes a “dog expert” who notices the dog’s phenomenal structure and offers thousands of dollars to buy this rare breed.  He leaves his card and stresses that he has to run to a meeting, but is very interested.

 

When the owner returns, the helpful owner offers to buy the dog for $500.  The owner agrees and accepts the cash.  The sucker is left with his best friend and no money.

 

The Pigeon Drop

One of the oldest scams and still happens today.  A guy (the inside man) walking in a crowded area asks for directions.   A man (the pigeon) offers assistance.  A third guy (the outside man) walks by next to the two, reaches to the ground, and finds a wallet.  He says “Did one of you lose a wallet?”  They say “No”.  He opens the wallet to look for ID and finds over $3,000 cash.  There is an argument as to what they should do with the money.  They decide to place it into an envelope and split it up in a less conspicuous place.  The envelope is sealed and then switched.  It is given to the pigeon.  All three put up “Good Faith Money” and agree to meet up in one hour at a certain coffee shop.

 

The pigeon arrives at the coffee shop and nobody else returns.  He opens the envelope to find scraps of newspaper the size of bills.

Passing Counterfeit Money

A disheveled bum walks into a coffee shop looking for a free meal.  The owner feels bad and gives him some soup and a cup of coffee.  When the bum is leaving he thanks the owner and while reaching into his pocket for a handkerchief, drops $100 bill.  He tried to quickly pick it up and the owner takes it and then charges the bum for his meal.  He goes to the cash register and gives the bum his change.  Not realizing the $100 bill is counterfeit and the bum just got a free meal and $95 cash.

Medicine Pitches, Foot Pads, Cleansing Foot Baths

There are many versions of the old medicine pitch still around today. “Head On” asks you to rub a compound on your forehead if you have a headache. It doesn’t even claim to help the pain or get rid of the headache. “Air Bourne” has been scientifically proven to be useless in preventing or ameliorating a cold. Still the vitamin formula “designed by a school teacher” keeps selling.

Very popular on television and in Spas and Beauty Shops are the Foot Pads or Cleansing Foot Baths that drain poisons, heavy metals, and other pollutants out of the body and into the specially treated pad or foot basin of a healing bath.

Overnight the pads grow black and dirty looking from the various oxidants, poisons and heavy metals drawn out through the skin, and in a few minutes, the bath turns slowly black and ominous.

This is actually just the reaction of dry white vinegar in the pads and bath which react with the salts from the skin and sweat and turn black and dirty.

The Shiv

A short con involving a trick knife with a blade that can be locked at will. The outside-man and the victim conspire to cheat the inside-man at a proposition bet involving opening and closing of the knife. This is still used, but goes back to Canada Bill Jones in the 1840’s. A similar game, played with trick opening padlock, is called the Slough.

Pyramid Schemes

While these scams are classic and fairly well known, multi-level marketing pyramid scams are easier to disguise.  I was recently approached by a lady who said she is representing this new beverage company.  I would then buy two cases of their beverage and for $2000 and then find 6 more buyers to then buy from me.  Since there is an actual product, it just seems like we are selling a product and therefore one can rationalize it is not a pyramid scam, but it is.

Change Raising

This is easily done.  Go to a store that is crowded.  Buy an object for let’s say $1.45.  Give the clerk a $10 bill.  The clerk places it into the drawer and returns $8.55 which is correct.  Ask for the $10 bill back in exchange for ten $1 bills.  The clerk counts it and finds nine $1 bills and one $10 bill.  The con man says “Sorry, I have given you back the $10 bill and nine $1 bills so I will  give you this $1 bill more to make it an even $20 to trade for a $20 bill.  On this deal the con man will make $10. There are a number of other ways to swindle a cashier, or for the cashier to short change the customer.

In the circus, they used to always have the cashier’s cage high, so that the counter was higher than the eyes of the customers. Change was left on the counter, after the rest was returned, if the customer beefed, the cashier would say, “What are you talking about? It’s right here!” and push it at him as if it were the customer’s mistake. If the customer said nothing, he kept the change.

Speakers or Frozen Steaks from a Van

A guy is selling packaged speakers out of his van.  He explains he was given two extra speakers by accident so he can sell them cheap.  The speakers look nice and he even has a catalog that shows the identical speaker (model numbers match) that sells for $1,000 each.  He offers you two speakers for $200.  You assume they must be a good deal.  Not knowing, the speakers are crappy, probably not even worth $20.  In fact, the speakers are actually made by the manufacturer for this exact purpose along with the catalog.

The Car that Runs on Water

This scam is still being played in rural parts of the country. Used to be common at fairs and carnivals. The “salesman” is demonstrating a revolutionary product that is “probably illegal.” The big oil and car manufacturers bought the patent to keep this product off the market. It is a special mixture, that when added to regular gas, spikes the octane so high that each gallon of gas will go twice as far. Some is added to the fuel tank, and the car kicks up immediately, the motor racing.

A hidden switch near the fuel tank cranks the carburetor, making it look as if the engine was racing because of the chemical put into the fuel tank. The bottles of additive are sold to the crowd.

Earlier versions of this scam included a second gas tank in the car. A car up on blocks on a platform is run until the engine conks out from lack of gas. A gallon of water (examined by spectators) is placed in the fuel tank, and then the additive put in. Now the car starts up and runs like a dream.

 

Flyers, and “Brick in a Box” Salesmen

A man is outside a department store selling an iPod Dock Station.  It is in a box and is even shrink wrapped.  You claim to have received it as a birthday gift.  The item was bought from this store but you have no receipt.  They will give you a store credit for $250 but you really want the cash because you want to buy a fishing pole worth $100.  You ask the guy to give you the cash and he can have the more expensive gift.  When he gets home, he realizes it is just a brick wrapped in Styrofoam.  The shrink wrapping is an excellent decoy.

Some “Flyers” make their packages out of rolled up newspapers, and cover the outside with photos and info cut from newspaper and magazine ads, and then shrink-wrapped. A good one looks just like a shrink-wrapped package right off the shelf from Frys or Best Buy’s–a camera, video camera, ipod or other small electronic item. The Flyer approaches a car at a stop lot, furtively and urgently. He creates the impression the item is very “hot” and wants to get rid of it for anything they will offer.

Free Meal

Why stop at scamming just one guy, when you can scam an entire restaurant.  Towards the end of the meal, merely place some broken glass or a cockroach into your mashed potatoes and viola, you are virtually guaranteed a free meal.

Free Room

A friend of mine used to check into a hotel.  He would heat up his shower really hot.  As the water was heating, he would add some “Stink Gas” to the room heater.  This stuff is wretched.  Once the room got really stinky, he would call the Front Desk and sound like he is suffering from some kind of allergic reaction, telling them he may need medical attention.

He would then take a wash cloth and get it really hot and lay it on his face so it looks like his skin has broken out in a rash and he is sweating.  When the hotel staff would walk into the room, the odor would almost knock you to your knees.  He would show the ill effects of this room and claim to not be feeling well.

More times than not, he would be upgraded to the Presidential Suite and given the new room for free.

Carnival Games and Scams

There are many of these, including the Razzle, Cover the Spot, the Cats, the String, the Milk Bottles, the Duck Pond, Darts, China Flat, etc.

 

 

Pitch Men, Street Salesmen, and Jam Auctions

There are those who use trickery and sleight of hand to make products that they are selling look better than they are. Traditional sales items from flea markets and carnivals are the Svengali Pitch, the Mouse Pitch, the Squirmie Worm, and similar items. (Newest is a plastic CockRoach).

On street corners, one can often see little men or animals made of paper and plastic that dance and move like puppets without strings being sold by a pitchman.

The Jam Auction is the prince of all pitches. In it, a pitchman uses just his gift of gab and ability to control people’s thinking and inflame their avarice, along with an amazing ability to tie the suckers up in verbal knots (called getting agreement) to the point that they can’t stop buying and can’t complain when they come to their senses. They often end up buying 2 or 3 hundred dollars in merchandise that is only really worth a third or less of what they pay.

These Jam Auctions can be done in a carnival (Often called the “Advertising Truck” because they claim to represent various manufacturing companies who are trying to get their products more exposure), and sometimes in brick and mortar stores–there was one for many years on Freemont Street in Vegas.

These are a wonder to watch, both as they draw the crowd, or tip, and as they wind them up in the most amazing display of pure sophistry and rhetoric.