£5000 FRAUD.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18891, 5 January 1927, Page 7

£SOOO FRAUD.

TRICKSTERS ON THE RIVIERA. A CORNISHMAN DUPED, (raoH ora own coausromrat.) j LONDON, November 16. | From time to time wealthy visitors from the Dominions are relieved of large sums of money by "confidence tricksters." A year or so ago a New Zealander in London was relieved of £2OOO, and this past summer it was reported that another New Zealander had lost £3OOO in Italy in this way, though the details of the incident were never revealed. A story told by the "Daily Mail" regarding a Cbrnishman demonstrates the methods employed by those clever rogues in extracting money from their victims. Thore are two men using the names of Walker and Bond who are known to the authorities as the principal agents of an international or ganisatlon, and tbese are the men who figure in the present swindle. The Cornishman was spending a holiday at Ban Kemo, and was awaiting the arrival of the London newspapers at a kiosk, when the trickster —who has since been identified as Walker, approached, and, overhearing his order to the attendant, remarked that "it was a treat to hear English being spoken." Walker stat»d that he was travelling alone for health, and had business interests as a diamond merchant in Capetown and other parts of South Africa. He bore himself as an Invalid and mentioned'the name of a nursing home which he said he had just loft after an operation. "Profit of £200,000." Other meetings between the two took place, and one day Walker pointed out a man sitting near whom, he stated, he was sure he had met at the house of a prominent London financier. Walker approached him, and the man, after a long bretence that he did not recognise Walker, ultimately said he was able to recall the circumstances of the alleged meeting in London. This man has since proved to be Bond, believed to belong to the United States. Bond stated that he was one of the European managers of a syndicate, controlled from New York by seven American millionaires, which daily operated on the Continental exchanges. He declared that he was worried owing to the fact,that he was lkely to be suspended by the Syndicate, beoause an interview with him bad appeared in an American newspaper describing the circumstances in which he had made a profit of £200,000 on exchange transActions in one afternoon. He produced what appeared to be a stamped contract with the syndicate containing a oondition that he would be liable to instant dismissal if he ever rovealed the nature or extent of its operations. ~. At a later mooting Bond stated that his suspension seemed so likoly that he was determined to "make a bit for himself" beforehand, by using the information about the financial markets contalnod in cablegrams from the syndicate, three of which he received dally, and always showed to Walker and the English visitor. He suggested to Walker and the Cornishman that they might co-operate with him.

Telegrams from America. Prom San Bomo tho three mep, went to Turin, and- following the receipt of a cablegram from America, Bond gave, Walker about £4OOO, and, instructions how he should buy cortain stocks on the. local' exchange that day. Walker, on returning, made the statement that there had been a clear profit of £45,000, but that ho had been refused a settlement until he and bis fellow-investor (the Cornisbman) were able to produce proof, or lodge a deposit of £IOO 000 each is evidence that they would have been able to settle a losing account. Bond at once cabled to a friend in America for £IO,OOO, and received a reply signed "Margaret," who, he said, was bis friend's wife, stating that he had gone to the Argentine, and remitting £SOO and an offer of a guarantee for a further £IB,OOO. . Victim Sells War Stock. On ths strength of this the Qornish*' man, accompanied by Walker, proceeds ed to London to realise bis shares. The.. Corniehman.sold £SOOO worth of War Loan stoek and cabled tho proceeds to a bank in Turin. Walker later stated that he had ajso sent a similar amount and would draw another £SOOO from an Antwerp bank. Returning to Turin, the two men wore met by Bond, who said he had been ordered to Brussels. On His advice the Cornlshman withdrew his £SOOO from the Turin bank so that It might be deposited at the Brussels exchange, and Walker, after pretending to telephone to bankers in Antwerp for £SOOO to be sent to him at Brussels, also "agreed" to withdraw his £OOOO. At Brussels Walker, who now had charge of the Cornishman's £SOOO, was again sent to the exchange with instructions to sell certain stocks. Whon he returned he stated that he had invested £69,000 and casually remarked that it had been uuusually easy to buy the stocks. f Scene Staged for y»od. "What!" Bond screamed, "do you mean to say you have been buying. I told you to sell!" As he said this Bond rosled at hie confederate as if towsault. him, and only desisted when Walker besought him to remember that he was an invalid. , This, "soene" staged for the occasion, deceived the still unsuspecting CohUman into the belief that a genuine mistake had been made, and he seeejted Bond's advice to proceed to Zurich with the assurance that their lowes would be recovered there. Bond stated that after settling his-vm.busl-ness in Brussels he would follow by the , night train, but the Cornisbman has'not seen him or Walker again. A visit to Scotland Yard has revealed to him that the financial operator and EheTvalid are the subjects of a worldwide police search.