INGENIOUS PAWNBROKING FRAUD.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1266, 4 June 1886, Page 3

INGENIOUS PAWNBROKING FRAUD.

Melbourne Argus,’ May 13.)

An ingenious and novel form of imposition, which, it is a leged, has been successfully uoiked by pawnbrokers for some time past in the city, has been brought under the notice of the police by a person on whom it has been practised A pawnbroker, it ia stated.sometimes begins operations by purchasing watches and articles of jewellery of veiy little value at auction marts for sums ranging from 10s. to LI. These goods are imitations of gold or silver, but arc sufficiently well got up to stand an ordinary examination. He places any such article he has bought amongst his ordinary stock of pledges, and makes out a ticket for it in somo fictitious name, the ticket affirming that L 5, or some other sum very considerably above the value of the article, has been advanced upon it. This ticket is given by a pawnbroker to a confederate, whose services are very essentia to the successful carrying out of the fraud. The confederate take? the opportunity of introducing himself to some stranger, and shows him the pawn ticket offering to sell it to him, with the right to recovei the article referred to in rt for perhaps L2. The stranger is induced to purchase the ticket, thinking that he has an opportunity of get ting a bargain ; but when he presents th ■ ticket in the pawnbroker he is fleeced of some smaller sum, alleged to be due as interest, and when he has paid that amount and the L 5 which was alleged to have been alvanced on the article it is proluced to him, and he discovers that he his laid out upwards of L 7 on an article not worth LI. The police will take steps to obtain sufficient evidence against an alleged perpetiator of a frau I of the above character in the case brought under their notice, and if tin y are successful, the offender will be prosecuted for conspiracy, or for falsifying his books.