FLEECED BY "CON" MEN

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 8, 2 October 1937, Page 5

FLEECED BY "CON" MEN

Now Zealander Loses £362 in Australia ELABORATE FRAUD (Eeceived 2, 11.40 a.m,) ADELAIDE, Oct. 2, An extraordinary story of how he had been fleeeed of £362 by means of a confidence trick was told to the police by a retired New Zealand civil servant. While walking in a etreet with an acqaaintance whom he had met on the boat from New Zealand, he eaw a wallet, which his acquaintance "picked up and examined. It contained share scrip for £20,000, £15 in banknotes and a telegraxn in code to a man at an Adelaide hotel. They rang that man, Who said that as a reward he would add the £15 on their behalf to a £1000 betting commission. The horse was reported to have won, and the agcnt of the bookmakffr entered carrying a satchel apparently cramflxed with winnings totaUing £4180. He caid, however, that ho could not pay out uuless the punter had the £1000 bet iu cask, as the- bet might not have been honoured if the horse had lost. The Ncw Zcalanders handed over £362. Later the bettor explained that, a* tho result of a misunderstanding, he had invested the whole of the winnings on another horse, which had lost. The acquaintance promised to refuud the money to tho New Zealander, who left for Perth, where the acquaintance promised to rneet him but failed to do so. Tho New Zealander had to box-row his fare to return to Adelaide, when k« reported the matter to the police.