CONFIDENCE TRICK

Hokitika Guardian, 11 September 1931, Page 6

CONFIDENCE TRICK

A FARMER SWINDLED. OF £1,200. (By Telegraph—Per Press Association) AUCKLAND, September 11. It is understood that Auckland police are endeavouring to trace a gang oi four men who are alleged to have swindled a North Auckland farmer of £1,200 by a confidence trick. The men became friendly with the farmer at Helensville and subsequently two of them visited his farm near Whangarei, and informed him a company was intended to establish glassworks in Ponsonby, Auckland. The company still had to buy four sections to complete the site for the works, and the men proposed that they and the farmer should buy the sections for £4OOO, and then sell them to the Company at a profit. Later the two men returned with a third, who the farmer understood, was the representative of the Glassworks Company. The farmer refused to put up £4OOO to buy the sections, but eventually agreed to find £I2OO. The representative of the Company wrote a cheque for £5,400, for the sections and handed it to the farmer, who responded with Ids own cheque for £1,200. While two men remained with the farmer, two others took a car to Dargaville and cashed the cheque. That was the last the farmer heard of his £1,200 for the glassworks.

It is understood that the men whom the police are seeking, have left New Zealand.