SHREWD SWINDLE

Hokitika Guardian, 1 December 1932, Page 6

SHREWD SWINDLE

WIRELESS FIRM LOSES SET

TRANSFERRED- FROM HOUSE-.

AUCKLAND- November 29,

A t-k-ver sciieme tor acquiring a valuable wirel'c-.-s set. without payment was exploited -at the expense of an Auckland '-electrical firm recently. Up to the present time the wireless set has not ueen traced.

The firm received a telephone call asking that a £22 five-value, wireless -set s.ioul-d be sent to an address in PentkiDd Avenue, Mount Eden. The prospective buyer gave his name and siid that his mother would be home to take delivery of tb- set. He indicated that if the proved satisfactory he would ,puivhase it.

The wireless was accordingly delivered to the address in l\ntland Avenue, an aerial was erected, and the set fitted up for immediate use. Altnougli the Ir dy of the house seemed somewhat surprised she had no suspicions as he had a son whose name was the same as given to the firm over the telephone and who was in a position to make such a purchase if he so desired. SURPRISE FOR SON. When the son returned home in the evening he was surprised to see the radio installed, as lie had- made norequest, that one should be sent on approval. Naturally he assumed that some- mistake had been made over the name or the address.

At the same time as the son g-ot ho-me a taxi called at tlie house, and the driver said that he had been instructed from “the office” to call at the house arid to take the wireless set to another place in Newburn Avenue. That was the last seen of the radio.

On" hearing that the set had been moved the firm to which it belonged sent a- representative to the address in Newbum Avenue. No one was at home, and it was learned from inquiry that the house had been vacant since November 7. This fact confirmed the radio firm’s suspicions that they had been tricked. Tt was learned from -the- taxi driver who had moved the wireless that he had been instructed that if no one was at home at the -address in Mewburn Avenue to leave the wireless on the back veranda, and to call back at the first address for payment of his fare on the following morning. He had found the house empty, lie said, and had left the radio on the veranda as instructed.

ACQUAINTED WITH HOUSEHOLD. It seems obvious that the person who requested that the radio should be delivered was fully acquainted with the. household in Pentland Avenue, for he gave the son's name correctly. It seems also that he knew that, the so-n would not be at home when the, set was delivered. ;

“I was suspicion about the deal from the start,” -said 'the salesman who took the telephone message. “The voice seemed to be tba-t of a. boy or yo-uth, and I though at the time that it was funny he should he making the request' by phone, I was further surprised when the lady of the house told me that her son w-as 35 years of age, but as th e names were tire same I saw no reasons to bring the set hack to the shop again.”