MAILCIOUS HOAX

Hokitika Guardian, 18 February 1933, Page 6

MAILCIOUS HOAX

FALSE CALLS MADE TO SHOP. SIXTEEN PERSONS VICTIMISED. AUCKLLAND, Feb. 15. A malicious hoax which involved considerable expense and inconvenience ■was practised oil the ■ proprietress of a confectionery store in Ponsonby Road yesterday morning. Between eignt. o’clock and nooli a stream of representatives of business firms and public services arrived at the premises in quick succession. All were summoned by telephone. In all, 16 malicious calls were given. As far as could be ascertained, it was a woman who gave the messages; but a man’s voice was heard in one case. The police, however, consider that it was possible that the voice was disguised. “I have not heard of such a senseloss thing,” stated the owner of the store concerned. “‘1 was simply beseiged by people who were called here under a misapprehension. I could not stop them. All 1. could do was to wait on the street until the next person arrived and to say that I had not sent the message; 1 have no idea who could do such a thing.” The first person to call at the premises was the driver of a dry-cleaning company’s motor-van. He said he had to call for clothes. The owner of the store was naturally surprised;'but her first suspicions that- she was the victim of a hoax were when a brfiwery ti'uck' arrived shortly afterwards to deliver twd kegs of beer worth £B. The driver "was extremely annoyed when he heard that a false order had been given. Fire Brigade and Ambulance. A ‘hagwash’ van arrived within a few minutes, and then there came enough wood and coal to last the winter. Almost at the same time a Western Districts fire brigade engine, which had been summoned through the central sation in Pitt Street, a St. John Ambulance and a furiiiture removal van appeared on the scene. By this time the extraordinary number of vehicles arriving had attracted the attention of persons in the vicinity, but the coming of a policeman from the Poiisohby station was. a subject for more surprise, lie had been called.to ‘■‘arrest an obstreperous woman” at the shop. By tliis time the hoax was apparent, and the, police commenced inquiries.

A malicious hoax which involved considerable expense and inconvenience was practised on the proprietress of a confectionery store in Ponsonby Road yesterday morning. Between eignt o’clock and noon a stream of representatives of business firms and public services arrived at the premises in quick succession. All were summoned by telephone. In all, 16 malicious calls were given. As far as could be ascertained, it was a woman who gave the messages; hut a mail’s voice was heard in one case. The police, however, consider that it was possible that the voice was disguised.

Within a few niinutes, a city firm sent a glazier who wanted to place a plateglass window in 'position, and then a man carrying a fender put in an appearance. They were soon followed by an undertaker, who understood ’ a death had • occurred, and a' man with six dozeii buns,' who insisted that lie should deliver his goods. These incidents were by no means the end, for it wa s not long before someone wanted to ship articles which he understood were at the store. He bought boxes and packing.'materials'with.'him.

A Piano for Delivery. A grocer, a man who wanted to take some chairs away, presumably to ail auction room, and a truck driver who had “an elegant piano” to deliver completed the list of callers. - The person who perpetrated the I hoax selected a list of leading firms in the" city. From what information was obtained by the victim of the annoying joke, some of the orders were sent to the firms as early at Tuesday, morning. As soon as the police were aware that' a hoax was intended the detective office was informed and inquiries were commenced immediately. A -similar hoax was carried out in Sydney several months ago, a- shopkeeper being the victim in that case also, but nothing of such a magnitude lias occurred in Auckland previously. ;, Taxicab drivers are frequently victim-: sited 1 by false calls, and the Western Districts fire brigade, after answering yesterday’s false call, t-obk the precaution of warning the principal taxicab firms.-