PLUCKING PIGEONS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4860, 3 August 1925, Page 3

PLUCKING PIGEONS.

AUSTRALIAN GANGSTERS ABROAD OLD TRICKS AND NEW. Why is it (asks the Sydney “Sun’s" London correspondent) that so many Australians and Americans, who, as a rule, pride themselves on their sharp wits, fall easiest victims of the confidence tricksters in London? The question is prompted by the latest instance to hand of a Sydney man who was induced by members of the confidence fraternity to part with £lOOO. Inquiries show that the explanation is a very simple one. It is due to the fact that the confidence men in London consist chiefly of Australians and. New Zealanddrs, with a sprinkling of Americans, Canadians, South Afri- - - cans, and British. The few British at the game are men who have Spent some years in bne or more of the dominions, and have become moie or less world travelled. A knowledge of the people and conditions in the country from which a victim hails is necessary to the success of any confidence trick. Hence an Australian, an American, a Canadian, or South African usually falls a victim to his own countrymen.

Several years ago a number of com fldence gangs were operating in London, but the police succeeded in breaking up most of them, and at the present time the majority of their membens, including Australians, are serving various terms of penal servitude. Some of them have recently been liberated, and are believed t,o be at their old games again. Last year’s visitors to Wembley from Australia and New Zealand suffered little at the hands of the confidence men owing to the fact that most of the latter were within prison .walls, but intending visitors to the Exhibition this year should be warned against the wiles of members of these sharp-witted gangs. There is no doubt that the men practising the game are among the most plausible to be found anywhere. They frequently select keen-witted men as prospective victims, because the latter as a rule have supreme confidence in themselves, but also they usually show a weak strain found in human beings the world over—that desire’ to gain something for nothing. It is on that greed that the confidence men play with success. Curiously enough, the trick that succeeds the most is one of the oldest. I mean the "disbursement of fortune trick.” This trick in several forms'is worked with such success as to amaze the average mind unacquainted with the typse of men pratcising it. And, after all, it is only..a variant of the ancient “uncle from. Fiji" swindle.

Many of the confidence men are, of course, card u sharpers as well, and not infrequently are able to persuade a visitor tp adjourn tp a well-furnished flat in a good residential neighbourhood for a game of cards, possibly Anzac poker, in which the confederates invariably win by submitting cards from a second pack. An Australian gang who worked this trick until 1922 are known to have made £12,000' out of one victim. It is rare that a victim will admit the fact that at the time he whs more dr less drunk, but that is usually the caise. Very often the dupes are business men, who pay up rather than disclose their foolishness to the police.

One of the, latest tricks which'is now being practised on visitors to Rome. Brussels,* and Paris by international confidence men is to induce them to speculate in (stocks and shares on the chance of winning big sums by fluctuations in the rates of exchange. , Usually the first confederate gets into conversation with ‘ the intended victim in an hotel or restaurant, and having become friendly will point out another man in the hotel who, he alleges, has made a big sum of money in America by bursting up a number of “bucket shops.” When approached the third man at first denies his identity, but under pressure reluctantly admits that he is the man. The conven.ation drifts, and the three arrange tp form a syndicate tp undertake immediate speculations in stocks, using the third man’s alleged knowledge of the markets ostensibly as a safe guarantee. They proceed to the office of a broker, or alleged broker, speculate in certain shares, and remain together for some hours. Then one of the confederates returns tp the broker’s office to ascertain whether the shares have advanced or fallen hi value. Sometinjes if the value has risen they agree to put the whole of the money on other stocks. Before the end of the day it is discovered that these have dropped considerably in value, and ab have lost heavily. In reality no money has been invested at all. But the confederates, professing to reimburse him as a matter of honour. One of them will state that he will have to proceed to another town to raise money, and the other will mention the name of a friend in still another city from whom he will raise money the next day. The three part company. The confederates immediately change the money they have swindled from tne victim into the currency of another country, to which they instantly depart, and next day the victim usually discovers that he has been duped. Invariably confidence men of all shades make for another country when they have pulled off a deal ami remain there until confederates who have been shadowing the victim assure them that he has left Europe for home.