“FLOCKING PIGEONS.”

Shannon News, 31 July 1925, Page 4

“FLOCKING PIGEONS.”

AUSTRALIAN GANGSTERS ABROAD. OLD TRICKS AND NEW: Why is it (asks the Sydney "Sun's” London correspondent, April 23), that go 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 £IOOO.

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 Zealanders, with a sprinkling of Americans, Canadians, South Africans, and British. The few British at the game are men who have spent some years in one or more of the dominions, and have become more 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 con fidence 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 con* firlence gangs were operating in Lon- ! don, but the police succeeded in breaking up most; of them, and at the present time the majority of their mem bors, including Australians, are serving various terms of penal servitude. Some of them have recently been liberated, and are believed to 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 lac' 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. The frequently select keenwitted men as prospective victims, because the latter as a rule have supreme confidence in themselves, but also they usually show a 1 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 ‘he average mind tunenuain'ed w'.tn the types of men practising it. And after all, it is only a variant of the nc.ient “uncle from Fiji” swindle. Many of the confidence men are, of course, card sharpers as well, and not infrequently are able to persuade a visitor to adjourn to a well-furnish-ed 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 was more or less drunk, but that is usually the case 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 interna - tional 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 conversation drifts.-and the three arrange to form a syndicate to 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 to the broker’s office to ascertain whether the shares have advanced or fallen in value. Sometimes 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 all have lost heavily.

In reality no money has been invested at all. But the confederates, professing concern for the victim, undertake 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 the victim into the currency of another countrv, 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 u hen (hey have pulled off a deal, and remain there until confederates who have been shadowing the victim assure them that he has left Europe for home.