#confidence scheme

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"ALLEGED EASY MONEY RACKETEER ARRESTED," Hamilton Spectator. August 31, 1933. Page 7. ----- Police in in Toronto Apprehended One Man --- Promised to Multiply Bill for Citien Here ---- On Monday afternoon of this week Anteon Mickalewski, of Catharine street south, was sorrowing over the loss of his life savings, $960 in all. He had been a victim of the age-old gag, the "gold brick" racket. To-day he is feeling a little happier. He is only out $890, and one of the two alleged to have relieved him of his money is safely locked in the "cooler" at Toronto.

Last night the Queen city police, acting upon information given them from Hamilton, arrested Andrew Souchuk, known to them as Zaruck, on the charge that he was one of the men who had taken part in the confidence game against Mickalewskl. The man was identified through a photo, sent from Toronto, by Mickalewski. On his person Souchuk had the sum of $70, which police allege to be part of the missing money.

Easy Money Last Saturday Mickalewski went to Toronto and met the arrested man and another and the three returned to Hamilton on Monday morning. The two Toronto men explained to Mickalewski how large sums of money could be made by placing a bill between two pieces of paper and pouring a certain liquid over them and then pressing the whole between two boards, it is alleged. The Hamilton man was eonvinced. He went to the bank with dreams of becoming a mil- lionaire over night and drew out his entire savings. On Monday afternoon the two Toronto men, it is alleged, gave Mickalewski a par- cel to look after, telling him not to open it until their return. They never came back. Mickalewski waited till 6 o'clock that night and on opening the parcel found only old newspapers cut the size of bills.

The two photos, which Mickalewski identified as being of the two men, were forwarded to Toronto from Winnipeg, being those of men wanted on like counts. The police in Toronto and Hamilton are now searching for the other man.

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

“TOURIST IS SAVED FROM BUNCO GAME,” The Province (Vancouver). March 7, 1931. Page 1. --- Confidence Trick of Neolithic Ancestry Was Almost Successful. ---- Watchfulness of police on Friday saved an elderly Englishman in Vancouver during a world tour, from being swindled out of $25,000 in the ancient "wallet game."

The intended victim of the "bunco men," whose names are withheld by police, arrived here on the Aorangi from Australia. While on shipboard he met the "affable stranger," who became his companion in Vancouver.

The usual "con" man patter and paraphernalia came into the fleecing proceedings on schedule. Police, somehow, heard of the predicament of the tourist, and rescued him in time to save his money.

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

“MAN AND WOMAN WORK NEW GAME,” Hamilton Spectator. March 30, 1931. Page 7. ---- Steal Radio Sets From Hamilton Firms --- Have Them Delivered, Then They Disappear ---- Several radio dealers who were victimized by a man named G. Roebuck of small but valuable radio sets by the simple method of having the set delivered to a King street east apartment this morning claimed that they had been successful in having a warrant issued for his arrest. Five sets in all have been stolen, it is alleged by this man, who would order the sets to be sent to a certain address and then disappear with the machines in his possession. 

During the past week three victims reported losses of sets valued up to $100 These were the Easy Home Appliances, the Radio Shop and A. Carey & Son. Over the week-end it was learned that the same man victimized Hurst's music store. Ottawa street north, and the Culley Electric company. 

Two in Game A private investigation to-day revealed that Roebuck, a man about 28 years of age, worked this racket with the help of a young woman, aged about 23, and a young man about 18 years of age. The trio rented an apartment at the corner of King and Tisdale streets, opened an account in Roebuck's name for $2 in a branch of the Bank of Toronto. Each time they worked the game on the radio dealers they would pay down $5 in cash and give a cheque for the balance. Each time the cheque was returned N.S.F. The same three, it is claim- ed, operated the racket with success in two other King street east stores, a clothier and a jeweler, the last mentioned losing a diamond ring valued at $125 in the transaction. 

The trio moved silently out of the apartment at midnight Friday and made their escape with the five midget sets, all of which could easily be moved in a sedan.

It is thought that it was the same three who worked the stunt with success in St. Catharines earlier in the week and in Toronto about two weeks ago.

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

“Feel Two Groups Operating a Alleged Swindle,” Ottawa Journal. September 12, 1938. Page 12. ---- Police Probe Through Documents Seized In Raid Here. ---- Probing through records seized in the raid here last Thursday, when two persons were arrested on a charge of conspiring to defraud the public, police announced on Sunday they had uncovered documents which led them to believe two separate groups were claiming they were endeavoring through the courts to collect money from companies which allegedly had infringed patent rights of the late E. R. Robinson, of Chicago.

Before his death, Robinson contributed million of dollars in promissory notes in an effort to collect money for court cases against various big firms. For each $1 he was given he gave a note for $1,000, promising to pay when the cases were were successfully completed. Prior to his death at 1925, he served a term in jail, police said, and in one court case admitted he collected $200,000.

Cary Burns, 53. a negro who is a foster son of E. R. Robinson, and Amelia Monique, 40, alias Jackson, are held in jail here. On Saturday an order was issued for a mental examination for the pair and they will be arraigned in court again this Saturday.

Constable Boehmer. of the Ottawa police morality squad, said he found one letter, among the papers seized in Burns’ hotel suite. It was from a man in Illinois and said a Chicago group was trying to collect patent judgments in Chicago courts. The letter expressed confidence in Cary Burns and referred to the Chicago group as ‘grafters.’

To Examine Pair Enclosed was a circular letter signed by the ‘E. R. Robinson Club’, which outlined the steps being taken in Chicago to gain judgements on behalf of the Robinson note holders. The writer said this was enclosed so Cary Burns would know how the situation stood.

Police claim Cary Burns has been distributing notes from here, informing clients action was being taken through the Exchequer Court.

Alleged Agenda Police also stated Sunday they had secured from the seized documents, names and addresses of men whom they believe are agents in the alleged swindle. These names are being forwarded to police in Montreal, Chicago and Detroit.

The check-up of the stubs of promissory notes, seized in the raid, revealed $147,000,000 worth had been issued since 1936.

Police also had in their possession receipts which showed Cary Burns spent thousands of dollars on expensive clothing here and for medical care in Montreal.

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

“Confidence Man Makes a Haul,” Vancouver Province. April 27, 1942. Page 3. ---- City police are today seeking a smooth-talking confidence man who relieved William J. Freeman, 577 South Templeton, of $100, and Robert Dourasoff, 2652 Franklin, of $40 on Saturday. 

The man asked Dourasoff for a loan of $150 on Thursday, and it was subsequently arranged that the pair would give him the money for him to have exchanged into American funds for a trip across the border, and he would pay them back after selling his car Saturday. 

They accompanied him to the Bank of Toronto, Seymour and Hastings, Saturday morning and the "con" man went inside to have the money exchanged. After waiting for 20 minutes, Dourasoff and Freeman became suspicious. They investigated and found that the man had ducked out the employees' entrance with their money. 

Two warrants for his arrest were sworn out Saturday, and police are keeping a watchful eye for him In Vancouver, although he intimated to his victims that he was going to the United States on Saturday.

[frangipani-wanderlust]

Gamer Friends?

Does anybody remember that pre-order con (”con” as in “scam,” not “con” as in “convention”) from a few years ago?  Some people hyped a massively multi-player open world game and scored a bunch of pre-orders from a skillion people and then took all the money and just skipped off into the sunset?  Possibly a space colonization game?

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

“No. 1 Police Court, at City Hall, Magistrate Browne,” Toronto Star. October 26, 1938. Page 10. ---- Five Months For Coat Theft Frank McGovern was given five months for theft of a lady’s fur coat. He pleaded guilty.

P.C.’s Wakely and Heenan testified accused had the coat in a box on Simcoe St. last night. It was taken from an express truck.

‘His record goes back to 1904,’ said the crown. ‘He’s just out of jail. On Oct. 14 he was given 14 days.’

‘Thefts from trucks must stop,’ said his worship. ‘Six months.’

‘Could your worship make it five months and 29 days?’ asked accused. ‘If I’m sentenced to six months I will lose my war pension.’

‘If that’s the case I’ll make it five months straight,’ replied Magistrate Browne. ‘We’ll forget about the 29 days.’

Alleged $750 Theft Thomas H. Davey and Morgan U. Kemerer were committed for trial on a charge of theft of $750 from John J. Shea of Hamilton beach.

‘Davey and Kemerer were showing movies. They wanted me to operate a projector $30 a week and expenses of $10. I was required to put up a cash bond of $750,’ Shea testified. ‘Later Davey and Kemerer told me they had lost $1,500 in stocks.

‘When I refused to lend them $2,500 they said everything was washed up. My $750 bond was not returned.’

‘Committed for trial,’ said his worship.

Weeps As He Leaves Lloydd Sherman, 17, of Mount Dennis, broke down and wept when Magistrate Browne suspended sentence and placed him on probation for two years on charges of having an offensive weapon and of assaulting Nathan Appleton with intent to rob.

‘Remember, if you give any trouble you will be brought back and sentenced to two years in Kingston,’ warned the crown.

Thirty Days for Assault Thirty days in jail was the sentence given Irwin Allen by Magistrate Forsythe in No. 3 court after he convicted him of assaulting and beating Mabel Allen.

[russianreader]

Leonid Volkov: Hocus Pocus The homepage of Sberbank of Russia's online banking service looks reassuring at first glance, although a warning in the bottom right-hand corner reads, "Safety rules: If you are asked to enter your Sberbank Online password to cancel a transaction, don't do it.