NCJ Number
101795
Journal
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 55 Issue: 6 Dated: (June 1986) Pages: 11-17
Date Published
1986
Length
7 pages
Annotation
Scams used by con artists, usually against the elderly and women, fall into two categories: con games and the more elaborate confidence schemes.
Abstract
Con games, usually associated with the carnival or circus, may include three card monte and the shell game, in which sleight of hand is used to deceive the gullible; dice and coin games using loaded dice or weighted or identical-sided coins and various cheating techniques; and currency cons, in which change is solicited for altered or phony bills. Confidence schemes, which are detailed, elaborate, and often sophisticated ploys used to defraud people, include the pigeon drop or the Jamaican boy scam, (in which victims entrust their money to the con artist who replaces it with phony money) and the double shot or the bank examiner ploy (in which the con convinces victims he is aiding in a police or financial investigation). Cracking down on such scams requires that (1) police be trained in con artists' methods, (2) information on the modus operandi and profiles of conmen active in the area be maintained and (3) public education about fraud prevention be enhanced. 6 footnotes.