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EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW BUT WERE TOO BUSY TO ASK – Bunco Schemes
There are almost as many Bunco Scheme variations as there are seconds in the day. Some of the more common scams include the Pigeon Drops, the Jamaican Switch, Playing the Jug, Playing the Letter, the Jamaican Trust, the Bank Examiner, the Police Impersonator, the Latin Charity, the Bait and Switch, Three-Card Monte, Mail Bond Schemes, the Texas Twist, the Shell Game, the Pea Game, the Money Machine, Gypsy Bujo, Filipino Card Cheating, Rocks in the Box, the Social Security Rebate and the COD Scam.
The John Cooke Financial Fraud Report, with the assistance of the National Association of Bunco Investigators, will familiarize you with some of the most common scams in this and future issues. The following is an explanation of two well-known schemes; The Pigeon Drop and the Jamaican Switch.
The Pigeon Drop
The Pigeon Drop, one of the oldest and most famous of the switch schemes, probably originated with the invention of printed currency by the Chinese nearly 1000 years ago. Those scammed may be of any age, sex or race, although the victim is commonly an elderly female.
The Team Approach
The Pigeon Drop is generally carried out by a two-person team. The two suspects may be of any race, sex and age; however, the team is usually made up of two female suspects—one designated as a “catch” girl and the other known as the “hit” girl.
Initial contact is made with a victim, who is usually selected at random. Selection criteria include advanced age and being alone. The scam usually takes place around shopping centers, bus stops, banks or any area that elderly woman regularly visit. The catch girl makes the first contact by approaching the intended victim and beginning a conversation.
She may explain that she is from out of town and is looking for a house to rent. She may tell the victim that she has recently been widowed and that she has two small children. If the victim is receptive to her approach, the catch girl may continue with more details about her life. It is common for the catch girl to state that she has received a large insurance settlement from her late husband’s life insurance and that her mean, wicked mother-in-law is attempting to handle her financial affairs for her. The catch girl will also explain that she is unfamiliar with banking procedures.
The victim will later describe the suspect as “very nice,” “very friendly,” “sweet and sincere” or “very naive.” In a relatively short period of time, the catch girl will have developed a rapport with the victim. The victim will have become interested in helping the suspect with her problems after hearing her story. The victim will be able to relate to the tale of woe and will think she is helping a poor young woman who obviously needs her guidance.
During this initial contact, the catch girl will find out things important to the team, (ie., Does the victim live alone?Where does she bank? etc.) Once the catch girl is satisfied she has chosen a good potential victim, she’ll signal her partner, the hit girl.
The hit girl approaches the victim and the catch girl. Frequently, the hit girl will ask for directions to a particular address and will display a package of some type. The package, known as a “Pack,” is usually some kind of secure item, such as an envelope, a billfold, a canvas money bag with a lock, or another similar device. The pack is usually sealed and has an obscure or nonexistent address on it. The hit girl claims she found the package and does not know what to do with it. During the ensuing discussion, it is decided that one of them should open the package. One of the suspects is chosen to look inside.
As the suspect does so, what appears to be a large amount of money is displayed quickly, then returned to the package. This is known as “The Flash.” The money—called by many different names—is generally play money, with just enough real money added to make it look good. A note is usually found with the money and will be shown or read to the victim. The note, from an unknown person, explains that the money comes from some illegal source (such as gambling, narcotics, prostitution, mafia, etc.) and has an illegal destination (Swiss bank account, weapons purchase, terrorist group, income tax avoidance, etc.). Frequently, the pack will also contain pornographic photos, race track tickets, small packages of what appear to be precious stones, bonds, stocks, etc. In any case, the pack is designed to create the appearance of a large amount of ill-gotten money and the impression that the true owner cannot be located and would not admit ownership even if found.
The next step is to convince the victim that all three will share the found money since they were all present when the money was discovered and opened.
One of the girls will explain that her boss (a nearby attorney, the manager of a local market, etc.) can give them advice. All agree that she should seek his advice. The hit girl leaves to see her boss as the catch girl continues to befriend the victim, often over a cup of coffee at a nearby coffee shop. Soon the first girl returns, very elated and excited. The boss is checking the money with a computer or other machine to see if it’s real. If the money is good and has not been reported stolen, the boss says that they can all share in the find equally and everything is legal.
At this point, numerous variations are used to induce the victim to come up with some of her money or other valuables. Some suspects claim that the boss wants them to put up good faith money so that he knows they are financially solvent and won’t spend the found money right away. The suspects usually claim that there will be a holding period of 30 or 60 days to be sure that the money is not claimed. Many suspects tell the victim that they need to put up money to pay the taxes on the found money. Others explain that the boss needs cash from the victim so that he can put the serial numbers of the victim’s money on documents. He will make it appear as if the victim’s share of the money is from a prior investment, thereby avoiding payment of taxes. Whatever the ruse, the victim is told that she simply has to show the boss her money, and that it will immediately be returned to her along with her share of the found money.
The hit girl will tell the catch girl and the victim how much money the boss wants. The amount requested varies depending on the situation. The catch girl just happens to have the money with her, or in a nearby bank because she recently obtained the insurance money from her husband’s death. Commonly, the hit girl sends the catch girl to get her money, then directs her to go see the boss. Upon her return, the catch girl ecstatically flashes a large amount of money. She explains that it was all so simple; the boss just took the numbers from her money and returned it to her along with her share of the found money. She tells the victim how nice the boss is and how much he adores and trusts the hit girl, who, by the way, just happens to be a bonded messenger.
Now, it’s the victim’s turn. By now, she is convinced of her good fortune because, after all, she has just seen her newfound friend get a large sum of money. The suspects will have asked the victim to come up with a particular amount of money. For example, they may have asked for $5,000. If the victim shows them that she has that amount or more, they assist her in getting the money. If the victim doesn’t quite have that amount, the suspects will loan her the rest out of their share.
If the suspects determine that the victim has wealth far exceeding their expectations, the scheme is elevated. The hit girl tells the victim her boss has discovered the race track tickets, diamonds, bonds, etc., that were in the pack are worth an additional large amount of money. Therefore, they must all come up with more money to show the boss. Once they have decided how much money the victim is putting up, the hit girl suggests that she can take the victim’s money to the boss since he’s tied up in a meeting—or she offers some other plausible excuse. If the victim agrees, the hit girl takes the money and leaves. The hit girl returns to tell the victim that the boss is now out of the meeting and wants to see her to give her the money in person. Sometimes the victim insists on giving the boss her own money; she will not allow the suspect to take it. The suspects have prepared for this eventuality by providing an envelope for the victim to put her money or other valuable in.
Unbeknownst to the victim, the suspects have also made up an identical envelope, stuffed with cut paper, that they will “switch” with the victim’s money using a simple distraction technique. Regardless of what method is used, once the victim has obtained her money and/or valuables, she will soon be parted from them.
Variation: “Single O”
A common variation to the two-member approach is a routine known as the “Single O.” This variation employs one lone female who approaches the intended victim, with a second suspect on the phone, playing the role of the boss. The single operator plays a combined role of catch girl/hit girl. Her job is to befriend the victim, tell her of finding the pack, and get the victim to a phone so the victim and the suspect can get the advice of the boss, usually an alleged attorney. This variation is almost always played by an extremely competent suspect. Although the “Man on the phone” is not seen by the victim, he may actually be nearby, maintaining visual contact with the other suspect. He may also play the part of a messenger sent to pick up the pack of found money. Some suspects have even played the part of a chauffeur sent to escort the victim to her bank.
In addition to losing cash, many victims will lose their jewelry or other valuables, having been told by the suspects that those items must be shown to the boss also. In many cases, victims who have had their safety deposit boxes cleaned out by the suspects. Some suspects have convinced their victims to open up a new joint safety deposit box with one of the suspects. The victim believes that her money, along with her share of the found money, have been placed inside. The suspects have made a switch, of course, and have taken both keys to the box. After paying someone to drill out the lock on the box, the victim discovers she has been taken.
Another Slick Variation
One particular group uses a scheme that includes a little forgery as well. The scheme is played similar to the regular pigeon drop until the hit girl returns from taking the pack of found money to the boss. Again, the victim is told that all the parties involved in the find will share equally, but the victim is not asked to withdraw money directly from her savings. Instead, the victim is given a check (usually stolen or forged) and told it represents her share of the found money. The victim is told to deposit the check into her account and withdraw a specific amount to be returned to the boss so he can pay the taxes on the found money. The victim gives the suspects the tax money. Later she will discover that the check is bogus. The victim, not the bank, is the loser because she has guaranteed payment by endorsing the bogus check. This scam works very well; banks seldom question the transaction because the suspects make sure that the amount on the check does not exceed the amount that the victim has on deposit.
Most suspects are aware that many banks and savings and loan institutions resist large cash withdrawals, particularly when it is one of their elderly patrons requesting an amount of cash large enough to close the account. To overcome this, some suspects will request that the victim obtain a cashier’s check from her bank, go to a foreign money exchange firm and purchase foreign currency and/or travelers checks, allegedly for a trip. Later, the suspects will convert the stolen items back into American currency. Other suspects have been known to convince a victim to purchase gold, precious stones or other valuables.
Regardless of the variation used by a particular group of suspects, the results will ultimately be the same; the victim will, in all probability, lose her life savings.
THE JAMAICAN SCHEMES
One of the most commonly reported street bunco schemes is the Jamaican switch. The victims can be of any sex, race and age. The suspects are usually two male blacks, but it is not uncommon to find a male and female team. The suspects prefer to work areas with heavy pedestrian traffic, particularly around or near banks, check-cashing booths, market areas or any other location where people go to transact cash business. The Jamaican switch con-man, like the pigeon drop artist, selects his victims at random, repetitiously making one approach after another until he locates someone who will listen to him. The one exception to this is that many suspects will actually observe a potential victim cashing a check; then, knowing that person has pocket money, the suspect will make his approach. Often, a third suspect lurks nearby acting as a lookout and wheel man who will provide the quick get away if they are successful.
The classic pocket sting requires that the “catch man” play the part of a foreign seaman, speaking broken English (Jamaican accent) and appearing illiterate, naive and in desperate need of help. These suspects will usually dress the part.
In broken English he asks, “Can you help me? I’m lost.” He shows the victim a scrap of paper, or perhaps a Greyhound bus tag, with an address and the name of a motel on it. He explains that he is a Jamaican seaman and has just arrived in this country. He met a woman and gave her some money. She was supposed to buy some liquor and meet him at the address, or motel, written on the piece of paper. The seaman said he gave a cab driver some money to find the address, but he just drove around town and dropped him off. “Please,” he says, “Help me find the motel.”
The victim looks at the piece of paper which has a nonexistent name and address on it. (Some of the more common names are “Pea Green Street,” “Dubella Motel,” “Merchant Seaman’s Bank of Motel,” “Red Dot Motel’” etc.)
“I pay you plenty green to help; I got plenty,” says the seaman. He reaches into his pocket and removes a huge roll of bills. Usually this money roll is play money or dollar bill-sized paper, folded in half, covered with one or more genuine bills, and secured with a rubber band. The money roll has many slang names’ “Flash,” “flash roll,” “Mich” or “Michigan roll,” “Oklahoma bank roll,” “Poke,” “Boodle,” etc. but to the victim it appears very real.
The effect is startling. The victim cannot believe that anyone could be so foolish as to carry such a large amount of money on him. “You ought to put that money in the bank before someone hits you in the head and takes it,” the victim says to the Jamaican.
The seaman ignores him. The victim will sometimes take the Jamaican to a nearby phone booth to look up the motel address. Covertly, the seaman signals his partner, who is set to enter the scene. As the seaman and victim are talking, the accomplice walks by. “Hey man,” says the seaman, “Can you help me?”
The seaman shows the accomplice the paper and tells the story again about how he lost the money to the prostitute and the cab driver. The seaman shows his partner the money roll. The partner also warns the seaman about flashing his money around, and tells the seaman that the woman just took his money and gave him a phony address. The accomplice tells the seaman that he knows where he can get a woman, but he can’t take him there because he doesn’t have a car. The seaman tells the victim and the accomplice that he will pay each of them $100 if they help him find a woman and if the victim will drive them to where the woman can be found. The victim agrees and all three are directed to another location by the accomplice.
En route, the accomplice tells the seaman that the girl probably can’t be trusted, and that the seaman should put all of his money where it will be safe until he is through with the girl. The seaman tells the accomplice that he has no friends and does not trust the banks. The accomplice suggests that the seaman should leave the money with the victim who surely can be trusted to watch his money for a little while. The seaman agrees, and tells the victim he would be happy to pay even more money if the victim will watch the money. The victim agrees.
The seaman removes a handkerchief, paper bag or envelope and puts his money into it. As he is about to hand it to the victim, he says, “Hey man, how I know you watch my money good? Where I come from, we put our money together so we know it is watched good.”
The accomplice and seaman convince the victim to put his money, and usually his watch or other valuables, into the handkerchief with the seaman’s money. The seaman securely fastens the handkerchief with numerous knots, then hands it to the victim. As the victim begins searching for a pocket large enough to hold the sizable package, the seaman takes the package back and states, “In my country with matters such as this, we put our money close to our heart where it will be safe.” The seaman then demonstrates, placing the package into his shirt, near his armpit. As he removes the pack, he makes a switch pulling out a similar package that he returns to the victim. The victim places the pack in his shirt as demonstrated. The accomplice writes down a phone number where the victim can be reached, or simply tells the victim to await their return. The seaman and accomplice leave to see the alleged nearby prostitute, leaving the victim, who will soon discover that the handkerchief contains only cut paper. If a bag has been used, the suspects sometimes insist that the victim lock it up in the glove compartment or trunk of the victim’s vehicle. In this situation, as the bag is placed in the vehicle, the victim is momentarily distracted, allowing the suspect to make the switch. The foregoing is the classic Jamaican switch pocket sting, which has been used in this country for generations.
Our thanks to Jon Grow, Director of the National Association of Bunco Investigators, for providing this information. Jon can be contacted at 410-752-8150.
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