I just saw an article on conmen. Which started me thinking but to my carefree hippy days.
He appeared to be caring, intelligent person. He worked as a co-ordinator for a charity I was involved in. So of course I let him share the flat.
His style was clever. He would meet women, charm them and then casually ask to borrow some cash. As he had a lot of women on the go at the same time. He would repay in the classic Ponzi style borrow from one to pay back another.
The cash would be repaid and a lavish, romantic meal given. Then the borrowing was easier.
Then although the women were seperated geographically we all belonged to different branches of the same organisation and people eventually meet. There were rumours and one or two angry lenders. But we’re English we don’t talk about money.
Then he had tradegy. His sister died in a car crash – abroad. Can he borrow some cash. Everybody, including me, chipped in. Then the next chipped in and so on.
I found out when two months money disappeared and I lost my perfect apartment and still had to pay up his amount.
I started talking and realised that he was conning people. Being a northerned I warned people and then I find out six women I know have been lost money.
I warn the charity head office. They would not warn the different groups. So I did. I found out he had effectively taken people for over £6,000, that I knew of, and this was in the early 1970s, so I reckon about £20 to £30 thousand by today’s prices – maybe more.
I made the charity fire him.
Weeks later he was still around.
He regretted what he had done. He was sorry. He realised what he had done. He had ruined his life. He was hoping to rebuild and pay people back. But he had no money so…
Three girls helped him with cash before he disappeared.
I personally blame Mills and Boon – with their romantic flawed heros only need the love of a good woman to change them for the best.
Meanwhile because of Basil I was sleeping on people’s floors saving up to get another deposit for a flat.