First person to ever flimflam me was Billy Graham

[NNN0LHI]

I was about ten years old in 1965 and one of the neighbors kids asked me if I wanted to go to a revival at the Arie Crown theatre in Chicago. This family was really into this stuff. Had all the kids all out selling Grit Newspaper and all. Nice kids though so I went.

When the time to pass the hat came around well, I didn't have any money with me. So everyone who didn't donate the 'ushers', handed out a blank check to be filled out. I had a small savings account for gift money and from cutting lawns but I didn't have any account number with me.

So I just put the bank name and signed it and gave it back. We didn't know any better back then.

Sure as shit, a few weeks later that check was processed through my bank. Think they took $20 bucks out of my account that had $25 in it.

My mother seen that statement and went nuts. I can remember her saying, well you helped pay for Billy's hundred dollar pair of shoes. Hundred bucks was a lot of money back then. Twice my parents house payment.

Never forget that.

Don

[bvar22]

1. Interesting story.

Just out of curiosity, who was the last person to flimflam you?

The very best cons leave you thinking that you got something for your money,
or that you almost WON,
and if you just ante up a few more bucks,
you are BOUND to WIN BIG next time.



I grew up in New Orleans, and loved the streets & people in the French Quarter.
Sometimes, I KNEW I was being hustled, but kicked in a couple of bucks anyway just to see how the game played out.
I also love Carnival Midways and State Fairs.
I have been hustled my fair share of times, but never fell for the same con twice.

I am amazed at the number of people who WILL fall for the same hustle or rigged game time after time,
and keep coming back. Just look at the number of people who gamble in Casinos,
accept apologies from people like Jimmy Swaggart,
or buy more than 1 lottery ticket (increases the odds, dont-cha-know).

In addition to Casino Gambling and Mega-Churches, there are MANY other legal Cons in 21st Century America.
*For Profit Health Insurance is one of the BIGGEST.

*Perpetual Political Fund Raising & Everlasting Campaign Season is BIG too.

*The Giant Invisible Hand that magically reaches down from heaven and "corrects" markets is a good hustle too.


DURec.



You will know them by their WORKS,
not by their misdirection & patter.
[font size=5 color=green]Solidarity99![/font][font size=2 color=green]
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[NNN0LHI]

3. The last time was when the Hunt Brothers got me

http://www.buyandhold.com/bh/en/education/history/2000/hunt_bros.html

The Hunt Brothers and the Silver Bubble

Brian Trumbore

President/Editor, StocksandNews.com

In 1973, the Hunt family of Texas, possibly the richest family in America at the time, decided to buy precious metals as a hedge against inflation. Gold could not be held by private citizens at that time, so the Hunts began to buy silver in enormous quantity.

In 1979 the sons of patriarch H.L. Hunt, Nelson Bunker and William Herbert, together with some wealthy Arabs, formed a silver pool. In a short period of time they had amassed more than 200 million ounces of silver, equivalent to half the world's deliverable supply.

When the Hunt's had begun accumulating silver back in 1973 the price was in the $1.95 / ounce range. Early in '79, the price was about $5. Late '79 / early '80 the price was in the $50's, peaking at $54.

Once the silver market was cornered, outsiders joined the chase but a combination of changed trading rules on the New York Metals Market (COMEX) and the intervention of the Federal Reserve put an end to the game. The price began to slide, culminating in a 50% one-day decline on March 27, 1980 as the price plummeted from $21.62 to $10.80.

[nolabear]

6. You and I may be siblings from another mother, bvar

New Orleans street hustlers are a blast, whether they're reading your palm or selling you something off that fence around the square. I love a carnival too. PT Barnum was a genius, as were many of the people whom he exhibited. They could sell anything, mostly a fantasy. Love Penn and Teller because they tell you exactly how they're fooling you, and you remain fooled. Andy Kaufmann was one of the most brilliant human beings who ever lived.

LOL! Come to think of it, I'm really thankful I have no real nerve when it comes to flim-flams. I stay out of trouble on both sides of the equation that way. But I LOVE to watch.

[yardwork]

4. That's a sad story. And a good one to remember.

[Shampoobra]

5. This looks like a job for the CPI Inflation Calculator...

I love this little gadget...

http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl

Your 1965 $25 bank balance would be worth $182 in 2012.

The $20 they extracted would be worth $145 in 2012.

That's a lot of money to be conning from a 10-year-old.

[sarcasmo]

7. Think of how many people the charlatan has done that way.

[nolabear]

8. He got to my poor dying mother too.

Long time ago, when he was in his heyday. She was religious, young, dying, and I think she held onto what he was preaching with all she had. I have no idea how much money she gave him, probably not much. We didn't have much. But what I remember is that sense of hope she had, and the rage I felt when, months after she was dead, she kept getting mail from "him" telling her how blessed she would be if she just donated to the cause.