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Show Beware of Bunco Artists warn Bankers Working in pairs to deceive their victim is a common scheme among bunco artists, according to the Utah Bankers Association. November has been declared by the Utah Bankers Association as Anti-Fraud Month in Utah to warn all citizens of the numerous schemes of bunco artists. For example, a well-dressed man in a nice car fills up with gas at a service station. He usually makes sure a young, inexperienced inex-perienced boy services him. The man suddenly realizes he has left his wallet in a nearby motel. However, he says he will give the station attendant an expensive-looking expensive-looking ring as collateral for payment. The man asks the boy to wear the ring and keep track of it, for it is worth several hundred dollars. A few minutes later, another man pulls into the gas station. He comments on the boy's ring, saying it is one of the nicest rings he has seen. The second man offers the boy $150 for the ring. The boy explains that he will have to ask the real owner when he comes back. When the first swindler returns, he tells the station attendant he wouldn't want to sell the ring to just anyone. But, since ihe is a little low on money, he will let the boy have it for just $50. The service station attendant falls for his trap. In reality, he is left with a ring worth only a few dollars. Next, these same two swindlers swin-dlers may separately enter any type of retail store. Bunco artists usually do not stick to just one type of fraud. One of the men buys a small item, cashing a twenty dollar bill. A few minutes later, the second swindler buys an item for under a dollar and gives the cashier a one dollar bill. When she returns his change, the man insists he gave her a $20 bill. When the cashier resists, the man says he can prove it because his telephone number (or some distinguishing feature) is on that twenty dollar bill. Of course this turns out to be the case, and the two bunco artists have successfully completed com-pleted another fraud. |