Crime School Day 2: Reaping a fortune

Unbelievably rich from yesterday’s lesson in my three-day Crime School? If yesterday’s excursion into bank fraud didn’t work and assuming you aren’t locked away from trying, then try my Day 2. Fantastic profit is on the way … almost, perhaps, maybe ...

I say my Crime School but of course the lessons really come from Richmond police and their excellent video online, ready to protect you from bankruptcy or worse.

Yesterday, we were warned against – and schooled towards – stealing a great wad of cash from a wealthy neighbour or relation.Landing you in clover

Someone, anyway, who had lots of dosh … until the moment the lesson taught you how to help yourself.

Today’s class is similarly designed to land you in clover. Once again you need a victim who is well-heeled.

Following the method in the Richmond video, you give the unsuspecting donor a call and offer a pretty scary scenario.

Adapting it slightly, you might say, ‘Hello, this is the Fuzz, er, police. Did you pay your gym today £5,000 for a few years of membership?’ Depending on which gym, if it's anything like the one I attend, it may be for just one year’s membership.

The four-digit magic number

The sucker, er, victim obligingly says no. You encourage him to tap in some numbers on his phone. Included among them is the highly desired four-digit magic number.

You’ve used a ‘key tone reader’ to extract the magic number. A key tone reader? Perhaps Uncle Google will describe whatever that might be. An accomplice acting as a courier visits the victim to collect the credit card.

Now the crooks have the card and the pin number. Your world is their oyster.

It’s rather probable that you - or the crooks in the video - won’t wait around before making some significant holes in the bank account. The video emphasises, ‘Never type your pin number or type the digits into your phone.’ 

Continues on the blogs for my ocean adventure book, Sailing to Purgatory, at SailingToPurgatory.com