please empty your brain below
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Many years ago as a teenager I visited Blackpool with my then girlfriend where - obviously - they did the same racket. Except there they had a more permanent, less hassled-by-the-cops feel as they did it on trestle tables and gave out well worn cards with vouchers on then for a free go - the freebie to show how "legit" it was.
Even my teenage me could work out it was highly dubious. The woman with me fell for it hook line and sinker. There will always be someone ready to fall for it.
Andrew Bowden | Homepage | 08.11.15 - 7:27 a.m. | #
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'surrounded by the parapet' sounds a bit like 'being pulled in by the fuzz'
Nick | 08.11.15 - 7:53 a.m. | #
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This scam was old when the Romans came to Britannia...
Tony Martin | 08.11.15 - 8:18 a.m. | #
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Always puzzled why the police don't use cctv/plain clothes enforcement.
It's as if they're also playing a part in the game - breezing by in a well marked van and in full uniform.
| 08.11.15 - 9:13 a.m. | #
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You can identify the lookouts as they generally stand either at the very edge of the pavement or on the yellow lines in the road. This way they get good line of sight of each other and I'm sure they communicate with each other.
I'm surprised that the Met don't do much to stop the scammers. It's got to be profitable or there wouldn't be so many of them, And as the poster above says, it wouldn't be hard if the police were in plain clothes.
Rob | 08.11.15 - 10:44 a.m. | #
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Whilst being scammed by the con the curious distracted and concentrating on the performer could doubly lose by being pickpocketed too !!
Lynn | 08.11.15 - 10:50 a.m. | #
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yes, I'm sure the police could throw a lot of effort in closing them down in this location ... however, they would only chase them off to a different location so it doesn't really solve the problem
at the end of the day, just how much time and effort do we have to throw at controlling something that's as old as time, just how much do we have to protect people from their own stupidity
maybe the police are doing the right thing, a little effort to keep the scammers on their toes and not letting them take over the place completely
Caz | 08.11.15 - 11:00 a.m. | #
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To an extent the criminals are better organised than the police, however whenever I watch one of these policing programs and they announce the sentencing at the end its always something pointless.
Effectively the judicial system is too expensive to administer, it effectively costs thousands of pounds to stop 'low level' crime, for example how many plain clothes police would you need, as they disperse, how many more police would you need as back up to arrest them all?, and that's just the arrest, then there is processing, organising legal representation, no doubt translators, etc. etc. etc., then at the end, what?, £60 fine each?, at a cost of £££thousands to the taxpayer.
However the government needs to maintain the illusion that it has control of law and order, so the token police van wafts past, I wouldn't be surprised if one the criminals deliberately waited behind in order to find out what the police knew!
| 08.11.15 - 11:00 a.m. | #
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Never been keen on the quiet menace that their thugs / lookouts impose on the bridge - I presume an additional duty is to, err, deal with any tourist who dares question the fairness of the outcome.
At one stage a couple of years back big signs were put up at either end saying "illegal gamblers were operating on this bridge", recommending not to take part (though if you're daft enough to fall for this lot, a sign probably won't help you).
The tat stall in front of the Boadicaea statue is especially shabby and causes a permanent crush in the summer, hard for pedestrians to get through a lot of the time let alone anyone else (good luck to buggies / disabled) but great for pickpockets - no idea why it's still there. Unlike the stalls at the southern end (which are licensed and pay some income to Lambeth), it's somewhat oddly referred to on Westminster's planning database as "Unlicensed Street Trading Pitch On Westminster Bridge", I can only assume there's a dodgy non-enforcement backhander somewhere out there.
David | 08.11.15 - 11:26 a.m. | #
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Great post. Fascinating to see how it's done. I've seen them since I was a child but never bothered to think too hard as to how the scam worked!
Cornish Cockney | 08.11.15 - 11:44 a.m. | #
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The best view of the Houses of Parliament are from the cardiac wards in St Thomas' over the river.
And from that height you can also suss out the card sharp heavies. They're like bees as they constantly whizz about, swapping positions every so often.
I've seen them at work six times now. All you need for this free entertainment is chronic heart disease!
Chris | 08.11.15 - 1:46 p.m. | #
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Your card is probably marked now! Going around photographing the individuals, albeit at a distance, was possibly a bit risky. But then again they probably don't care as any profit clearly outweighs the (very slight, as you witnessed) risk of being penalised when caught.
Are the dodgy mobile burger sellers still around? I know Westminster Council had a purge some time back and hopefully they're gone for good!
Tim | 08.11.15 - 2:09 p.m. | #
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They were using £50 notes on the South Bank last Saturday, circulating round the team, there were no losers while I watched so maybe not many people willing to throw their money away.
Chris | 08.11.15 - 2:30 p.m. | #
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There used to be a couple of con artists at the south side of Blackfriars Bridge who used a wobbly bicycle that miraculously worked when they rode it and then when you (not me) had a go and tried to ride in a straight line it went wobbly and you were minus £10.
SJM | 08.11.15 - 4:01 p.m. | #
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Perhaps the brightly-coloured hoodie is a sign that its wearer has the special job of looking suspicious and drawing police attention away from the others, while ensuring that he has none of the evidence on his person.
Malcolm | 08.11.15 - 7:14 p.m. | #
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Many years ago I observed a three-card-trick team in full operation a few yards from Bank.
I was amazed and wondered if they were paid by the London Tourist Board.
Mike D | 08.11.15 - 7:28 p.m. | #
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I hadn't seen this scam for several years, but I spotted a gang with the ball in a cup scam on the bank of the Thames last week. Same gang?
Dan | 08.11.15 - 8:50 p.m. | #
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I've always wondered what happens if, instead of saying which one cup you think it *is* under, you say which two cups you think it *isn't* under and confirm your "not under there" guesses by lifting the cups yourself. Not enough to actually try it and see what happens, but...
Chris D. | 08.11.15 - 9:00 p.m. | #
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The classic way to beat this scam is, when the time comes to see where the ball really is, uncover the two *remaining* cups before the scammer gets the chance to show you the chosen one is empty. This assumes that the ball is placed under one of those cups at the time of the reveal, rather than at the same time it's removed from the original one. Of course, even if you pulled this off, I still don't think you'll be looking forward to any prize (except maybe some rearranged kneecaps).
Jim | 08.11.15 - 9:02 p.m. | #
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I wonder how much they make per day?
Helen | 08.11.15 - 9:38 p.m. | #
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I am sure they have "other" sources of income
Steve | 08.11.15 - 9:57 p.m. | #
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As with any form of 'organised' gambling, the 'house' always wins. They wouldn't be operating otherwise.
Bronchitikat | Homepage | 09.11.15 - 10:58 a.m. | #
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I've been working around the area and had to cross the bridge twice every day. I took to using the Parliament side of the road simply to avoid the roadblocks of tourists and scammers.
Do you remember the time the police used a hired number 2 bus to sneak up on one of the gangs a few years ago?
Aside from the bus being caught in traffic on the way to the bust, it all worked very well.
rashbre | Homepage | 10.11.15 - 10:25 a.m. | #
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Just spotted your link to the bus bust.
rashbre | Homepage | 10.11.15 - 10:29 a.m. | #
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How disappointing that another bastion of British entrepreneurial skill has been taken over by immigrants. :-) Will we ever again here the traditional call "'Ave it up!" when the police are sighted?
Ian Brooker | 10.11.15 - 12:54 p.m. | #
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