Con Artists......Just think of the furture brides and no wedding dresses or trips to New York

international | crime and justice | opinion/analysis

Friday April 14, 2006 20:55

by Michelle Clarke - Social Justice and Ethics

for Diamond engagement rings. What a pretty picture? The castle, the exhorbitant cost, the wedding gown, the accessories etc. etc.

What is worse is the element of trust that is breached. Why do people do such things to other people. Is the motive purely money or is there a hidden inadequacy and jealousy with them.

Has anyone ever been conned? Years ago when there was less access to media and press coverage there was a kind of human connection network that kept people informed and warned.

Joe Duffy is the Man who keeps the tradition of the past, out there and discussed but we need more.

Last week Joe pulled an excellent and important piece of informative data. It comes back to people in country with a healthy suspicion who get the sniff of something being slightly off. A husband and wife met a man on a country road.....they spoke to him and they just did not feel confident about what he was telling them. Then a third party joined them and as he began to move on, he quickly turned and took a photograph of them.

Again the woman was thinking, she took the registration of the car, the make, the colour. They basically got the brush off from the local Gardai. But this woman did not stop there. She checked out the registration, she sourced the car to a garage in Sligo and got the name of the man i.e. the Christian name. The best part of the story was the telling, the coaxing and the revelations that emerged from the deep end of what is murky about investigation.

Yes, he was a Private Investigator......She had no reason to suspect this and didn't appear to.

The answers flowed in. I never realised just how healthy the Private Investigator business is in Ireland. A leading investigator named Flynn spoke of easy ways of sourcing information particularly given the early retirement age of Gardai and the number who become investigators and the links they have by default. Just look up the web and some even have offices on Harcourt Street.

Minister Mc'Dowell - where is the regulation? Have we forgotten in Ireland about 'Conflict of Interest'. Does this explain why sourcing information about fraudsters and people's former police records is virtually impossible for the ordinary punter and particularly those who are vulnerable?

This is a hidden cash cow for members of the Force and it is a really challenge to their continued ethical responsibilities. The Checks and Balances that are required for our Democracy need to ripple through all government bodies and particularly our Gardai.

I would suggest the Civic Guards that failed in the 1920's, again in the 1940's i.e. An taca, will fail again. Suspicion will be fostered and it will not work. The 'Bullying' will only become worse and divisive.

Perhaps we ought to go the opposite way towards tightening laws relating to Ethics, Governance, in relation to Charities - making offences similar to Federal law charges and sentences.. To do this, perhaps we need to go the English route (PSNI) and source M!5 and M!6 calibre people as Prime Minister Blair has decided to do to create a crack team like the FBI. We sure need someone given Terrorism and our Shannon issue.

Has anyone heard of Tom the Con?....a man who in the year 2000 was extensively spoken about by people on the Joe Duffy show, in the papers. Bed and Breakfasts and no payment was his favorite scam. Has anyone heard if he is back?....apparently there was an article published last June that his trade is now in Bible's.

Again this would target vulnerable people and particularly the aged who would give bibles to their grandchildren particularly. Who cares? We need to follow British example here and have a programme like Watchdog.

A people network is needed on this topic and contributions need to be seen from the workings of the the Gardai on these matters. To me it appears now that if you have money you have the option of the private investigator at a charge of 400 euros a day.......otherwise you remain vulnerable in the mire. We need at all times to beware of the vested interest and my reading of Joe Duffy's programme last week is that there are lot of investigators with their hands in the honey jar.

Minister McDowell, on this topic. Corporate Governance, Ethics, and Charities. I am delighted to hear that Trinity, like UCD are to turn their attention to Ethics - and not before time.

For years, we have been told that Charity and charitable organisations will be in line for major reform. It is severely in need of attention. Atlantic philantropics and Chuck Feeney created a huge issue when Frank Connolly was found to be connected with him. The problem related I think to his connection with Sinn Fein. What did surprise me was the abuse of Dail Privilege and the fact that a pretty Strong Conflict of Interests was not stated at the same time. I believe Professor Niamh Brennan is involved in running Corporate Governance in UCD. Now that Transparency International have linked with BBS Trinity, a competitive factor exists.

The question I want to know is why people like Mr. O'Shea from Goal and other charities are crying out for proper legislation. They deem the situation so weak that they feel many people who ordinarily would contribute to charity, don't.

Noel Smyth is setting the pace for philantrophy and the Children's hospital. I hope our legislation is not so loose that we will be the creators of of future tribunals related to charity breaches.....

Michelle Clarke

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Comments (8 of 8)

Tom the Con. What about obtaining funds by deception!!!

by Jack Russell - Social Justice and Ethics

Wed Apr 19, 2006 20:25

Jack Russell says these people still operate astutely and con people from money; often the vulnerable; foreigners in service jobs;

Outcome Shame not for the perpetrator but for those so deceived.

Bed and breakfasts were the target into 2000 but now it appears to be the sale of bibles???????

Has anyone any information on this.

A beauty of a scam; in the heart of Ballsbridge Apartment living

Fri Apr 21, 2006 13:29

I woke to hear the news. Alert I listened for details and what an accident waiting to happen.

30 people paying over Euros1,150 for the same apartment. This being the deposit. First, why did they think they were getting such a bargain.....the Landlord normally pays all costs relating to the tenants.

Then if our Government were more adept at Regulation within the Industry of Estate Agents, Architects, Prooperty Management Companies and promoted the recent Private Members Bill in the Dail about Management of Multi-Storey buildings.......then people might want to work in a transparent way through estate agents who regularise paperwork and ensure that the function of the newly appointed PRTB.

We talk of Corporate Governance, Transaparency, Ethics but so long as we fail to regulate markets particularly the construction industry, we make rods for our backs in the black economy.

We know that we have 30 known people willing to pay cash for whatever reason but how many more

Have we learnt anything from the Tribunals and the need for Morality based on reason.

Michelle Clarke.

??????

by myheadhurts

Fri Apr 21, 2006 17:45

Is this some kind of code? Or a new dialect of English? Because I can't for the life of me figure out what on earth you're talking about.....

Being Manic Depressive with Acquired Brain injury the mind takes flight sometimes!!!! but

Fri Apr 21, 2006 21:32

it is about vulnerability and Con Artists. It just happens that today one of the best scams of all was pulled in the Sweepstakes Apartment Complex (the one with expensive apartments and behind Closed Gates).

30 people are said to have been caught out......I would suggest a lot more but they are shame faced to admit that they were attracted to a below average rent for an above value apartment/property!!!!

Where is the common sense factor? Would this happen say in the Thomas Street Area. Will it happen in the future in the proposed SOHO endeavour.

Hope you work this out.

'Mad as a hatter by times'!!!!!!

'My head hurts' sure can comment in a negative way

by Michelle Clarkke - Social Justice and Ethics

Tue Apr 25, 2006 20:05

My Head Hurts!!!!! I sure don't mind criticism and I can understand when another cannot understand what I write or thinks I write in a code.

However, since you made the comment, you must have derived something and that my explanation deserved a reply.

What is the latest scam, I wonder. I noted in today's paper that Gardai in Irishtown are treking one suspect and have put pay to the rumour mill of a Foreign Prostitution racket......but these rackets exist all the same and vulnerable people, from Ireland or abroad, and those predators with no respect for people are deserving of the attention of an alert society to abuse.

Let's promote the concept of Restorative Justice. It has worked in other countries.

Michelle

John Hume quote 'Diversity in Unity'

My head hurts too

by catching up

Sun Apr 30, 2006 12:52

Just catching up with all the newswire items I missed while busy in the last while. When I saw the title for this, I thought it was about the wedding dress shop that went into liquidation in Cork. As I started to read it I realised it wasn't. I have a rule of thumb. If after the first three paragraphs a piece makes no sense to me and I can't figure out the argument being made, I just stop reading. Clarity is an issue here - myheadhurts is right on that score.

On a news site where everyone can post quality control will always be a problem. But generally I do understand what's being said. Here I don't.

The one non-sequitor I understood, I don't agree with - Joe Duffy is not the conscience of the country. He deals in tabloid radio. If he exposes con artists it's just because it makes good radio. The proliferation of the hang 'em, flog 'em brigade on that show regarding prisoners is worrying. Joe Duffy deals in the herd/mob mentality.

Catching Up who gets bored before the 3rd paragraph

Tue May 02, 2006 17:26

I accept your argument i.e. the argument that your conclusion is that I make no sense whatsoever and your perception of Joe Duffy.

Are you PD? The point in the middle about Civic Guards and MI5 MI6 UK concept may have been to broad a point re. the conmen who preys on the vulnerable and greedy!!!!!i. i.e. Sweepstakes but its is albout crime and ideas and social capital.

Crime takes from the fund that ought to be helping the mentally ill people in this country. I would suggest that it is all in our best interest to curb petty crime that causes heartship often to the vulnerable and is to petty for police work. If you have been a guest of Public Health mental services in this country, you might want skip read to three paragraphs max......but then maybe you are a doctor/lawyer/psychiatrist?

I would suggest two films to englighten you (third paragraph)...bored.....

One Flew over the Cuckoo's nest

A beautiful Mind

and Lets add in a third......Patch Adams....

In the mean time the Conmen are up-streaming each other; scam follows scam; and soon it will be similar to European property Scams that obliterate very relevant facts in the sale of property.

How about catching up on this...........? It might help perseverance and test the real intelligence that ought lie therein i.e. before your arrogance.

Michelle Clarke Recall we are being taught in systems and structures from a US model........Is this necessarily correct!!!!!

Gandhi 'You got to be the change you want to see in the World'

By the way Joe Duffy today spoke to the people collecting the census forms.......Shame on us, we have forgotten fear, compassion

Anothe scam but it is Temple Bar this time. Crime Call did did a good synopsis on the Sweepstakes

Sat May 06, 2006 20:27

Media highlights the plight of the victim but plants the idea in the head of a nother criminal.....someone ready to defraud a fellow human being, looking to rent basic accommodation who are willing to pay rent and a deposit in advance.

This makes you vulnerable when gaining a property is difficulty given the buoyant letting economy presently and particularly in areas like D4, D6 and D2.

A little advice: stick to a reputable estate agent, pay the due rent and deposit and the PRTB is the tribunal that exists to settle disputes. It is recently set up. It is better to be safe than sorry. Con men don't deserve funds received by decption.

Michelle Clarke

Then the other scam is that spoken by Mr. Ahern and the Electoral Register. It is important for us to remember just how hard our forefathers/mothers fought to gain the right to vote for Democracy. I watched a token democracy set up in Zimbabwe and I watched the lines of people who stood for the first time to vote, I recall the importance they attached to it and how many travelled from rural areas. How sad it is to see how fraud at an electoral register level can distort figures in such a Country and leave it impoverished and humanity near distruction. We ought to value our vote and participation in society.

All people must be regarded as equal and wealth ought never be a tool to corrupt and suppress them.

Michelle Clarke

I cannot resist this quotation because today we have forgotten what it is to think and there are high prices paid for this

Adolf Hitler
''What good fortune for those in power that people do not think!'

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Con Artists......Just think of the furture brides and no wedding dresses or trips to New York

Comments (8 of 8)