The Black Dollar Scam

The Black Dollar scam usually unfolds in the following manner:

An individual or group of individuals claiming to be in possession of a large amount of dollars approaches a businessman, investor or ordinary civilian. The intended dupe or victim is informed that these 'dollars' have been stained or soiled in such a manner as to make them virtually unusable.

What they would require help with is your contribution of significant amount of money, which they will then use to buy the chemicals that will magically make the stain on the dollars disappear. In return for your contribution you are guaranteed or promised a hefty slice of the dollars that will be cleaned by this 'chemical'.

In order to gain your trust you are then given a small demonstration whereby a real stained dollar or dollars are magically cleaned by this miraculous chemical (usually a harmless acetylene based liquid somewhat like your average nail polish remover). You are then requested to take the dollar to your nearest bank or a well informed individual where it is, in fact, determined to be an authentic dollar.

Now, having convinced you that you are indeed going to be a very rich man should all the other stained dollars be cleaned, your new found ' friends ' ask that you part with the substantial amount of money needed to buy more chemicals. These chemicals, though very expensive, will be used to clean the huge stash of stained dollars they have in their possession ???? a massive slice of which will be shared with you.

The next stage works in one of two ways:

OR

Your friends have other business to attend to and will not be able to wait the three or four hours. Thus, they leave with the money you paid them and as a last word of caution, they urge you to not open the bundle until the three/four hours is up because that could damage the cleaning process.

Having diligently observed the passing of the three or four hours, you open your bundle of cleaned dollars only to find that your bundle is chock full of pieces of newspaper or paper cut and coloured to look exactly like dollars.

Your friends, needless to say, are never to be found or seen again.

The Precious Stones or Emerald Scam.

The 'Emerald' or 'Precious Stones' Scam unfolds in the following manner:

An individual or group of individuals claiming to be in possession of a large amount of uncut emeralds or genuine uncut precious stones approaches a businessman, investor or ordinary civilian. The intended dupe or victim is informed that these emeralds or precious stones are for sale as they urgently or desperately need the money and are thus unwilling to sell these stones through the usual legitimate channels which are far slower.

In order to gain your trust you are then escorted to a 'jeweller' at what looks like a perfectly respectable jewellery retail store, where the resident jeweller pretends to be absolutely impressed by the quality and value of the precious stones that the criminal possesses. To further convince you of their worth, another 'customer' ( who just happened to be passing by conveniently appears and is equally astounded by the quality and value of the stones.

Both the jeweller and the customer are so impressed by the stones that they start offering your friend large sums of money for the stones. Your friend firmly turns them down by insisting that he has promised them to you for a cheaper price and, being the absolutely 'scrupulous' man that he is, he will not go back on his word.

Being duped by the drama before you, you pay a handsome sum for the stones convinced that you have truly landed the bargain of a lifetime.

Some time later, when your precious emeralds or gems are legitimately valued by an authentic jeweller or authority you discover to your great dismay, that your precious emeralds are nothing but pieces of cheap glass. Your friend, the jeweller and the customer who have played their elaborate part in this scheme designed to dupe you are suddenly nowhere to be found.