From the USA Today Minnesota State Brief:

Anoka - Franklin Forlemu, 22, allegedly claimed he had a chemical potion that could transform white paper into U.S. currency. Police said Forlemu's potion was water and charged him with theft. He used a sleight-of-hand trick to convince a victim that he could make money multiply. The victim give Forlemu about $70,000 in $100 bills, and got only white paper in return. The money was recovered.

Dang! Stole my idea....

Steve Thomas

Great Magician !

Should be hired quickly at the Magic Conventions in pickpoketting !!

:bikes:

Did the "victim" also get charged for attempting to take part in counterfeiting?

I think they'd have to prove he actually produced a counterfeit or be found in possession? Story says he used sleight of hand to convince the mark. Gosh 70K?! Sounds like the guy would of been better off buying ,from me, a bottle of "common sense" for half the money saving him $35K. Only available in one flavor (green tea) but afterall, it's the properties one is after.

This "Victim", I only have one thing to say about him:

What a waste of good organs.

How does someone dumb enough to fall for that scam, have $70,000 available to them to invest - yet I consider myself reasonably intelligent and I work my *** off, but still struggle to pay my bills?? Life just ain't fair sometimes.

Interesting...

Don't feel sorry for the victim. All scams are based on one thing and one thing only -- you can't cheat an honest man. People want something for nothing, and they figure they can get it.

If a fellow approaches you with a roll of bills that could choke a horse and asks you how to find an address on a piece of paper, you have just been approached by a pigeon drop worker. Run, do not walk, to the nearest police station.

And anyone who falls for the "gasoline pellets," the "money maker scam" or the "Gypsy switch" should not be let out of the house alone.

I don't remember who said it, but a fool and his money should not have gotten together in the first place.

Mr Palmer,

I believe it’s difficult to cheat an honest man, but possible. Most confidence men look for an easier mark, so being an 'honest man' makes it difficult to be swindled. Not impossible though since a person could be honest but a tad bit greedy. It’s the greed factor that gets the 'honest man' in trouble.

As for the victim, I believe they could be charged with conspiracy and at a minimum, should be a Baker Act candidate.

Another quote I’m fond of using is: “There’s a sucker born every minute…….and two to take him!”

By the way, I’m sorry for the loss of your friend, Bob Read. I’ve known of him for many years but never had the pleasure of meeting or seeing him perform or lecture.

Perhaps in the near future, more of his close friends could share with us stories of Mr. Read and his life in magic.

Kindest Regards,
Tony Tuccillo
Sebastian, Florida

Yep, I couldn't agree more! The guy must have had the IQ of a ping-pong ball to invest $70k in such a scam.

We had an identical case here in Norway a few years ago.
If I remember it correctly, the scam-artist in that case even had quite a few "repeat customers"!

Bjørn

This scam crops up every few years, usually involving those "magic money machine" props.

[sigh] Some people have more money than is good for them. It may well be someone else's duty to take it away.

Bill Palmer -

"A fool and his money shouldn't have gotten together in the first place"

Harry Anderson in an HBO special a few years back - don't remember the exact quote.

People that dumb don't have $70,000. He probably borrowed it from his mom.


Rob

I have a close friend who actually spent jail time years ago for a stunt like this. However, he got caught for scamming some guy when he claimed he could change serial numbers on money, and he used a "dangerous foaming substance" (alka seltzer) that was so strong that you had to get naked so it wouldn't "eat through your clothes" and squeeze two boards together with the bills inside that had been soaked in this "dangerous substance" The bills were switched for blank paper, and while the mark was in the bathtub, naked rocking back and forth on 2 boards they took off in their car with all of the real money. I guess when they went to court the guy who was scammed explained the whole story to a VERY amused court room... apparently the judge busted a gut thinking of that image. It didn't lessen his jail time, but it made for a funny story to tell in prison I guess. He has since reformed and is a model citizen, by the way - doesn't even go over the speed limit.

The quote I know of is: "A fool and his money are soon parted......they shouldn't have been together in the first place!"

This is also happen in our country. Similar modus.

It happened to Laurel & Hardy in 'A haunting we will go' as well...

Inflato!