Episode 3 The Real Hustle

This is the most successful scam show of all time.

A hit in 45 countries around the world.

The Real Hustlers have stolen cars...

Hey!

It's perfectly safe there.

..burgled houses...

..picked...

..switched...

-and ditched.

-A tenner for the whole lot!

They've carried out close to 500 scams

and stolen over £1 million, and now they're back for an 11th series.

..with new recruits...

Their job? To expose the tricks of the criminal's trade

so that you don't get scammed.

On tonight's show, guest hustler Radio 1 DJ Nihal

throws some shapes.

Don't walk past there!

Polly proves scamming drinks is as easy as...

One, two, three. Enjoy the reward!

And Jess makes a new friend.

-I'm actually furious, you know that? I'm actually

-BLEEP

-furious.

The hustlers have invited celebrity friends to see

if they can cut it as con artists -

but they'll have no clue what the scam is about

and there are no dress rehearsals.

So this is sink or swim!

Today's guest hustler is TV presenter and Radio 1 DJ...

Nihal.

I'm in Glasgow. Unless it's something particularly Scottish themed

involving tossing cabers, playing bagpipes,

I've no idea what is going to happen to me.

-Hello?

-Hello.

Can you walk across the bridge and then down the footpath and I'll meet you at the points.

All right, cool.

'This programme is amazing. I look at it and I just see some of the guys who've done it before.'

I thought, "Can I do that?

"Could I get in that situation and act it out? Look them in the eye and lie to them? I don't know."

And today I'm going to get a chance to find out, so I'm really excited.

Let me tell you a bit about what we're doing.

Today we're going to be pulling off an audacious scam.

OK, we like that word.

The question is, how do you sell something

that doesn't actually belong to you without stealing it in the first place?

-No idea.

-Shall we get going? I'll tell you more about it.

-Yeah.

Nihal's going to have to achieve a double-double,

two scams with two marks in...

The hustlers have hired some rooms in a luxury country hotel.

The guys lead Nihal as Jess waits outside reception

to meet a man about some art.

Hello.

This guy's come here to buy a highly collectible sculpture

and that makes him the mark.

Jess is going to be doing an awful lot of leading people around today,

and timing will be crucial.

Right now, she's taking the mark to Paul.

He's playing the role of art dealer Rob Marx.

He's selling a piece that's worth a lot of money.

If you'd just like to take a seat. Rob Marx, this is Peter.

-Hello, Peter. How are you?

-Not so bad, thank you.

-Have a seat.

-Thank you.

-You find the place OK?

-Uh, yes, I did...

While Paul entertains the mark, Jess goes back to meet some guards

from a security firm in charge of transporting

the precious item from a local gallery to the hotel.

They've been told it's being used for a magazine photoshoot,

and for insurance purposes, they mustn't let it out of their sight.

Jess walks the officer through the grand hall...

I think... I think that's the piece arriving. Looks like security...

..and right past Paul and the watching mark,

and into a corridor leading to the room where Nihal, Alex and Jazz

have set the stage for the first part of the scam...

the photoshoot.

Nihal's first role is to play the long-suffering assistant to Alex,

a temperamental photographer, prone to hissy fits.

Jazz is also getting an earful, as the apprentice.

I mean, you should know whether we do need back-lighting or not.

Is that the...? Hi. Oh, great, it's here.

Because it's being photographed for a magazine,

the piece has been loaned by the owner, so it's free for the day.

And there it is. Three beautifully cast birds in flight.

Made from solid bronze, it weighs a ton and is worth a five-figure sum.

All right, good. Now, I just want everybody to get off my set in front of my light.

Being the artist he is,

photographer Alex insists on everything being just right before he starts shooting.

Could I ask you to take that out?

The prima-donna photographer sends one of the guards out.

If you'd just like to take a seat there.

Thank you. There's some papers or something you can have a look at.

The other guard is left alone to keep his eye on the sculpture,

making him the second mark.

If it goes, I'll get it.

He's asked to sit out of the way of the photoshoot.

In fact, for this scam to work,

it's vital that he doesn't move from that chair.

I'm going to change this. D'you want...?

Don't walk past there! Everybody, stop crossing the light.

We're pressed for time.

-All right, sorry.

-Just don't cross.

-Sorry.

-Did you hear what I just said?

-Yeah, I'm sorry.

-Right, OK.

Photographer Alex is starting to boss his underlings around.

Nihal and Jazz definitely aren't getting an easy ride from their boss.

-No, back. Back.

-OK.

-Sorry.

-Sorry.

-It's like working with a bunch of amateurs.

-NIHAL SNIGGERS

-It's not funny.

-Sorry.

That's kind of working for me. Jay, what do you think? Yeah, it is.

-The silhouette is what we're going for.

-Yeah.

It's a nice silhouette of it.

-We'll just shoot a couple of test ones.

-Sorry, sorry.

The mark's forced to witness the outrageous workplace harassment, and though he can't see the sculpture,

its silhouette is plainly visible to him on the screen at all times.

-I don't need that, Jay. You know I don't need that.

-Just checking.

-This is not your first shoot, OK?

-I know, I was just checking.

So, just try and keep up.

Looks like it's going to be a long wait.

Back in the main hall, the other mark is getting anxious

to get on with his deal and buy some valuable art.

That's kind of why we do this here,

rather than the middle of town, you know.

The sooner I have your money in my hands, I'll be a lot happier, too.

Here's Jess to help the mark part with his money a bit quicker.

Sorry, Rob, they'll be another ten minutes. Do you want to come to the whisky room? It's more comfortable.

Sounds perfect. Why don't you bring your whisky?

Yes? Do you want me to take that for you?

Jess makes sure to give him the first-class treatment

and she takes him to a meeting room

that happens to be right next door to the photoshoot.

Ah, lovely.

Jess leaves Paul to talk business with the mark.

She heads straight over to let Alex know everyone is in position.

Jay? Be quiet, just for one second, and let me do my job, all right?

-KNOCK AT DOOR

-Yeah?

It's all right, mate, I'll get it.

Um, I just wondered if you wanted any water or anything to eat or drink?

-Um...

-No, we're OK, actually, thank you.

That's the signal to Alex, Jazz and Nihal.

It's time for the next part of the scam.

The hustlers plan to sell this very sculpture to the mark in the next room.

But what about that guard?

Just take that off for a second. I want to clean the plinth.

This is where Nihal comes in.

He removes the sculpture from the plinth.

Just bring it over here.

Sensing the sculpture's on the move, the guard is on his feet

and starts moving around.

This is a bad thing.

It's vital the mark stays in his chair by the door,

because when he's seated, he can't see the other door,

which is the one Nihal plans to slip through.

You're all right to take a seat, mate.

Jazz tries to convince him to sit down, but he's having none of it.

Clearly, it can't be in two places at once,

so to keep the mark fooled,

Alex quickly replaces the bronze with a worthless cardboard replica.

Nihal lifts the statue and makes for the door as Alex and Jazz keep obscuring the mark's view.

They're just here, OK? You're trailing everything. Come back when you've got the black stuff.

Done.

Sorry, can I ask you to have a seat? You're reflecting lights off there.

-If it goes, don't worry, I'll get it.

-Yeah.

-Cheers, mate.

Alex keeps the mark busy. As long as he stays where he is, they'll be OK.

But if he looks behind that screen, the game will be up.

Nihal now only has moments to change for the next part of the scam.

The photographic assistant is becoming a security guard

to take the sculpture through to the adjoining room and one admiring mark.

-KNOCK AT DOOR

-Come in.

Wow.

-Put it over there.

-Yes, Mr Marx.

I'm not as strong as I look.

Ooh.

That really is stunning. I've seen pictures. This is a...

Isn't it amazing? And the photographs don't do it any justice at all.

No, it's...

-totally amazing.

-The scene's now set for the sale.

Coming up...

One security guard gets restless

and one happy customer becomes very much not happy.

BLEEP BLEEP.

When hustlers go out, they don't take money.

They take prop bets.

The proposition bet has only one rule,

and that's that the hustler always wins.

I've got a challenge for you.

Here is three shot glasses

and ten coins. They're just normal coins.

I want you to put an odd number of coins in each glass,

but you have to use all ten coins.

If you can do it, I'll buy you a drink. If not, you've got to buy me a drink.

So, to win a drink, Polly's friends need to divide all the coins

so there's an odd number in each shot glass.

It just doesn't add up.

-OK.

-Shall I start with you, yeah? So, an odd number in each glass.

One...two...three.

-That's three in that one, as well.

-Three in that one.

And they have to be inside the glass?

They have to be inside the glass, yeah.

So, that's three.

Uh...

-Think of other odd numbers.

-The odd numbers aren't the hassle, it's...

THEY LAUGH

Right. Like that?

It has to have a coin in every glass.

Uh...

-I don't know.

-No? Someone else want to have a little go?

-No idea?

-No idea.

-Any idea?

-No.

-So, if I can do it, you'll buy me a drink?

-Definitely.

Yeah? OK, so. One...two...three.

One, two, three.

One, two, three.

So, there's three in there, three in there and three in there.

I put four in there and then add that. Seven in there. Odd numbers.

It's easy when you know how.

To start, Polly puts three coins in each glass

and is left with one spare. She adds it to one of the glasses

and then puts it into one of the others to make seven coins,

so there's three in this one, three in this one, and seven in this one.

All odd numbers, Polly wins.

The bar's that way, and mine's a gin and tonic.

It's a late summer's evening

and judging by Jess's travel bag, she's off on holiday.

But before she leaves,

she's keen to make a little spending money in The Ringer.

Jess homes in on her first mark.

Excuse me. Could you just help me, please?

I've just found this ring, just down there -

I'm just waiting for my cab - and I think it might be...

It's that one in the window, and I don't really know what to do.

It's a jeweller's, it's inside there, so...

I mean, it's an engagement ring, obviously.

-BLEEP.

-I don't know what to do. I'm really late. I've got to go get a plane!

So, Jess has found a ring outside a jeweller's.

A poster in the window is offering a £500 reward to whoever finds it,

but she's on her way to the airport

so can't come back to claim the cash.

Maybe one of these guys could help her out.

I'd love that cash but I'm not here. I've got to go.

Sounds genuine. How could this possibly be a scam?

After all, there's the poster inside the closed shop

and it seems like Jess has found the ring in the picture.

It must be for real.

Why did I have to go today? Damn it! Damn it!

-I could drop it off tomorrow night. I'll be in Glasgow tomorrow.

-Yeah?

-It'll be open then, won't it?

-Aye.

So, he's agreed to help her get the ring back.

But it's a shame she's going to miss out on that reward money. Unless...

If you've got something on you that you can give to me now,

then at least I've got something out of it. You can get the £500 tomorrow.

-I haven't even got any cash on me.

-Oh, really?

But it sounds like he's broke.

See if ye give me your number or something?

I'm sure you're lovely and I trust you.

I don't really want to be giving my number out.

She doesn't want to chat on the phone, she just wants his money.

Do you mind if I take it back? I mean, even if it's like a tenner or something.

A tenner? You sure?

Surely he'll hand over ten quid, knowing he'll get the £500 reward.

-Oh, what, a cash machine?

-Success. He's off to get some cash.

I'll be back in two minutes?

Hurry up, boys. I've really got to go, I'm so late.

-Oh, thank you.

-And there's the cash.

The opening times are on the door.

It's only a tenner, mind you, which hardly seems fair,

as the mark can get the £500 reward for the ring tomorrow.

Thank you, hon. Thank you. Bye.

At least it'll pay for a cab to the airport.

The mark walks off, thinking he's just struck gold.

A few minutes later, here comes a familiar-looking lady,

stepping out of a familiar-looking cab,

at the exact same spot,

and she's only gone and found another ring.

'Scuse me. Hiya, sorry, can you help me, please?

I've just found this ring...

And once again, she singles out a mark.

Once again, Jess draws attention to the poster.

In here, and I've got to go, I'm shooting off, like, in two minutes.

Can you help me?

All right, then we can hand it in tomorrow.

He seems keen to help, but what's in it for Jess?

Have you got anything you could give me? Then at least I get something.

Do you want to tell me what you want?

Well, I mean, I don't know, £100, or something?

SHE LAUGHS I'm cheap?!

Now that's more like it.

Thank you, hon. Enjoy the rest of your night. I've really got to go.

-Enjoy yourself, thank you!

-Take care. Bye.

Jess leaves with the mark's £100.

What's really convincing about this scam

is that poster inside the jeweller's window.

So how did the hustlers get it in there?

Earlier, Jazz spotted a jewellery store with a nice, big window

and went inside posing as a young designer

looking to stick up a poster to advertise his charity exhibition.

Jewellery design exhibition. Is that all right?

-Yeah, put it on the window.

-Oh, cheers, mate.

With the manager's permission,

Jazz stuck posters up inside and outside the shop window.

Later, when the shop closed, all Jess had to do

was quickly remove the poster on the outside,

revealing a hidden reward notice

printed on the back of the poster on the inside.

And the constant supply of cheap, fake rings

-means she can hit mark...

-Excuse me.

-..after mark...

-I've just found this ring...

-..after mark.

-It's this one here.

Hi, can you just take me round the block?

I'm actually raging

because my judgement of people is usually a lot better.

-I'm actually raging. I'm actually

-BLEEP

-furious.

Nobody but nobody gets one over on me. Nobody.

I don't allow it, I'm too protective of myself.

And it's clearly fake.

This seems like a win-win situation to most marks.

The young lady makes some money, they make some money,

the rightful owner gets their ring back.

What's not to like?

Variations on the ring scam exist all over Europe

and they all depend on the victim believing that a worthless ring

is actually the real deal.

If you're not an expert, be careful who you listen to

and remember that a promise of reward might not be worth the paper that it's written on.

Earlier today, Radio 1 DJ Nihal helped the hustlers pull the wool

over two different marks in the same scam.

They've borrowed a piece of art

and somehow, they plan to make money from it.

-What a piece.

-The catch?

It's not theirs to sell, and neither mark knows that yet.

It's only a matter of time before the security guard

notices that the valuable sculpture he's looking after

isn't where he thinks it is in Two Rooms, part two.

Alex is still shooting a silhouette fake of the expensive sculpture

whilst Paul's busy talking about the real one right next door.

Meanwhile, Jess is going to bring someone new into the mix.

And finally, Nihal's still looking mean playing the security guard.

-Rob, your valuer's here.

-Oh.

Hi, how are you? Rob.

As with all major art deals,

it's important to have an independent valuer

authenticate the piece

to assure the mark that he's buying a genuine work of art.

It's just arrived, actually, we're still, kind of, taking it in.

Just like that sculpture, this guy's 100% genuine, and he gets straight to work.

THEY TALK INDISTINCTLY

Before parting with any cash,

the mark needs to be completely convinced

he's getting value for money.

So, what's this lump of bronze really worth?

You'd be struggling to pick up

anything like this, retail, for less than £10,000.

The sculpture is worth £10,000.

The valuer has given his assessment and Jess leads him away

before anyone asks any awkward questions.

-I've ordered you a cab, it's going to be here in one minute.

-All right, that's super.

Next door, that cardboard cut-out won't fool the guard for ever,

so Alex and Jazz decide it's time to make an exit.

How long does it take to go to the van?

The frustrated photographer

goes off to track down his useless apprentice.

-Do you want me to change these over?

-No, leave it as it is. Stay there.

-Thank you.

-Take care. Bye-bye.

The buyer is now totally convinced the bronze is the genuine article,

so all that's left is to close the deal.

So, um, I hate to do this but there is the matter of money to discuss.

Um, you said to me you brought cash.

-Half cash and half...

-Yes, you mentioned that. I was kind of hoping it was all cash, but that's OK.

Ah.

Ka-ching.

Very good.

I think that our security firm can drive it for you.

I'll take your word for it - it was obviously secure anyway.

Yeah, I mean, so far they haven't lost anything yet.

-Have you lost anything yet?

-Not to the best of my knowledge.

I never realised it had an eye...

The hotel manager wants a word with Mr Marx.

Sorry to disturb.

You mentioned putting something in our safe and it's on a time-lock.

He does look an awful lot like that photographer from next door,

only in different clothing.

-You've got a window of five minutes.

-All right.

Would you be so good as to make sure that goes into my box?

Paul hands the five grand cash to Nihal.

-OK.

-Thank you. Sorry to disturb.

Alex will show him to the safe.

Um...

Sorry, could you sign these documents so I can get them faxed off as soon as possible?

And here's another interruption. Jess has some urgent business requiring Paul's attention.

-I'll be right back, OK?

-OK.

-I'll bring you another whisky.

In fact, this is the get away.

And that just leaves Jazz to get the hell out of there.

Right under the mark's nose.

-Any time you're ready.

-Thank God.

Unaware that he's just been hustled,

the mark is left to take in the full grandeur

of the newly acquired bronze sculpture.

And next door, the guard is still at his post.

But he fills his colleague in at the first opportunity.

BLEEP.

He can't believe the ten-grand sculpture

he's been guarding for the past hour

is actually a worthless cardboard cut-out.

What's he got down here?

Following the only other exit, he runs right into the other mark.

-Hey, there.

-Hi.

Uh...yeah.

-They were in here with me.

-Right.

At least the sculpture is still in the building,

but the guard can't work out what's going on.

He goes to find his mate, leaving the other mark very puzzled.

-Hi there.

-Hi, sir.

The security firm has been tasked with keeping the statue safe,

so that's the boss's first priority.

The statue's been bought.

-To here?

-Yes.

And we're looking after it today.

Right. And you're going to deliver it to the address

that I gave the other driver.

BLEEP. BLEEP.

Argh.

Oh, I know it's valuable. I'm just after being done out of £5,000.

-BEEP

-sake.

So how did the hustlers manage to sell something

that they didn't own in the first place?

Back in the den, Polly arranged to hire the piece for the day

and arranged to have it delivered to the hotel.

She carefully mocked up the shape of the bronze on some card

and made a cut-out that could be used to fool the security guard

into thinking it was still on the plinth.

When in fact, the whole time, it was in the room next door,

being sold to another unsuspecting mark.

The valuer simply added authenticity to the deal.

You'd struggle to pick up anything like this for less than £10,000.

And after that, it was easy.

Actually, I could cry at the moment, to be quite honest with you.

I just feel so angry inside.

-It's just been a

-BLEEP

-day for me.

From start to finish.

When the security guards came in to take away the piece,

to be honest with you, I didn't know what to think.

In fact I wanted to put my head through a wall.

I'm just so bloody angry.

For you to live your life not wishing to be hustled,

you would always have to think the worst of people.

But, you know, if someone was trying to sell me, you know,

three birds sculpture made of bronze,

I would make damn sure that there was no other room.

I would do it out in the open.

If I saw a security guard I'd go, "Who do you work for?"

If there was a fella with glasses, a pretty woman and someone who looks kind of Greek,

I'd run a mile, quite frankly. Do you know what I mean? I'm gone.

The grand surroundings give this scam an air of authenticity.

Until the very last minute, both parties believe

they're taking part in a legitimate piece of business,

and by the time they realise they're being scammed, we're a couple of miles down the road.

This is not amateur hour.

This is the kind of scam professional criminals will set up

to obtain high-value goods.

If you're in that market, you should know who you're dealing with,

and if you're asked for cash, that should ring an alarm bell.

Make sure you understand the kind of transaction

you're going into from the outset.

If you want to know more about how this show is made, go to...

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