0:00:02 > 0:00:05This is the Real Hustle: Celebrity Scammers.
0:00:05 > 0:00:12In this series, the hustlers carry out scams that are bigger, tougher and more devious than ever before.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15With the help of their celebrity friends, hustlers Alex,
0:00:15 > 0:00:17Jess...
0:00:17 > 0:00:19and Paul...
0:00:19 > 0:00:24pull off the riskiest scams of all - long cons...
0:00:24 > 0:00:30intricate webs of lies and deception designed to separate the unwary from their money.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36On tonight's show - when shredding goes bad.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38I don't understand how somebody
0:00:38 > 0:00:40got access to this information. It's shocking.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42Alex meets his match.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44You were so close!
0:00:44 > 0:00:49And actor Ben Hull gets a dodgy ticker over a dodgy motor.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52I genuinely don't think my heart could take it. It was going...
0:00:52 > 0:00:54It's unbelievable.
0:01:31 > 0:01:36The hustlers have invited celebrity friends to help them carry out their long cons.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38They'll be thrown in at the deep end.
0:01:38 > 0:01:43No training and no practice, just straight into the scam.
0:01:44 > 0:01:50Today's guest hustler has appeared in The Royal, Brookside and Family Affairs,
0:01:50 > 0:01:54but is best known for his starring role in Hollyoaks. Ben Hull.
0:01:54 > 0:01:59Whenever I watch the show I always think, "Would I fall for something like that?" You know.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03And I always think, "Yeah, yeah, I probably would!"
0:02:03 > 0:02:04I hope I just don't make anybody cry.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08I think I'd have a real problem with that, you know, people like, "Oh, my life savings!"
0:02:08 > 0:02:13That would be really bad. Really excited. I don't know what to expect.
0:02:13 > 0:02:20Ben has been told to go to a small workers' caff and to be on a lookout for a hustler.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32- Hey, Ben. How are you doing? - Good. How are you?
0:02:32 > 0:02:34- I'm good. You ready?- Yeah.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38This is what you're going to have to do.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41Across the road, behind me, there's a car dealership.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43Yep. OK.
0:02:43 > 0:02:52Paul is going to go in in a moment, and he is going to...pretend he's working here, all right?
0:02:52 > 0:02:58I want you to go across, have a look at one of the cars, pretend you're interested, ask the guys, "Oh, yeah,
0:02:58 > 0:03:01"can I get a business card so I'll give you a call later?"
0:03:01 > 0:03:07So Ben has to go to a car dealership across the road and persuade the manager to give him a business card.
0:03:07 > 0:03:13He then needs to find Paul and secretly pass him the card in front of some potential marks.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16Paul will then pretend to be the manager
0:03:16 > 0:03:20and try to rope the marks into a lucrative business opportunity.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22- OK.- You cool?- Yeah, good.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25- You'll be fine. I've got great faith in you, OK?- All right, thank you.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27- All right. Cheers, good luck. - Thank you.
0:03:28 > 0:03:34Ben only has seconds to prepare for his role in part one of The Scrap Trap.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40Ben heads across the road to the dealership.
0:03:40 > 0:03:44The manager is already on the forecourt.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46I was wondering if I could have a bit of help.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50- What is it you'd like me to do for you, sir?- But as soon as he's free, Ben moves in.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53- Are they all roughly around 15 grand?- They are, sir.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56Right. OK, yeah, because I'm...
0:03:56 > 0:03:59- interested in buying. - And there's Paul at the far end
0:03:59 > 0:04:05of the forecourt, out of sight of any genuine car salesman, but keeping an eye on Ben's progress.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08- Is it all right if I take a card and then give you ring?- Yeah, of course.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12Quick work. Within seconds he's holding the manager's business card.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15- And your name is, sir? - My name's Ben.- Ben?- Yeah.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19And that's Paul's cue to move in on some potential marks.
0:04:19 > 0:04:20Can I help you?
0:04:20 > 0:04:23He could really do with that business card.
0:04:23 > 0:04:24What's your price range?
0:04:24 > 0:04:30- Can I take some details?- I'll give you a ring. I am in a bit of a hurry. I could give you a ring.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33- But Ben can't get away from the manager.- It's 07...
0:04:33 > 0:04:38He only manages to end the conversation after signing up for a test drive appointment.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42That's great, thank you very much. Thank you, thank you, cheers.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44But the scam is back on track.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47Why don't we start at this end?
0:04:47 > 0:04:51- Go down there?- Yeah. The lower prices are down here. I mean, what sort of car is it you're looking for?
0:04:51 > 0:04:53About...two grand.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56To be honest, everything we have starts around four,
0:04:56 > 0:05:01- five, really.- Ben heads over to the far side of the dealership.
0:05:01 > 0:05:06He wants the marks to notice him, but they mustn't see the business card being passed to Paul.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10We have a scrappage scheme. If your car is old enough then we can secure a certain amount
0:05:10 > 0:05:15of money from the government for the car which we can add to the purchase, but it depends on the size of car.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17- Yeah, that would be good. - Sorry, hiya, have you got a minute?
0:05:17 > 0:05:19- Sorry, sorry. - Just have a look round.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22Sorry, it's just to say that...
0:05:22 > 0:05:26Done. Now to sow the seeds of the scam.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29My cousins...to pull out of...you know, what we were talking about.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32Ben has been briefed to have a conversation with Paul
0:05:32 > 0:05:35about a business deal and to make sure the marks can hear.
0:05:35 > 0:05:36Do you have the money from your cousin?
0:05:36 > 0:05:41- Well, yeah, I mean I do, but it's a bit...- But you don't have his money?- No, no.
0:05:41 > 0:05:46OK, well, why don't you meet me at the cafe? Give me five minutes.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49OK. I'm sorry, I'm still up for it, though.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53- Right well, meet me at the cafe and we'll talk about it then, all right? - OK, sorry.
0:05:53 > 0:05:54Sorry about that.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57So Ben's cousin has dropped out of a business deal.
0:05:57 > 0:06:03As he heads off, it's down to Paul to see if he can find anyone else wanting to make a quick profit.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06Right, you might have actually gotten quite lucky.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08We do have a scrappage scheme.
0:06:08 > 0:06:14We've got these cars which we have to scrap and we're not permitted to sell those within the country.
0:06:14 > 0:06:15They look intrigued.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19If they make a little money today, they could afford a much nicer car.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21Do me a favour, let me close out something in here,
0:06:21 > 0:06:25and there's a little cafe over there called the Horseshoe.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27If you go over there I'll buy you a cup of tea and explain to you.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29If you want, I can double your money today, because
0:06:29 > 0:06:32we have somebody who wants to buy a car but I can't sell it to them.
0:06:32 > 0:06:33So if you guys want to do it, he's...
0:06:33 > 0:06:36It's right there, right on the other side.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38I'll be a few minutes.
0:06:38 > 0:06:42The marks don't yet know what the deal with the scrapped car involves.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45Just that it could lead to them doubling their two grand.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48They happily cross the road to the caff to find out more.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56The marks are dutifully waiting for Paul, thinking this could be their lucky day.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02- I'm Mark. - There's the crucial convincer.
0:07:02 > 0:07:07The genuine manager's business card that Ben got hold of and passed to Paul.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09How are you?
0:07:09 > 0:07:12Dasha?
0:07:12 > 0:07:14Helena.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18Basically we're not allowed to sell cars coming in from the scrappage scheme.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20We take a car which the government gives us two grand for,
0:07:20 > 0:07:25it's actually worth five, six thousand, and we take it out of the country, it's worth a lot more.
0:07:25 > 0:07:30So Paul has some cars that have been traded in under the government scrappage scheme.
0:07:30 > 0:07:34By law, they have to be taken off the road and destroyed.
0:07:34 > 0:07:39But some of the more desirable cars will still fetch good money on the black market in Eastern Europe.
0:07:39 > 0:07:45And Paul's friend Alex happens to specialise in exporting just such cars.
0:07:45 > 0:07:49But the car dealer and the exporter can't be seen doing business together.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51That would be illegal.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55So the girls will act as go-betweens, buying an old car
0:07:55 > 0:08:01as scrap for two grand from Paul, and then immediately selling it on to Alex for four.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04There's nothing illegal about this. He's going to ship it
0:08:04 > 0:08:07out of the country and it never touches the scrappage scheme.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10- OK.- In the business, everybody's doing it.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14Here's the other person who'll be acting as a go-between today.
0:08:14 > 0:08:19- This is Ben.- Ben, who's been waiting at the back of the caff to join the conversation.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21Do you have £2,000?
0:08:25 > 0:08:31Very simple. Far end of the car park is where we'll just drive the cars to, we'll give you the money.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34His people will then drive them away, it's as simple as that.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37I've done it a few times before - it's just a no-brainer, really.
0:08:37 > 0:08:38Are you up for it?
0:08:40 > 0:08:41Brilliant.
0:08:41 > 0:08:46The marks agree to come back later in the afternoon to take part in the business deal.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49It does, doesn't it?
0:08:49 > 0:08:54After all, they'd be mad to walk away from this amazing opportunity. Wouldn't they?
0:08:55 > 0:08:59- So where's the other car? - Here. I can have somebody else come here if you want.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01Can I have the money?
0:09:13 > 0:09:16When hustlers go out, they don't bring money.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18They go armed with prop bets.
0:09:20 > 0:09:26The customers in this bar are about to be made an offer that's hard to refuse.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30Win or lose a drink over a simple wager.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34But a prop bet only has one rule.
0:09:34 > 0:09:39- Do you give up?- And that's that the hustler always wins.- To the bar!
0:09:39 > 0:09:42Drinks, please. Thanks a lot.
0:09:42 > 0:09:47Alex is out on the town but doesn't want to buy any drinks himself.
0:09:47 > 0:09:53All you need for this one is an empty matchbox, and you have to set the matchbox like this.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56Now, you have to get the matchbox from this position
0:09:56 > 0:09:57into this position,
0:09:57 > 0:10:00but you can't touch it with your hands.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02You can't touch it with your hands?
0:10:02 > 0:10:05You can touch it, but you're only allowed
0:10:05 > 0:10:10to touch the top bit, you can't touch the bottom bit with anything.
0:10:10 > 0:10:17So to avoid buying Alex a drink, these guys need to turn the matchbox and tray the other way up.
0:10:17 > 0:10:22The tray needs to end up on top, but cannot be touched at any point.
0:10:22 > 0:10:23How are you going to do it?
0:10:23 > 0:10:26I...would...
0:10:30 > 0:10:32Yeah, that's interesting.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36Wasn't she quite interesting to watch?
0:10:41 > 0:10:45That's...very weird.
0:10:45 > 0:10:51- Yeah, OK, so you were hoping to sort of hook that there and then flip it over?- Yeah.
0:10:51 > 0:10:52- Shall I show you how it's done? - Yeah.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56Cos the beginning part was almost right.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00- OK.- All right? OK, here we go.
0:11:11 > 0:11:12There you go, done.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16I'm touching it now because I have to put it back on the table.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20- I thought you were almost going to do that.- You were so close. - You were so close.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23Alex puts the end of the matchbox in his mouth and breathes in.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26The suction keeps the tray underneath firmly attached.
0:11:26 > 0:11:31He then straightens up which inverts the T shape, bringing the tray to the top.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34Cheers. I'll have one of these.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49The residents of this quiet neighbourhood have no idea
0:11:49 > 0:11:53that two hustlers are patrolling their streets.
0:11:53 > 0:11:59Paul and Jess are out looking for some security-minded marks to target in The Shred.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03Oh, no, are we there yet?
0:12:03 > 0:12:06They pull up on a residential road.
0:12:06 > 0:12:07Try a couple of these.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10Yeah. That beige one there?
0:12:10 > 0:12:14- I'll chill out for a while.- OK.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17If the people in these houses are the security-conscious type,
0:12:17 > 0:12:21they should be interested in what PR girl Jess is about to offer.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27Hello, how are you?
0:12:27 > 0:12:29Good, thank you. My name's Suzie and I'm working for
0:12:29 > 0:12:35TRH Marketing, and we are promoting the new diamond-cut shredder today in order to try and crack down on
0:12:35 > 0:12:39the identity theft that's been going on, and unfortunately in this area it has been rising.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42This poor guy is hardly getting a word in edgeways.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45So if you're willing, we'd love to give you of our shredders for
0:12:45 > 0:12:50maybe about an hour so you can destroy any unwanted documents, credit card slips, utility bills.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52He looks a little unsure.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55It's not every day that a charming young lady knocks on your door.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57If you do that and fill in our survey,
0:12:57 > 0:12:59we'll give you a shredder.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03Thank you very much. Do you want to wait there, I'll just go and get the techy guy to put it in for you.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07The offer has come a little out of the blue, but what has the mark got to lose?
0:13:07 > 0:13:11He gets to try out a prototype shredder, and after filling in
0:13:11 > 0:13:15some market research forms, he'll get one of his own to keep for free.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18- He would love a shredder. - Would he?- Yeah.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20- All right.- Very nice man.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25- Do you want me to do all the heavy work?- You do all the heavy work.
0:13:25 > 0:13:30Technician Paul retrieves the shredder and takes it to the house to set it up.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38- Hello.- How you doing?
0:13:40 > 0:13:42- One socket there.- Oh, right.
0:13:42 > 0:13:48Paul gets to work unpacking and setting up the machine, as well as leaving behind a hidden camera.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53The best ones need to be this big, to be honest with you.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58It is a cross- and diamond-cut shredder, so this one's been used by a lot of people.
0:13:58 > 0:13:59So let me just...
0:14:02 > 0:14:08- Yeah.- Any old utility bills, credit card slips, anything like that that you'd normally throw away.
0:14:08 > 0:14:13- If you'd just like to shred them for us.- We'll leave it with you for a little while.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15Thank you very much. We'll be back in about an hour.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18- We're going to do a couple more houses and then pick it up. - No worries.- Take care.
0:14:18 > 0:14:22The hustlers leave the mark to try out their prototype shredder.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27With an hour to kill and a van full of shredders,
0:14:27 > 0:14:30they head off to see if they can find some more volunteers.
0:14:34 > 0:14:40In the house, the hidden camera captures the home owners shredding their confidential documents.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46Older shredders just cut documents into long strips,
0:14:46 > 0:14:51allowing any criminal with enough patience and sticky tape to put them back together.
0:14:51 > 0:14:56But this diamond-cut model is really making mincemeat out of the mark's paperwork.
0:14:56 > 0:15:01Even the most patient hustler in the world couldn't stick this lot back together.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19- Ready?- Yeah. - A little later, Paul and Jess return
0:15:19 > 0:15:22as promised, to see how the mark got on with his free trial.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30Hello. Did you have a good time shredding?
0:15:30 > 0:15:32Yeah? Are you all done? Fabulous.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34It's quite cathartic, isn't it?
0:15:34 > 0:15:36Take out some tension.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40- If I could get you fill in this survey.- As the resident fills out
0:15:40 > 0:15:45the market research forms, handyman Paul puts the goods back in the van.
0:15:50 > 0:15:55- Bye.- Jess leaves with the promise of sending them a brand new machine.
0:15:55 > 0:15:59Though there's not a shred of a chance it'll ever arrive.
0:15:59 > 0:16:05- OK, who's next?- Which is a shame, because that shredder is actually worth a fair bit in the shops.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08But in the hands of hustlers, it's worth a fortune.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14I help my mum out in her office cos she's got her own small business
0:16:14 > 0:16:18so I do all the shredding of the sort of important documents, so there's nothing to worry about,
0:16:18 > 0:16:19no-one's going to be able to put them back together.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21It's completely gone now.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23Well, not completely gone.
0:16:23 > 0:16:30We hand the mark an envelope containing exact copies of the documents he's just destroyed.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32I don't understand.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36One of them I recognise as my bank statement.
0:16:36 > 0:16:38So I'm not quite sure how you got that.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41I didn't think that actually that this was possible.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45I don't understand how somebody could have got access to this information, especially via
0:16:45 > 0:16:48a shredder - you know, the thing that's supposed to get rid of this information.
0:16:48 > 0:16:50It's quite shocking, really.
0:16:52 > 0:16:57Many people these days are worried about their personal information, and if they're not, they should be.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00So this shredder over here seems like a very good idea.
0:17:00 > 0:17:05The only problem with this shredder, of course, is that it has been supplied to them by hustlers.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08Inside this shredder, you've got two of these.
0:17:08 > 0:17:14This is a miniature portable scanner designed to copy documents on the go.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17It's small enough to be fitted inside the head of the shredder.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20There's actually one on each side of the paper slot, so just before
0:17:20 > 0:17:23a document goes through the shredder's teeth,
0:17:23 > 0:17:27the scanners store the image of both sides of the paper.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30All we need to do is connect our PC to the shredder when we get it back
0:17:30 > 0:17:34and we've got an identical copy to whatever has been shredded.
0:17:34 > 0:17:38Of course, something like this is more likely to be used in espionage than identify theft,
0:17:38 > 0:17:41but there's a very similar programme on the internet that
0:17:41 > 0:17:43could be downloaded onto your computer without you knowing.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47It's called shredder software, and it pretends to completely
0:17:47 > 0:17:54clean your drive of sensitive files, but the malware version actually sends those files to a third party.
0:17:54 > 0:17:58So whether you're getting rid of documents or files on your computer, be as careful as you can.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02And with paper documents, my advice would be to burn them.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12Hiya, have you got a minute? Sorry.
0:18:12 > 0:18:17Earlier today, actor Ben Hull helped Paul rope in these marks.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21We've got these cars here which we have to scrap. We're not permitted to sell those within the country.
0:18:21 > 0:18:27They've agreed to buy a car that's been taken off the road, under the government scrappage scheme,
0:18:27 > 0:18:32buying from car dealer Paul and selling to vehicle exporter Alex...
0:18:32 > 0:18:35He's going to ship it out of the country and it never touches the scrappage scheme.
0:18:35 > 0:18:36..doubling their money in the process.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38- Sounds too good to be true. - It does.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42In The Scrap Trap Part 2.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48It's been a few hours since the meeting.
0:18:48 > 0:18:52Alex, Paul and Ben arrive in a car park ready to make the deal.
0:18:52 > 0:18:57And there's one of the scrappage cars that was parked outside the dealership earlier on.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02- It's still valid.- The car's fine.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04Here come the girls.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06Tony had a look at it, perfectly happy.
0:19:06 > 0:19:10So happy you came, you saved my life.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12Just let me know because if I don't know about it...
0:19:12 > 0:19:15Do you want to meet these girls? These are the girls that came to the...
0:19:15 > 0:19:17- Can I just finish with this first? Hi.- Sorry.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21Alex and Ben pretend to be having a conversation about the deal,
0:19:21 > 0:19:25but make sure the marks see his three grand fee being handed over.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27Three grand we said, yeah?
0:19:29 > 0:19:32OK. Actually, I had something for you.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34Now just hold on to that.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36So where's the other car? Hi.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38We're going to go and get it. This is Helena, this is Dasha.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42Hi. Have you got the car here?
0:19:42 > 0:19:44Yeah, they're going to come over and get the car and then they're going to
0:19:44 > 0:19:46- drive it over to you. - All right, cool.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50The girls still need to go to the dealership to pick up their scrap car and drive it around.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53- You're giving them four. - 4,000 we said, yeah?- Yeah.
0:19:53 > 0:19:58But in the meantime Alex shows them what they stand to earn - £4,000.
0:19:58 > 0:20:03Put it in the bag for you cos I don't like sort of being out in the open.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05Now let me just put this lock on.
0:20:05 > 0:20:09This is it. Time for Ben's toughest challenge because the hustlers have
0:20:09 > 0:20:13no intention of actually handing over all that money.
0:20:14 > 0:20:18Ben's job is to make a secret switch.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22He has to pull over a piece of black cloth covering the bag,
0:20:22 > 0:20:25and revealing an identical one underneath.
0:20:25 > 0:20:31- So that means that that is then handed over back to them, and this contains nothing but paper.- Right.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33The first contains four grand.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37The other is completely worthless.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40He only had moments to practise the move before the girls arrived.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42Well, just look ahead.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44Or just look at where you're going.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46There you go, that would work.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49- Good.- So I've got to ask you - are you nervous?- Yes, I am.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52As long as there's only one bag in the car when they look, we're OK.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55- If two appear, we have a problem. - Right.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58We're back in the scam.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01- Have you got the paperwork? - Ben knows it's now or never.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04Everything depends on him getting away with the switch.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06Let's have a look. There you go.
0:21:08 > 0:21:13- Yeah, that all seems fine. - He's done it, and nobody noticed.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20I'll give you the money, that's fine. Here.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24The hustlers want to encourage the marks to go through with the deal,
0:21:24 > 0:21:29- and give them their bag of cash before they've even paid Paul for the car.- You take the four.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31Of course, this bag contains no real money.
0:21:31 > 0:21:36But then, disaster.
0:21:36 > 0:21:41One of the marks isn't happy about the lock on the bag, and wants to see the money again.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45There's only one thing Alex can do.
0:21:45 > 0:21:50And that's to perform another switch and get the real money bag.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54It's all right - you're concerned. That's OK.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04The marks can clearly see that the money is genuine.
0:22:04 > 0:22:09Now Alex needs to hide this bag again but has to be extremely careful about his timing.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11You can either give me the money for the car
0:22:11 > 0:22:13or you can walk away.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15I can have somebody else come here if you want.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18- I don't know, but look... - Doing a switch once is risky enough.
0:22:18 > 0:22:24Attempting the same move three times in a row is practically asking to be caught.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27- I've got the...- What do you think - do you want to do it or not?
0:22:27 > 0:22:30- Yes, yes.- Can they have the money?
0:22:30 > 0:22:34- Yeah, you hold on to the money. - He's got away with it - again.
0:22:34 > 0:22:40The reassured marks get their payments from Alex and hand Paul their very real £2,000.
0:22:40 > 0:22:44- Come on, let's get the car. We'll be right back. - I just need the keys and the car.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46Paul gives the girls the keys to the scrap car they've bought.
0:22:46 > 0:22:52Now they just have to pick it up and drive it round to Alex to complete the transaction.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55Well, actually, to be honest, if you want to do it again it's
0:22:55 > 0:22:58a possibility because he is furious that this guy didn't turn up today.
0:22:58 > 0:23:05But as soon as they're out of sight, Alex makes a sharp exit, followed closely behind by Ben,
0:23:05 > 0:23:09who drives away from the scene of the scam in that borrowed BMW.
0:23:09 > 0:23:14So how will the final hustler make his getaway?
0:23:14 > 0:23:16If we go to the back here.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20- Three cars back is the car, it's the only Mercedes there.- Yeah.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22- I'm going to put the cash into the safe.- Yeah.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24All right? And pick me up here.
0:23:24 > 0:23:28All right, it's just over there and to the back. You've got the keys.
0:23:28 > 0:23:33Paul points the marks down the road where their scrap car is parked,
0:23:33 > 0:23:36and they head off with their bag of money and a car key.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44Of course, Paul's got no intention of going back into the dealership.
0:23:44 > 0:23:50He gets a lift with Alex, and along with the marks' £2,000, they're gone.
0:23:52 > 0:23:58It doesn't take the marks long to realise that there is no Mercedes waiting for them to pick up.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00And there's no sign of Paul either.
0:24:05 > 0:24:11Eventually they catch up with the real manager, whose business card they've still got.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13He's got no idea what they're on about.
0:24:13 > 0:24:18They're left trying to work out what just happened.
0:24:18 > 0:24:24The only way he could buy the car is if you buy it first and then...
0:24:24 > 0:24:27Drop it off to him and double your money.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30He gives us £4,000 and
0:24:30 > 0:24:32they get back two.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35We did see the money. I saw the money, you saw the money.
0:24:35 > 0:24:40Never go and just somebody who you don't know trying to sort of give you...
0:24:40 > 0:24:44It is sort of unbelievable and it can't be true.
0:24:44 > 0:24:49Yeah, basically, you have to think if it sounds too good to be true then probably it isn't true, right?
0:24:51 > 0:24:58So if the manager was fake and the money was fake, what about that scrap car that Ben was driving?
0:24:58 > 0:25:02After all, the marks saw it parked by the forecourt earlier in the day.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05Of course, that was all fake too.
0:25:05 > 0:25:10Knowing they would need a ten-year old car as a convincer, the hustlers started
0:25:10 > 0:25:17this scam several days earlier, by offering a cheap MOT service with a free home pick-up and drop-off.
0:25:17 > 0:25:24With an offer as convenient as this, it didn't take long for someone with a suitable car to take the bait.
0:25:25 > 0:25:31So, on the morning of the scam, Alex dressed in engineer's overalls and went to pick up the vehicle.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33That's the one, yeah? All right, cheers, thanks.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41He parked it right next to the dealership forecourt, and once a printed note was
0:25:41 > 0:25:46placed behind the windscreen, the scene was set and the scam was on.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53And Alex was as good as his word and returned it later that evening.
0:25:53 > 0:25:59Unfortunately for the owner, it hadn't been MOT'd as promised, and he had no idea that his vehicle
0:25:59 > 0:26:03had just been used in a criminal enterprise.
0:26:03 > 0:26:08Er, well, I just felt very sorry for them. They were wily though, weren't they?
0:26:08 > 0:26:09They asked to see the money again...
0:26:09 > 0:26:14You know, so they weren't sort of going to stand for any tomfoolery.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17The guys are just absolutely phenomenal.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20I genuinely don't think my heart could take it, genuinely.
0:26:20 > 0:26:25I mean, just even getting the card and being involved in the car park
0:26:25 > 0:26:30was kind of like a race horse, unbelievable. No, not for me.
0:26:33 > 0:26:38Con artists are experts at using common knowledge as the basis of a good scam.
0:26:38 > 0:26:44In this case, the car scrappage scheme is the reason why the bogus car dealer had to use an intermediary
0:26:44 > 0:26:46to transfer some cars to somebody else.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49Now, this isn't the first time this kind of thing has happened.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51Throughout history there have been many scams.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55For example, one of the most famous was in the 1920s when
0:26:55 > 0:26:59Count Victor Lustig, who is actually one of history's most famous con men,
0:26:59 > 0:27:05used the international demand for scrap metal to sell the Eiffel Tower to several people.
0:27:05 > 0:27:11Any scheme where you're promised a large return for a small investment is usually too good to be true.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15If you're ever asked to pay money up front for something, then it usually
0:27:15 > 0:27:18isn't the real deal and you should just turn around and walk away.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22The motor trade's a well-established and fairly sophisticated business.
0:27:22 > 0:27:28They don't require people they don't know to come along and support and help them.
0:27:28 > 0:27:32Don't part with your money under these circumstances - you're going to get conned.
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