Pigeon drop

However, they will ask that each member of the group put up some money first, such as to prove financial solvency as a legal requirement or to demonstrate that they can be trusted with the item during the process.

In 1704, a King's Bench judge acquitted a swindler who stole money by posing as a messenger on these grounds, claiming that if "one man [makes] a fool of another" it is merely a civil matter.

It only became a crime in Britain later in the 18th century, with efforts including a 1757 statute passed by Parliament against "acquisitions by false pretenses," and a judicial precedent set in 1795 treating "larceny by trick" as criminal.

[6][10] In this basic version of the pigeon drop, a lone con artist pretends to find a ring on the sidewalk in view of the mark, possibly in a purse with a jeweler's receipt proving that it is made of gold, set with real diamonds, etc.

They then approach the mark and typically offer to sell it to them for what sounds like an excellent price, saying they lack the time or inclination to find a more suitable dealer.

If the mark takes the bait, they will discover that the ring is made of cheap brass, its jewels if any are fake, and any notes accompanying it are forged, and that they have in fact paid far more than its true value.

"[10][11][12][13] In the late 1980s in New York City, a version of this scam known as the "Spanish Lotto" became popular, where con artists would prey on Hispanic marks using a supposed winning lottery ticket.

[1] There was a rash of instances in the early-mid 2010s in Charleston, South Carolina; each would begin with a con artist approaching an elderly mark in the parking lot of a bank holding a bag filled with apparent money.

[19] The 2015 Better Call Saul episode "Hero" features a scene where Jimmy McGill and his friend, Marco Pasternak, use a pigeon drop to scam a mark out of a wallet.

Jimmy estimates the Rolex to be worth more than the wallet, leading Stevie to trade the found money plus additional cash of his own for the watch.

[citation needed] In season 5, episode 22 of The Golden Girls, "Cheaters," (broadcast March 24, 1990) the characters of Blanche and Sophia are victims of a pigeon drop scam.