What is a Murphy artist in police jargon?

Answer 1

A Murphy Artist is a con artist who tricks the victim out of money or other valuables. Note the con that the grifters use in the opening scene of "The Sting" where they offer to put up money of their own, and ask the victim to hold their money and the money that the victim has. They then switch the packets with the money so that the victim winds up with cut up newspaper. A recent version of this is popular on the internet, where someone will say that they have money in an oversea bank or other place, and need a certain amount of "earnest money" to access their money, or that you have won some fabulous prize of money, and must put up money in order to secure the delivery of your winnings. Basically, it is a "something for nothing" kind of scam, and only works on those gullible or greedy enough to fall for it. Often, when done in person, it works by switching one wrapped bundle with another, or one bag with another. I heard a story on the news on May 15, 2009 where an elderly person lost $60,000 when their bag was switched with a bag holding cut up newspaper; he thought he had to won $300,000, and was told he had to put up $60,000 as security in order to get the whole $300,000. It's one of the oldest scams in the books, in all its variations, and still people fall for it. --submitted by jamrobert@comcast.net