NationStates

This scenario takes place in the 1920s and is based on a real life case.

You are a French businessman. One day you receive a telegram from the French Minister of Posts and Telegraphs. The telegram invites you along with a select group of businessmen from other companies to attend a meeting with the French government.

At the meeting, which takes place in a very expensive hotel suite, the Minister tells you that the costs for maintaining and repairing the Eiffel Tower are too high and that given recent budget cuts, the city of Paris intends to have the entire Tower dismantled. Since the removal of the Eiffel Tower will prove controversial, all parties at the meeting are sworn to secrecy until the exact details of the removal are finalized.

The government plans to sell the Tower for scrap and intends to act through a private party. The businessmen at the meeting and their respective organizations are chosen because they have a reputation for honesty. The government will be accepting bids from the businessmen at the meeting for ownership of the Eiffel Tower. The details of the exact contract are to be worked out after the bids are processed but only one company will be selected post-bidding.

Upon hearing this, you realize that this deal is a once in a lifetime opportunity. You are an ambitious French businessmen and you want to make it big in Paris. This is your chance. After the bids are put forth, you secure a private meeting with the Minister. The Minister says that the decision for who to give this project to is HUGE and he wants to get it absolutely right. In the same meeting, he also mentions that he is severely underpaid for his position and can’t really enjoy the lifestyle he really wants.

Understanding what he is hinting at, you offer to pay him 500,000 to help him make the Right Decision. He nods solemnly as you have the money brought to him in cash and in a suitcase.

“Aye Monsieur,” he says to you. “I will definitely reach the Corrr-eh-kt desee-z-ee-on now.”

Soon after the meeting, the Minister takes your money and disappears. . You have been massively outplayed. There never was a project to sell the Eiffel Tower and the “Minister” was a con man. It was all a filthy trick.

As you realize this, you look up from your table at the café window to see the “Minister” grinning at you from across the street. A bus drives by and then he vanishes. You drop a croissant unto the floor.

So the discussion question is this:

Do you call the French police or not? Why or why not?

Keep in mind that the con artist used a disguise for his con and that he made all bookings under a false name. It is essentially impossible for you to track him down (since you don’t have a photo, don’t know his real name, his real face,his whereabouts or have any trails to follow). However, you may contact the police if you wish.

On the one hand, you should because the “Minister” could show up again and pull off the same con again on other unsuspecting folks. He could still be at large in France and you do have a general duty(?) to warn the public.

On the other hand… its pretty fucking embarrassing. The police might laugh and if this gets out, the public won’t be so impressed with your business decisions.

So then what do you do? What is more important to you personally? What’s convenient for you?

OH YES I KNOW THIS GUY, HES THAT ONE GUY WHO SCAMMED AL CAPONE

Dreshand wrote:OH YES I KNOW THIS GUY, HES THAT ONE GUY WHO SCAMMED AL CAPONE

Aye

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Lustig

Fascinating. Thanks for bringing this story to my attention, it's wild. Also, nice job writing it up; I was riveted.

As for the question: I believe how rich I am to begin with would play a significant role in my decision... As in, how important the 500k is to me will dictate how I react. You mention that I "want to make it big in Paris". If that means I am not yet filthy rich, then I will suck up my pride and call the police.

I cut my losses and do nothing, At least I still own the Brooklyn Bridge.

The correct decision, both in business terms and in psychological terms, is no, don't call the police.

Involving law enforcement is always a bad decision unless you have a substantial financial gain to make or it removes competition from the floor.

I would hunt down the conman himself, but rather than actually do anything to him physically, I would start a campaign of psychological terror. Slip pics of his family members with their eyes crossed out under his door, hire someone to dress up as a clown and stand outside his workplace menacingly, find his kid and buy the kid icecream and have the kid pass a note to the conman that says "I see you" or something like that. Break a window on his house and come back an break it again as soon as it's fixed. Spend many nights waking him up from sleep with loud noises every hour. Then I would get a female friend to call his wife pretending to be his mistress, slip anonymous notes to people in his life accusing him of being a pedophile. Ideally I'd keep this up for a few years, then take a year long break from terrorizing him and start all over again.

Trumptonium1 wrote:The correct decision, both in business terms and in psychological terms, is no, don't call the police.

Involving law enforcement is always a bad decision unless you have a substantial financial gain to make or it removes competition from the floor.

You do realize that you could get reimbursed the money that was fraudulently taken from you, yea?

If I have enough money to casually throw at buying a tower I have enough money to acquire some very talented assassins. Con man is a gone man.

Who cares about some stupid tower, I can save the world from Hitler!

Have my contacts in the mafia hunt him down.*ahem* *cough* Find the man and give him a pat on the back. With a Tommy gun

If I had unlimited money, and could afford to take the loss, I might be tempted to protect myself from embarrassment (that said -- if it were me, and not a mobster who'd hire assassins -- I would think I should call law enforcement to protect future people being conned).

If I couldn't afford to take the loss, there's no doubt that I would swallow my embarrassment and call the police.

Embarrassment is one thing, but I don't think it should prevent people from reporting crimes. People being shamed into silence is the kind of mentality that lets scumbags get away with all manner of criminal acts.

EDIT: Apparently, the police were informed about Victor Lustig's real Eiffel Tower scam, which is comforting.

Cut my losses and make the Minister's life a living hell. Time to bring things into my own hands!

Nah, I won't torture him physically or call up hitmen to take him out. Maybe just something that Big Fat Liar will do.

I'd use it as proof that I own the Eiffel Tower and then blow it up to get rid of that eyesore.

The Free Joy State wrote:If I had unlimited money, and could afford to take the loss, I might be tempted to protect myself from embarrassment (that said -- if it were me, and not a mobster who'd hire assassins -- I would think I should call law enforcement to protect future people being conned).

If I couldn't afford to take the loss, there's no doubt that I would swallow my embarrassment and call the police.

Embarrassment is one thing, but I don't think it should prevent people from reporting crimes. People being shamed into silence is the kind of mentality that lets scumbags get away with all manner of criminal acts.

EDIT: Apparently, the police were informed about Victor Lustig's real Eiffel Tower scam, which is comforting.

If I recall correctly they were only informed the second time when he tried it (and BEFORE anyone lost any money yet)

Hence no one called the one time where they did lose money

Valentine Z wrote:Cut my losses and make the Minister's life a living hell. Time to bring things into my own hands!

Nah, I won't torture him physically or call up hitmen to take him out. Maybe just something that Big Fat Liar will do.

How do you intend to find him?

Infected Mushroom wrote:

The Free Joy State wrote:If I had unlimited money, and could afford to take the loss, I might be tempted to protect myself from embarrassment (that said -- if it were me, and not a mobster who'd hire assassins -- I would think I should call law enforcement to protect future people being conned).

If I couldn't afford to take the loss, there's no doubt that I would swallow my embarrassment and call the police.

Embarrassment is one thing, but I don't think it should prevent people from reporting crimes. People being shamed into silence is the kind of mentality that lets scumbags get away with all manner of criminal acts.

EDIT: Apparently, the police were informed about Victor Lustig's real Eiffel Tower scam, which is comforting.

If I recall correctly they were only informed the second time when he tried it (and BEFORE anyone lost any money yet)

Hence no one called the one time where they did lose money

*rechecks source*

You're right. I missed that when skim-reading.

Dumb Ideologies wrote:If I have enough money to casually throw at buying a tower I have enough money to acquire some very talented assassins. Con man is a gone man.

Pretty much this, put a hit on him.

If I have enough money to buy the Eiffel Tower, why would I be wasting it on the Eiffel Tower?

Ethel mermania wrote:

Dumb Ideologies wrote:If I have enough money to casually throw at buying a tower I have enough money to acquire some very talented assassins. Con man is a gone man.

Pretty much this, put a hit on him.

1. You need to have underworld connections (money alone is no good... if I suddenly got 10 million dollars and tried to hire a killer I would end up in jail very fast, lots of cops pretend to offer these services)
2. How do you put out a hit on someone if you don’t have their real name, a photo, or knowledge of their whereabouts? “Oh just kill the person. He had... hmmmm... dark hair and brownish eyes. He Was wearing a suit and he’s kind of tall but not over tall.” See the problem?

Page wrote:I would hunt down the conman himself, but rather than actually do anything to him physically, I would start a campaign of psychological terror. Slip pics of his family members with their eyes crossed out under his door, hire someone to dress up as a clown and stand outside his workplace menacingly, find his kid and buy the kid icecream and have the kid pass a note to the conman that says "I see you" or something like that. Break a window on his house and come back an break it again as soon as it's fixed. Spend many nights waking him up from sleep with loud noises every hour. Then I would get a female friend to call his wife pretending to be his mistress, slip anonymous notes to people in his life accusing him of being a pedophile. Ideally I'd keep this up for a few years, then take a year long break from terrorizing him and start all over again.

How do you hunt him down?

Ethel mermania wrote:

Dumb Ideologies wrote:If I have enough money to casually throw at buying a tower I have enough money to acquire some very talented assassins. Con man is a gone man.

Pretty much this, put a hit on him.

*makes a note to never cross Ethel or DI*

Quick question: are we supposed to be answering what we would do IRL (if we were transported, as we are, to the 1920s and in business) or what we would do if we were Al Capone?

I answered what I'd do. If we're meant to be answering as mob bosses, I need to change my answer.

The Free Joy State wrote:

Ethel mermania wrote:
Pretty much this, put a hit on him.

*makes a note to never cross Ethel or DI*

Quick question: are we supposed to be answering what we would do IRL (if we were transported, as we are, to the 1920s and in business) or what we would do if we were Al Capone?

I answered what I'd do. If we're meant to be answering as mob bosses, I need to change my answer.

Eh?

Why would anyone assume they should be answering this as a mob boss???

I’m confused...

Real you, except in the shoes of a regular French businessmen

Call the cops, easy

Infected Mushroom wrote:

Ethel mermania wrote:
Pretty much this, put a hit on him.

1. You need to have underworld connections (money alone is no good... if I suddenly got 10 million dollars and tried to hire a killer I would end up in jail very fast, lots of cops pretend to offer these services)
2. How do you put out a hit on someone if you don’t have their real name, a photo, or knowledge of their whereabouts? “Oh just kill the person. He had... hmmmm... dark hair and brownish eyes. He Was wearing a suit and he’s kind of tall but not over tall.” See the problem?

I am a new Yorker, I know people.

I do see your point though.