this is the most successful scam show of
all time a hit in 45 countries around
the world
the real hustlers have stolen cars it's
perfectly safe there
burgled houses picked
switched and ditched a 10 flower they've
carried out close to 500 scams and
stolen over 1 million pounds and now
they're back for an eleventh series Alex
Jess and Paul with new recruits Polly
and Jaz their job to expose the tricks
of the criminal strain so that you don't
get scammed on tonight's show guest
hosts la luce en la vez counts on an
antiques hunt Paul's prop bet is all in
the balance
sure and Polly leaves a mark kicking
himself for doing a good deed
you
the marks in this show have no idea
they're being hustled
they agreed the footage could be shown
so that you can avoid falling for the
same scams 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 Oscar is Korey and celeb
Big Brother star actor Lucian lavish
gowns I woke up this morning I'm in a
new city I'm so nervous I'm the sheep in
a field full of lions who's got to be
ballsy I think you just got a big
cojones really the people that do this
the real curled I've got a lot of time
from really because it's a crazy way to
make money and it's kind of cool as well
I'm a hustler it's got a nice little tag
to it hello
Lucien's been told to meet sexy swindler
Jess for his hustle briefing I got a
question for you do you own a pair of
handcuffs by any chance yes
have you gotten with you don't say no I
don't oh that's just no good that's just
no good because today you're gonna be
scamming someone and by the end of the
day they're gonna be desperate to buy a
pair of handcuffs from you and they're
gonna pay a lot of money for them thank
us
yes record me I'll tell you all about it
so Lucien's going to be working off the
coffee in the feud the hustlers love
dabbling in the antiques world said
today they'd come to an upmarket
Georgian gallery in Edinburgh a rambling
four-story warehouse stuffed full of
expensive treasures
you could easily get lost in this place
its massive and that's exactly why the
hustlers have chosen it as the staff
won't notice them going about their
business Paul's looking dapper he's
playing the role of historical artifact
expert Rob marks a local dealer who
often uses this place to do some
freelance business Lucian is posing as
the owner's son
a rookie dealer learning the ropes can
you tell me about like the history of
this looks like Jess and Polly are here
to buy but they're actually just testing
Lucy to see if he can pull off his role
by thinking on his feet first black and
diver deep-sea diver I see for this
really yeah yeah and you know the reason
why I fed up here kids October he's
black history as well yes okay we just
got it for the monitor these guys are
also here to buy they noticed Lucy and
talking to the girls and assume he works
here time for some improv so how are you
guys yeah because to me a sanity ya
can't pull it Georgie we tell your foot
of your fix this guy is carrying 2,000
pounds in cash making him the mark rub
he's one of the distributors here he's
downstairs and he'll be able to give you
handy you know much about a piece or
yeah it's doin it will come down down
come down meet Rob so the mark is keen
to buy a Victorian picture viewer but
he's got absolutely no idea what one
looks like
and neither does Lucien you've been done
here before wrong first time he offers
help in the form of expert dealer Rob
marks who set up office on the floor
below
it's my dad's place so he's at it's
about tearing loosen and the mark
approaching Paul and Alex spring into
action to stage a little scene for them
we're not going to do business together
you want to buy them find the person I'm
gonna sell to buy them off them you're
not buying them off me
Rob Marx seems to be having a very
heated argument with someone listen I'm
sorry and say hi to your dad and I
apologize for this that someone is Alex
playing Paul's old business partner and
now arch rival in Steel
Galloway but has showed up and these
gentlemen were interesting in the
deterrent picture view uh how can I help
okay so I'm other cities pull out this
one then you can viewer this chap
doesn't sound like he's from these parts
but the hustlers are equal opportunity
scammers they'll take anyone's money if
you have that one then you get it I
don't think so well waiting for two
minutes go
Lucianne heads off to hunt for a viewer
while paul gives the mark the benefits
of his expert knowledge before there was
television people would get around and
show pictures the Heat's on for Julian
he texts the other hustlers to help hunt
for the picture viewer Jess searches the
web to find an image after all that's
what the Internet's for it's like
looking for a needle in a haystack
and the hustlers don't have much time
this place isn't alive enscape you know
if you don't know what you're doing you
would never find anything in here but
Paul stalling the mark with this very
best small talk while the others are
scouring every inch of the warehouse for
the viewer I think if you're looking for
a collector plus like gold dust justice
Paul's chat is scraping the bottom of
the barrel Lucian strikes gold
I thought this was sold the cleanup crew
have been in and it was down the back
okay
poles now going to give the mark a sales
pitch about an antique he's never even
seen luckily he seems to know a bit
about Victorian picture viewers in the
Victorian times when your family died it
became fashionable to take a photograph
of the deceased so after they were dead
they would take a picture you can see
this as a this lady son passed on it's a
little bit macabre but very very very
very collectible and very interesting
but it doesn't have any cards this card
does not belong with this viewer this is
a completely different piece the cards
as a collection are worth approximately
800 pounds you put it together with this
this is selling retail for 750 say 1500
for the two together would be a word I
think would be a fair price but you
would then be able to sell an auction
for anything in the region of 10,000 wow
what an amazing deal but for this come
to work Paul's plan all along was to
pretend the atom matching item for
whatever the mark had come to buy after
all a set is far more valuable than a
single item the MUX be a catch and I
would also be willing to give it to you
for an even better price in return for a
small trade in services if that's of
interest to you
so that's it Paul wants something from
the mark in return for this great deal
he's got a little favor to ask him my
business partner who was here earlier we
don't do business anymore we have a not
very great relationship you want to buy
them find the person I'm going to sell
them to buy them off them you're not
buying them off me she's the only thing
I collectors Houdini memorabilia if
you're familiar with Houdini video yeah
that said there was the only set of
handcuffs that he couldn't open and it
was made by the same person that made
these both together for me as a
collector would be very good
unfortunately the person who has them
is he so Paul's a Houdini expert he's
been collecting memorabilia for years
and he desperately wants to get his
mitts on a set of handcuffs that
belonged to ex-business partner Alex the
cuffs match a set of leg irons that Paul
already owns but alex is point blank
refusing to sell to him all needs to
persuade the mark to buy them for him
and Lucian is the key if you're willing
to at least put them together with Ian
because he look he'll sell it to anybody
who just want someone to me loosen
eventually agrees to act as a go-between
but will the mark go for it here's the
deal if you if you would be willing to
do that for me I'll give you cash you
buy them from him and then give them
back to me I'll even give you a small
profit mm-hmm does that sound fair to
you okay it's Arlen
the mark is agreed to help Paul by the
Houdini handcuffs from Alex in return
for the viewer cards and some cash I'm
taking a big risk because um I'll give
you the cash as long as you promise not
to take a holiday in the next couple
hours with my money so everyone's happy
it's the deal of a lifetime all round
2,000 pounds um you know I'm going by
instinct I know what I can trust
somebody all right
you don't see that every day a hustler
giving someone two grand out of his own
pocket what is he playing at for now the
deals on but will the mark take off with
Paul's cash or Willie honor is agreement
to meet loosen later to help settle the
feud
when hustlers go out they don't save
money they take profits the proposition
bet has only one rule and that's that
the host lot always wins see what soon
we have 120 pound or poor attempt oh no
it doesn't really matter anything you've
had on it what I want you to you have to
fold it like this so it's almost like a
little set all right you have to do
exactly what I do we're going to hold it
in our hands you have to hold it in
exactly the way that I hold it and the
last person holding a 20-pounder keeps
any money that falls on the table it'll
fall sure enough baby this is what once
you do to your fingers like that okay
one pinching this way and the other one
pinching this way the idea is you have
to be able to take your fingers away
and then tell you why don't we love that
that one fell that one fell that one
fell which means I get to keep this one
cigarette is just a little bit of extra
investment one uses that 10% so that
sneaky 10 P balanced on Paul Stubb
waited his folded notes earning him
three crisp twenties that's a whole lot
of free drinks that's mine that's mine
that's mine the drinks are definitely on
you
a busy courtyard in a city center plaza
this guys are keen photographer it's
here to buy a secondhand camera lens
from a guys arranged to meet he's
brought cash so that makes him the mark
in the lost Bob hey Andy yeah hi
come in sit down sorry uh I'm in a bit
of a Appetit
uh I'm gonna get the camera lens it's
it's here but it's in the office
I've just had a bit of a mini disaster
ah you know I work in PR and we do film
PR and stuff for that and um it's due
during the course of this day somehow
somewhere in the meetings I seem to have
lost the USB stick with all our clients
info on it and if I don't find it I'm
gonna lose my job so I'm a bit I've been
looking for it here I've been texting
people who have had meetings we're that
we've just been on the phone to the TAT
cab company to see if they found
anything so um but let me um so I
haven't there's another thing none of us
fine is fine
a guy selling the lens is Alex looks
like he's in a bit of a tizzy
in fact he's in a total panic he's
posing as a PR agent and it turns out
he's lost a computer fob with all his
famous clients sensitive details on it
just feel isn't do me a favor if I've
already spoken to the bar I said 100
quid to if anybody finds it and hands it
in because I'm gonna have to go back and
now tell my boss that I can't find it
but listen I'll be back in 10 minutes
is that okay I'm so sorry to bring all
this on you but if you find it can you
just call me straightaway yeah because
if I don't have to tell my boss that
would be great if me I think an
apology's Alex heads off to fess up to
his boss about the lost bob and also to
get the lens the mark decides to text a
friend while he waits for Alex to it
sure
where'd you very good is it yours well
this guy who I've neatly just lost the
USB stick and he said he's gonna lose
his job
okay hangar
litchi under my table what a stroke of
luck the girl at the next table seems to
have found the lost father but this is
no ordinary Girl it's Polly and her role
in this scam is about to begin
hello hi Ian yes
Andrew hi can you describe the USB stick
to me five you found it is it there the
girl at the table next to me is owned it
but she wants me to this made it to
Newton oh you kidding I will pass the
wrong I haven't forgotten - hey hello hi
there
have you got my USB stick yeah I just
find it as by my bag and under my table
right okay brilliant
all right it's a black woman with red
stuff it's a flip one oh yeah no that's
definitely yours Oh brilliant
I'll get - thank you so much listen I
figured a guy 100 quid due to whoever
hand ink hundred pounds yeah a hundred
pounds yeah the mark is happy for Alex
but shrugs in disbelief at his generous
reward I'm gonna be back in 15 minutes
yeah oh no I've got to go because I've
got a train to catch you want to text me
your address and I'll send you out so
that send you the cash and I don't I
don't really want to give you my address
just know I don't really know you know
then I saw I just I'm trying to get the
money I'd love to give you the hundred
pounds but being so honest
oh how Japan's be lovely yeah
the mark can't believe that this woman
is actually holding out for the cash
do you want to pass me back to the to
the guide yes yep sure sure it's here
hello hi Andrew listen um I just
she's done the right thing and I didn't
find a thing
thank you for it I'm gonna give her a
hundred quid when I come back can I just
ask you for a favor I'm not I'm not pick
the quid off the lens if you could give
her 100 quid you know to give your hand
give it a hundred pay the money for the
lid
yeah and I'll knock 60 quid off the lens
for you you sure absolutely let them
touch see this girl right now
I just saved my job and my family you
know done the right thing Alex lays it
on thick
an officer mark 60 quid off the lens if
he gives the girl a hundred pounds from
the cash she's brought with him to buy
the lens so I don't have to get 15
you've only one bag yeah and you still
got my laptop yeah and I'm so that your
bank yeah yeah all right I'll be there
in 10 15 minutes no later thanks Andrew
okay let's play goodbye the mark is now
warming to Alex's generosity
after all he's getting a three hundred
and thirty quid lens for a hundred and
fifty quid and of course he has Alex's
laptop as security for the deal this guy
really is the honest type I'll give you
a hundred of mine
give it back to you yeah and there's the
cash Holly waves goodbye a hundred quid
richer and the mark gets his money ready
for when Alex returns in ten minutes
with his bargain priced camera lens
while he's waiting he decides to call a
friend and tell them about his good
fortune with the film PR guy can get any
actually taking them in each day and I
can run off you must come by the clock
he tries calling Alex but the phone just
rings out a full 40 minutes later the
mark checks laptop bag that Alex left
behind only to find a useless leaflet
and some plastic packaging
he's been hustled out of a hundred quid
cash and here's how they did it when
Alex picked up his laptop he was really
just dropping it into Polly's bag he
then left his empty computer bag with
the mark for safekeeping and beat a
hasty retreat
Holly then pretended to pick up the lost
fob from the floor shoeless I'm not
sixty quid off the lens if you could
give her a hundred quid okay but when
she then handed the mark the fob in
return for that cash reward
Holly waves goodbye to the mark as he
waves goodbye to a hundred quid he's
been ripped off and all he's left with
is it cheap empty bag LED useless fob I
feel like an idiot you're angry and
stupid
by all means help somebody if they seem
to be having a problem but as soon as
money's mentioned and you're asked to
put your hand in your own pocket you
should just take a step back and ask
yourself what's really going on can't
work
George you meet a little you earth
earlier today this guy came to an
Edinburgh and ticks warehouse to buy a
Victorian picture viewer you want to buy
them find the person I'm gonna sell them
to buy them off them you're not buying
them off me
but he's ended up acting as middleman in
an ongoing dispute between art dealer
Rob Marx and his bitter rival Ian Steele
who've been fighting for years over a
set of leg irons and handcuffs that once
belonged to escape artist Harry Houdini
as two separate items you would pay
1,500 getting them together for a
thousand as a fantastic price in auction
you'd sell it for seven to ten easily
does that sound fair to you okay
Paul's agreed to cut him an amazing deal
on the picture viewer but in return he's
asked them art to help him get the cuffs
from Alex he's already given him two
thousand pounds in cash to secure the
cuffs and he's agreed to meet Alex
tonight to do the deal in the feud part
two
true to his word the mark turns up bang
on time to meet Lucien who's agreed to
be on hand to broker the deal thank you
pleasure
take care see you soon
come on the mark recognizes the two
girls you met earlier at the warehouse
it's Polly and yes and they also seem to
have been having a meeting with Lucien
but are now just on their way out take a
seat
dive in thank you how you mainly right
you did well yeah good well the
situation is Ian is on his way all right
with the handcuffs and Rob is stuck in
traffic mama fine Morais be a long long
day but at the mark bys Lucien's
explanation and right on cue here comes
Alex with the goods hey how are you good
how you doing your ecstasy hi hi hi
George
yeah just meet you thanks for setting
this up not a problem
that's fantastic they get straight down
to business and sorry I don't want me
asked but you are you in the antiques
games that are you for you that's handy
no there's Alex now you mentioned that
you gentlemen might be interested in
their pair of food any handcuffs yeah do
you want to have a strike yeah yeah
sorry up I don't mean to rush everybody
I'd love to I'd love to to spend more
time it's just that I have I only come
up for a very short period of time
because I'm based out of London side
I've got a meeting to go at you after
this yep and there they are Harry
Houdini's very own handcuffs are you
interested would you be interested the
price for these that on absolutely goes
for thousands this seems to be a
misunderstanding here about the price
Paul gave the mark earlier two three
for 2,000 pounds before death actually
and the price is - sorry but the prices
for orders yeah how is that with you do
you want me to give you you give me the
oven I've got I've got their time I'll
give you give you a couple of months so
you guys can talk about it that's a big
problem Paul told the mark the cuffs
would cost two thousand pounds but alex
is now asking for double that what's he
going to do
Alex heads outside to give them some
time to work the money out all I can
think of the give Rob a call and see
what see why you can see he says in
situation yellow yeah another two then I
can report number or Lucien calls Paul
to let him know the money situation and
check if he's still stuck in traffic
hey buddy how are you insane
fall for the handcuffs you're killing
how far away are you
maybe twenty minutes but I'm just
sitting in traffic right now thing is
and he's got to go he's got flights gosh
I'm guessing back then right back to
London so I mean graduation won't you
give it to the throw it in there I mean
I'll cover it of course I know you cover
it I'm not only to Omni now that you
know me I need you twenty minutes wait
book you're kidding I don't think he's
interesting traffic
he speaks with new toys you know yeah
I'm gonna press you on now Rob all right
all right okay so Lucien's not got a
spare two grand on in it but maybe the
mark can help let me tell you what I'll
do I'll make you an offer that you can't
refuse
okay you've got four thousand on you
right now including my - yes yep right
if you paint how to come I will give you
the 4000 so you're covered you haven't
want the penny oh and please I will give
you the viewer with the cards as a fee
for doing it for me so you walk away
with every penny you brought with you
today
plus the viewer
Paul has asked the mark if he can put
the two grand he has with him for the
viewer together with the two grand that
Paul gave him earlier that'll make up
the required for grant to buy the
handcuffs from Alex and in return for
this he's offering the mark the viewer
for free to be okay the marks still not
biting and suggests that they asked Alex
to wait a bit longer until Paul arrives
with the cash but here's the thing
Paul's not stuck in traffic at all in
fact is parked right outside in the
hustle van with Paulie in Jess and
someone else who looks remarkably like
Ian Steele it's time for Alex to go back
in and nail the deal and then leave can
we pass or not oh no I've got to be out
of here in the next two minutes but look
in the Goblet we can negotiate on price
if that is the if that's the problem
still see that to run that's why I
thought I can't do you know I can meet
you it's I'm three and a half you know I
hope so yeah but ya know do do so I've
got I've got five ten minutes the mark
excuses himself and goes outside to call
a friend for some advice if this doesn't
work then the deal is most definitely
off the mark heads back to the table
dream well I said we could negotiate 35
I said something for you this guy drives
a hard bargain 35 cash now guess not
deal
Hey finally the mark hands over Paul's
2,000 pounds along with 1,500 quid of
his own cash
oh here come the girls again actually
judging oh my god I'm Daisy yes we
forgot our bag same mistake left their
bag earlier and I've come back to get it
oh I'll be inside oh thank you lovely to
meet you
Georgie I'm going to give you a book of
photographs with the cuffs but the only
problem is I've got them in the car so
I'm just quickly going to get in the car
I'm gonna give you the key as well I'm
going to be back in one one time a
second yep
Alex legs it straight away but the mark
can't wait to get a closer look at the
antique cuffs don't think Houdini ever
wore those the mark chases after Alex
but it's too late and the mark is left
wondering what just happened oh hi there
I'm baby Ali distracted by Polly and
Jess coming back to get their bag the
mark didn't notice
Alex slickly switching the Houdini
coughs box with an identical one
containing the cheap furry ones Alex
dropped the original box into the girl's
bag and they quickly left with Lucien
running straight out to meet Paul who
had the hustle van running then all Alex
had to do was join them it was that easy
I'm really angry that somebody that I
trusted used me
I give them 3,500 pounds and and they
left me here with something like this
I've just been involved in a crime you
know what put the Hank off son wait yeah
my top tip for anyone out there to not
get hustled this sounds too good to be
true usually probably well it is
probably going to be too good to be true
you don't get nothing in 12 a freak
the trick the fraudsters have used here
is that they're tried to speed up the
action so you end up making a decision
an important decision far too quickly
take a deep breath and try and slow down
the action making decisions hurriedly
about important things will almost
always end in tears
if you want to know more about how this
show is made go to bbc.co.uk/topgear
and make sure you catch Alex's brilliant
documentary gambling in me which is here
on BBC three Wednesday at 9:00 as he
discovers why for some of us the thrill
of the bet
is just too much
you