making the real hustle is one of the
most challenging jobs and television con
games are a matter of trial and error
and we've had our fair share of both
people often ask is every scam
successful are we ever recognized or
have we been caught red-handed and the
answer is yes yes and sometimes in this
show we're gonna reveal what happens
when scams go wrong on tonight's show
not one but two guests ostlers get
caught up in a crazy con gone wrong the
poison stands neck yeah I'm a mother
father sir
looks like Alex needs to go back to card
trick school and this mark is well and
truly busted do you have any at any
point if you have an inkling that you
are a TV show movies album
you
every week celebrities up for the
challenge
were invited to join the hustlers to see
if they could cut it as con artists our
stars featured in lots of successful
scams across the series but some of them
didn't quite go to plan
in fact some cons went so wrong but a
couple of the most famous guest hustlers
didn't even make it onto the show one of
the stars was undefeated world champion
boxer Joe Calzaghe a copy of boxing you
have to use a lot of mind games and
trade tricky opponents believe you more
confidently really are so I hopefully I
can use some of them well at least a day
and one book going to do now I'm just
didn't going to enjoy this day and just
do my best and hopefully it's gonna is
gonna work at first things went normally
for Joe as he met up with Paul for the
traditional hustle briefing but little
did he know things were soon to go
horribly wrong boy are you doing good a
meeting
welcome to Glasgow it's good to be here
not the greatest part Glasgow but it
does have character you know the fight
am i well actually you're not none of us
are gonna fight you it's gonna be a
fight between a very dodgy pawnbroker
a fine arts deal are very sophisticated
type of guy and in the middle is gonna
be you okay alright let's take a walk
really get to me good to meet now listen
if there's a problem
anything kicks off yeah
okay so far so good
hopefully Joe won't be pulling in
bunches today in the stub collector for
the first part of this scam the hustlers
were operating in a luxury hotel in the
city center
Joe was playing the part of an eccentric
stamp collector mr. Forbes to avoid him
being recognized the hustlers brought
along a cunning disguise fake facial
hair check fake leg brace check and a
wheelchair check Joe and Polly waited in
the hustle van as Alex got into position
he was posing as a well-heeled
businessman selling off a
top-of-the-range laptop making you
gentlemen a drink
this guy was here too by making him the
mark but this comes about to go horribly
wrong before it even gets started book
stick tape to this time
this guy's tomorrow can I get you a
drink
would you like some today I just have a
glass of water or something like holiday
for that coat and a glass of water okay
listen
he thinks he's here to do a bit of
business with Alex but this scams
actually about buying a rare vintage
stuff sorry about that
can I ask you a favor I'm going to be
having a meeting here with a with
another person on my with Stan do you
know anything about Stan's my dad
collection really oops
that could be a bit of a problem Alex
pushes on regardless
well I've sort of been in collectibles
and things about four years but I've
never dabbled in stamps until recently
where we kind of realized there's a lot
you know
I'm worth a lot of a lot of money so um
this guy is coming he's got one of these
so apart from selling off computers alex
is also dabbling in the vintage stamp
world and he's also here to meet a
well-known collector who's selling an
extremely rare stamp ten years ago when
for almost twenty two thousand twenty
thousand pounds so I've been dying to
get my hands on one and he's gone but
he's gonna be here any minute and I
don't want him to think that I'm gone
away he's in a wheelchair he's got
broken leg eyes mr. Phillips if he comes
in you see him we let you know that I'll
be back in five minutes okay I see
members yeah but listen I'll pop off
side I don't want to keep you guys too
long all right kid Alex heads off to get
the laptop leaving the mark to look out
for the eccentric stamp collector not
stamp collector but hang on a minute
actually
whoo I'm a dad collects stamps or penny
do I know
well his dad does I know we just have
books did the marks recognized Alex
sadly Joe Calzaghe II didn't get to
deliver the knockout punch and the scan
went nowhere the producer broke the bad
news oh I really shouldn't be won some
stamps keep watching to find out if the
hustlers did finally manage to sell
someone that priceless stamp because of
a success of the real hustle and the
fact that it's been going for 11 series
what we just saw isn't the only time the
hustlers were recognized or rumbled
short you know him you know Hector Navin
oh really nice girl sila really all
right then she's got any like cash on
you that you could give to me things
what's old go away
you know my face yeah absolutely
anyway
I want to test that after hundreds of
scams recognition became a real problem
for the hustlers and they had to come up
with clever ways of keeping their
identity secret over the years all Alex
and Jess had to become masters of
disguise
they played fake shakes hippie-dippie
stallholders hi Roma's security men
mechanics the long arm of the law
and dodgy down-and-outs they've even
resorted to dressing up his animals to
avoid being rumbled and Jess well she's
been blond dark curly jet-set and veiled
in fact she's been everything from a
cleaner to a whack with stints as a
barmaid a charity worker and a cat in
between mistress of the quick change
she's even been pregnant a few times now
that's above and beyond the call of duty
even for a hustler
when hustlers go out they don't take
money they take frog bets the
proposition bet has only one rule and
that's the hustler always wins yeah they
might always win but sometimes just
sometimes it didn't always go exactly as
planned
here's on boats they didn't want you to
see so I've got a test of skill you've
got to balance the 50 feet on your
finger your index finger now you've got
to get the card out from under the 50 P
without the 50 foldings to the table and
you can only use one finger right
anybody can do this I'll buy them a
drink
cuz this is hard ready just say action
look how elegant like and beautifully
and Elise it's like alright Pope would
you say that's about the most insulting
I don't want to sit that but it's got
bubbles in it big dangerous of like of
course by the way I did mention the how
that if I do get it yeah is a mental
yeah take 27 okay really I just miss it
there until one of you gets me a whiskey
thank you
earlier in the stamp collector filming
had to be abandoned when two marks
recognized Alex weeks of research and
planning went down the drain and guessed
hustler Joe Calzaghe II didn't even make
it out of the fan and that wasn't the
first time they tried it here's what
happened a few weeks earlier with
another special guest that time it was
this guy who was the mark apologies for
the delay luckily he didn't recognize
Alex so the next part of the scam kicked
in he'd come to pick up a laptop Alex
told him he had to pop out to collect it
but asked the mark to keep a lookout for
someone else he was due to meet a stamp
collector yep that's right in a
wheelchair funny that and here he comes
in fact it's someone even more likely to
be recognized than the horseless it's
only Sid Oh e-excuse me for you know
being in Scotland the right maybe they
don't watch EastEnders as much and
everywhere I went I just got recognized
awful how the hell am I going to
convince people that I'm someone else
it's because I don't want to let anyone
down so fingers across the art I get it
done so we don't have to work this
afternoon it instills Daisy
yes oh hi how are you the crazy disguise
work to treat the mark didn't suspect a
thing
so finally it was all systems go for
stamp collector part 2 for the meantime
let's join in is everyone is waiting for
Alex to come back so here you understand
no no I'm not told me it's Bad's handy
oh this is my favorite look at this this
is worth a few thousand see the lure
looks that is 1966 as well woke up yeah
the marks looking fairly bemused as our
next character turns up it's Paul in a
faintly ludicrous pork pie hat posing as
a rival stamp dealer ah
how are you Robbie alright good good to
see you he obviously has a good
relationship with mr. Phillips and it
turns out he's also here to buy a
particular stamp but it seems like it's
the same stamp Alex is interested in
yeah is this a so we got the goods here
you know I lost some money for me well
yeah um you know I spoke to someone I
think I can probably move it really you
know probably looking at about a grand
do you the ground yeah right I mean you
know it's something okay Paul's already
offering a lot of cash for it and he
seems keen to close the deal quickly his
point I'm happy to close it now you want
to do it none well yeah yeah yeah
what talk to me as well
my husband's on his ways bullshit the
area said it will be too long
Holly reminds mr. Phillips that easier
to sell their stamp to Alex not Paul
whose just happened to wander right into
the middle of their meeting cuz are they
going to want to look right on cue the
marks phone rings it's Alex I'm
compelled checking in really it's
nothing it's arrived he's doing cash
isn't using yes yes yes he's here to
sleep yes and colleagues ages with us
huh oh cool is that chocolate roll okay
um that's not good to me cuz obviously
he's a competitor and he's quite a shock
the mark tells him that mr. Phillips has
arrived
but the someone else here too and he
seems to be muscling in on the deal yeah
hi I was just wondering if you could
meet us on the grill of the corner the
world we meet another L on the corner
yeah yeah Romeo L on the corner and half
an hour shall we
perfect okay right at once thank you
Gary an apology again okay no by mr. Bob
yet seems like Alex can't make it back
to the hotel quickly enough and has
asked mr. Phillips to meet him in a
nearby restaurant the mark agrees to go
along so that he can finally pick up
that laptop Paul's not invited but tags
along anyway truth is he's here to make
sure the mark comes along for the next
part of the scam
so the mark and mr. Phillips are at the
restaurants waiting for Alex
dodgy dealer Paul is still hanging about
like a bad smell
desperate to nab the stamp from under
Alex's nose you want to do the deal
right now I can go to 1500 honey I
should just wait for Ian he upses offer
to 1500 pounds but mr. Phillips is still
keen to wait for Alex after all he's a
gentleman of his word and that's only
fair and here comes Alex hey how you
doing yeah that's good
all right voices it's me apologizing yet
again to the mark for the delayed laptop
you then get straight down to his other
business buying that very rare stamp can
I see the yes okay this is wrong don't
know quite about yeah that's the one
that I very much like - can I ask what
you're interested in peeing in blue I
would say I'm happy to make you an offer
here of 1,500 if that's that's a temp
hundred yeah the stamps a cracker and
he's happy to offer 1,500 pounds
matching Paul's offer well hold on up
you know that's the same offer I made it
well we were waiting for you wherever
you were well I don't have to go out on
business with that I have with East
German so so you know 1500 would be the
deal I could do it cash well I can do a
cash you can do Kat absolutely well I'm
here perverted man it's all getting a
bit ugly now in fact Paul starts an
all-out bidding war and pulls out a
massive wad of cash if you're serious
about selling look I'm here to see you
yeah I can give you 3,000 in cash
right okay today and that's it he ups
his offer to three grand which he puts
in an envelope right could I just ask
with all due respect because this I feel
that I set up this meeting and it's kind
of been hijacked a little bit I agree
we've done a lot of business together
okay woody we've never done any business
and there's plenty more business to come
can you just give us a couple of minutes
is that okay you got three grand there
yeah bullet my money's on the table all
right okay just give us a minute all
right I'm gonna talk to uh Ian I don't
know this guy but my money's always been
good okay okay cool Paul Ben goes
outside leaving a very stone table oh
that's been intense I thought yeah well
he's that pushes yeah Alex now goes in
for the kill are they three grounds a
very good offer
right but I don't think you might
realize the value of what you have
sounds interesting
it is interesting do you know what the
last one of these which came up on
auction sold and it was sold in about
1990 but okay as you can see it's got
the same cancellation mark which is what
makes these of high value this very well
nineteen thousand five hundred pounds so
I don't want to see you enter into a
business deal no you're going to lose a
lot of my might okay so bottom line if
this sold for twenty thousand in 1990 it
is not illogical to presume that they
can get thirty thousand thousand yeah
I'm more so if I give you 1500 today and
I give you 15% of the sale price then
you stand to make considerably more than
three thousand pounds
yeah but I need cash mr. Phillips likes
Alex's deal
well he's adamant he wants three grand
in cash before he leaves the restaurant
so if you do realize that what I'm
offering lies a little bit more right
but that's what I've come for
okay um Alex only has 1,500 quid we're
an earth could he get another grand and
a half it's such short notice
can we give him to it yep this was not
well he'd the jump in here he still
wants three grands Alex now turns his
full attention to the mark what was
gonna ask five 1,500 I believe you carry
1,500 as well that's the cash he's
brought for the laptop if I can get in
the advance payment so just be done and
I'll make it worth your while but I
offer you 5% of the sale price he's
gonna buy any so used to be about having
it for me you're offering five missing
how much would you like 10%
this guy drives a hard bargain easy 10%
I know I can get a lot of money for this
damn well I know what I like and I like
what I see right okay we've struck a
deal we're going to give you three
thousand cash okay so let's pay this
month 15 so the scam has gone to play
the mark hasn't recognized the hustlers
or Sid Owen and he's just handed over
all that cash for his share of a
worthless stump
but this scam hasn't gone to plan in
fact something has just gone terribly
wrong something even the hustlers
weren't expecting Alex takes a closer
look at the marks cash it's clear from
his face that he knows something isn't
quite right I'm sure
but over the professional he puts the
money away and leaves together with
Polly and Sid but on his way out he's
talking to the show's producers over its
radio mic guys that money looked bloody
that's looks faked that money okay I
think we're being done by him right now
that is fake money is it he gave us the
producer goes over to speak to the
hustlers and examine the money we'd been
given paid back this guy's doing
something I looked at him smoking my
face and a smile that is paper there's
no question it's all fake but what on
earth was going on in what turned out to
be the strangest scam in 11 series of
the real hustle had the mark been
unlucky at the cash machine or could he
be trying to hustle the hustlers alex
paul and the show's producers went in to
find out together
so where did you print this Gary we
suspect you know you're being found for
a TV show you know the objective of the
show is to take your money and then give
it back to you oh why do talk of it it's
everything you gave us was freak money
if I asked her to look at this might
note would you say it's so genuine no
you think that is a real hologram bet
that when you realize what we're asking
this questions because it's legally a
very murky area for us to be seen to be
handling fake I mean I instantly when I
saw this that's why I looked at you for
a brief second and you kind of add a
little twinkle in your eye that was
instantly fake to me Paul gives the mark
the benefit of the doubt
everybody completely understands has all
caught you a little bit off guard
because you know the idea was we would
leave you you would find it that you
know he'd bought rubbish stamp that
wasn't worth anything and everybody was
gone then we'd come back and we'd give
you your money back but because you've
given us that it's kind of changed from
being a TV show to being a bit of a
problem for us I just need you to
understand that when you hand it over
legal money right and believe you me
we've tried to use counterfeit cash as
good as this one and we're not allowed
to use it on the shows the marks still
looking puzzled but Paul lays it on the
line this is kind of exactly the type of
thing we try and teach people not eyelid
so that we're kind of in a way trying to
protect you and this is again something
hands-on so tell me what was going on
and then we'll understand what was going
on
I wasn't 100% convinced I'd actually
didn't believe that you was young I was
51 the point right yawns so he claimed
the smelter rat all along seems like he
simply didn't believe a secondhand
laptop could be worth such a high asking
price thinking the deal was well dodgy
from the start rather than hand over
genuine cash he decided to use a pile of
fake notes he'd brought with him just in
case he was being ripped off did you
have any at any point did you have an
inkling that you were on a TV show and
it turned out that it wasn't only the
mark who has been cautious he later
claimed in a national newspaper that his
13 year old daughter thought the setup
was bogus all along warning her dad it
sounds like you're on the real hustle of
course Alexson Paul were more than aware
that it can be a criminal offence to be
in possession of counterfeit banknotes
the event was reported to the police but
despite carrying out a series of
inquiries in the end it was decided
there was no case to answer so did the
mark Horsell the horseless I give you
not this time
so scamming unsuspecting marks out of
their hard-earned cash can be a very
risky business and things don't always
go to plan even well-seasoned con
artists like the real hustlers get it
wrong sometimes a people yes your money
in here as well and then you can just
look after all that okay this scam
relied on Jess sneakily switching an
envelope full of the marks cash a one
stubborn newspaper her bag had been
expertly doctored with magnets for the
con but the eagle-eyed mark noticed poor
Jess fumbling with the bag and it wasn't
long before she was rumbled excuse me
that I saw was gonna come in talk to you
actually on a TV show the key to this
scam working was Alex managing to
persuade the mark to let him borrow her
mobile phone not a massive ask but
despite Alex's best efforts - she was
having none of it let them know where I
am or I can send a text is that right
I think I would Lee I'm doing that go
try no way she admitted afterwards
however that she had credit on her
mobile all alone
she just didn't trust Alex quite right -
okay just can this ring it doesn't
happen often but sometimes random marks
just happened to be too well connected
in this scam jess was claiming she'd
found a diamond ring outside this shop
unfortunately it turned out this guy was
mates with the owner an OG and gains my
friend we spent the money gentlemen even
offered to call him Oh what you've got
their number that's definitely not what
Jess was hoping to hear in this con the
unsuspecting mark thought he'd come to
buy cheap telly well give him a call but
before he knew what was happening he was
being offered the deal of a lifetime a
fabulous 60 thousand pound Aston Martin
for just five grand
everything had gone without a hitch and
the hustlers were hiding upstairs when
Paul suddenly remembered he'd forgotten
one tiny thing he was meant to do
remember
when it comes to handing out hustling
advice it's probably best to leave it to
the professionals
the fake Commerce and although it goes
all Google we go through you it's
natural to want to help a damsel in
distress but the stress make sure that
you understand where the people are
coming from which could be
never-never-land
right I'll do it again a quick cause
that so the best at fuck that alone
should send a la bells reap the lot if
you're ever offered what's happened here
someone's party with money to a complete
stranger I think a continuity but they
it's very difficult not to remain not to
lose no no no go back
so that's that this is the real hustle
the original real hustlers Alex Paul and
Jess and new recruits
paulien jars have scammed their last
marks for now
you
and remember if it sounds too good to be
true it probably is if you want to know
more about how this show is made go to
BBC cobalt yes they're good at that
making people laugh mmm wait till you
see how nervous they are stand up for
Sport Relief next then at 10:30
something we know that is tried and
tested as funny is this week's episode
of white band man