- 5 days ago
Scam City S02E03 United States New York City
Category
🦄
CreativityTranscript
00:00They're the world's greatest cities. Famous for their culture and beauty.
00:06But there's something else waiting in the shadows.
00:09The scammers, the hustlers, the thieves.
00:13And they're all looking for tourists to con.
00:16State against the what? Russian roulette. Are you joking me?
00:19I'm Connor Woodman, and in Scam City, I set myself up as bait.
00:24This is like being kidnapped.
00:26A willing victim to be fleeced.
00:28I'll catch the scammers in the act.
00:30You know where my wallet is. I know, yeah.
00:32And reveal the tricks of the trade.
00:34Sorry, I'm not talking about that.
00:35Because why? It's too dangerous?
00:37And I'll expose them face to face.
00:40We are filming you scamming me.
00:42Scam City. I get scammed so you don't have to.
00:58I've fallen deep into an illicit scam in New York City. Maybe too deep.
01:03Okay, you get me a price right now. 2,000 bottles of Chanel on number five.
01:07How are you ready now?
01:08I'm ready.
01:09You got the money for it.
01:10You got 20 grand in my hotel. It's fine.
01:11They say it's safe nowadays. But is the Big Apple really so shiny and clean?
01:16For me, it's very dangerous. What I do now, they know they kill me. They will kill them.
01:33I've just woken up in the city that never sleeps. And I'm going walkabout like the 50 million other tourists
01:39who come here every year.
01:41But I'm souvenir hunting for scammers.
01:48New York City claims to have completely cleaned up its act. Zero tolerance, three strikes and you're out.
01:53They say there's no crime here anymore.
01:55But one thing I know is any city gets a million visitors a week.
01:59Well, it's got to be scammed.
02:01Welcome to New York.
02:05I see you.
02:17If you take a bite of the Big Apple, what juicy scams will be revealed?
02:34Time Square is the biggest tourist hotspot in the city. Everyone who visits New York heads here.
02:44This was known for being a notorious crime spot.
02:47In the 70s and 80s, it was the centre for hustlers and prostitutes, surrounded by porn cinemas and clip joints.
02:55These days, all the brothels have been replaced with doughnut shops.
02:57And the prostitutes are all cartoon characters.
03:00It's a lot less gangland, a bit more Disneyland.
03:04Lou Reed wouldn't be walking on the wild side here nowadays.
03:07He'd be having his picture taken with Mickey Mouse for cash.
03:13Out of towners all want to take a photo home as a memento.
03:22But is it all as innocent as it appears to be?
03:28Can we get a photo with you?
03:29Can we get a photo?
03:30Two dollars.
03:31Two dollars?
03:32Yep.
03:34Fantastic.
03:34Thanks.
03:37How much is that Mickey?
03:39Two dollars.
03:41Beautiful.
03:43Liberty.
03:45How much is that?
03:46Five.
03:51Hey Batman.
03:53Hey Batman.
03:54Hey Batman's drunk.
03:56Cookie Monster.
03:57Oh really?
03:58Two of you?
03:59Looks like I've got no choice.
04:00I only really wanted Cookie Monster.
04:03Cheese.
04:03Cheese.
04:04Cheese.
04:04Yeah.
04:05Yeah.
04:05Where are you gonna go for?
04:06Hi Buzz.
04:07Hi Buzz.
04:08There's a pattern here.
04:09Choose a character and another one jumps in.
04:11I thought I was just having a picture with Buzz, but Sonic wants a share of the action.
04:17Yeah, how much?
04:23Five dollars?
04:24For him too?
04:25Him as well?
04:27Yeah.
04:27Wow, it's getting expensive.
04:29Those guys over there are only two dollars.
04:32Thank you, Daddy.
04:32Thank you very much.
04:33Okay.
04:33I appreciate it.
04:34So both Buzz and Sonic get paid.
04:37You pose a picture with one and the other one comes and stands next to you, and then of
04:42course you pay one.
04:43You have to pay the other one as well.
04:45These unlicensed characters have been known to lose their rag with tourists who don't
04:48pay up, but after a recent arrest, today feels like they're almost on their best behaviour.
05:03Having spent a couple of hours here, it seems much safer than the crime ridden place
05:08it was, and the Husklars of old have moved on.
05:12Maybe they've gone elsewhere.
05:16But for tonight, the hunt is over.
05:19Time to go back to the hotel.
05:24But I'm struggling to find a cab on the street until a black limo pulls up.
05:50Where are you from?
05:51Originally, I'm from Harlem.
05:53I'm from New York.
05:53You're a New Yorker?
05:54Yeah.
05:55Wow, that's a rare thing in New York.
05:58Me, I love New York, period.
06:00Anybody ask me where I'm from, I never separated Brooklyn or Harlem.
06:04I was born in Harlem.
06:06I'm from New York.
06:08I love the underdog.
06:09This is the city of the underdog.
06:10Do you consider yourself to be an underdog?
06:12I'm a dog that doesn't bite too hard, but knows how to eat well.
06:18Explain to me what the deal is with the yellow cabs and then the cars like yours and how that
06:23works.
06:23Well, cars like mine is just me freelancing, me taking a little piece of that pie.
06:31You never know who you're going to meet, you know?
06:34I might be your go-to guy when you touch down in New York.
06:39A go-to guy.
06:40He could come in handy.
06:42What kind of things beyond giving someone a ride somewhere can you offer customers?
06:48You might want to know where you can meet a nice girl.
06:51Are you talking about what I think you're talking about?
06:54Yeah, nice company.
07:00A lot of people say New York's kind of lost its bite.
07:03You know, that it was, it used to be a kind of rougher place than it is these days.
07:08Do you think that's true?
07:09Some people come here and think that it's the best thing since sliced bread
07:13and some people come here and see it to be the most scariest place.
07:18This is where you come, I guess, if you want to feel the experience
07:23of getting to know the supposed crazy things or scary things.
07:36My new friend Breezy says the place has cleaned up.
07:41But there's still some shady characters to be found.
08:05I'm in Harlem, which used to have a reputation as a tough part of town, but nowadays it feels like
08:11a changed borough.
08:13Breezy's given me a lead to a guy called Sherman O.T. Powell, who he says may be able to
08:17give me a rundown on the pickpockets of New York and whether they're still here somewhere.
08:23How long have you lived in Harlem?
08:24I came here in 1969. I've been up here, I guess, for the last 25, 30 years. Most of that
08:31time I was a pickpocket.
08:32Oh yeah?
08:33Yeah, that was how I made my living.
08:35Right.
08:36Work in what kind of areas?
08:38Basically in Grand Central Station.
08:41You know, I would go play the bus stop on 57th Street and 3rd Avenue.
08:46Sometime I'd go to the Port Authority.
08:48What was Times Square like back in those days?
08:50Was it as wild as everyone says it was?
08:53It was a war zone.
08:55You know, everybody trying to get a dollar, you know.
08:57At one time, you couldn't get through Times Square without getting either pickpocketed or a prostitute grabbing you or, you
09:06know, they used to wait for the sailors to get off the boat and tourists to come in.
09:09Times Square was something else.
09:11And what was the most you ever made from a single lift?
09:14About 2,200.
09:152,200, one guy.
09:16Man or a woman?
09:18That was a woman.
09:19That was going through bases.
09:21Do you think there's still hustlers out there in New York?
09:23It's not like it used to be.
09:31So even Sherman's gone straight.
09:33Too many cops, credit cards and not enough cash.
09:37He gives me the number for a crew working over in Brooklyn.
09:40How about tomorrow?
09:42We'll see.
09:43Let's put it out.
09:44It's obviously going red alert.
09:46So that's kind of, that's kind of damage.
09:48Even with Sherman's introduction, they seem a bit uneasy about meeting with me.
10:00The three strikes and you're out, zero tolerance policy has had an impact.
10:05My job is going to be tough.
10:07Where are all the double dealers?
10:13I'm going to head down to Canal Street where there's loads of shops.
10:16Tourists go there to buy souvenirs and that kind of thing.
10:18See if I can find any scams down there that are a little bit juicier.
10:25New York has a great reputation for shopping.
10:28It's home to famous department stores like Bloomingdale's and Macy's.
10:31But like millions of tourists, I'm looking for a bargain, which means I'm heading to Canal Street.
10:42It's a great place to pick up a present for my girlfriend.
10:45A bag, maybe some perfume.
10:50Which one?
10:51We're looking for some Chanel No. 5.
10:53Yeah, I do have.
10:54You do?
10:55Yeah.
10:55Okay.
10:56Can I see it?
10:56Yeah, please.
10:57Stay here one sec.
11:02Oh, cool.
11:06How much is it?
11:07It's 45, sir.
11:0845?
11:09It's a big bottle.
11:10Big bottle.
11:11Is it real?
11:12Yeah, of course.
11:13The only perfume, you see.
11:1545 dollars is just over a third of the retail price.
11:20Can you not open?
11:21Let me have a sniff.
11:27You say it's real?
11:28Of course, it's real.
11:35Yeah.
11:38This is strong.
11:39Yeah.
11:44Smells like the real thing.
11:47So, what's your best price?
11:49Give me 35, okay?
11:5020.
11:5120 bucks.
11:5225 is okay?
11:5525?
11:5725 bucks.
11:58Same one you only buy in the store.
12:00Same perfume.
12:01Same one that I would buy in Macy's?
12:03Yeah.
12:04Same thing.
12:05Cool, man.
12:1025 bucks is almost too good to be true.
12:13When something feels too good to be true,
12:16it usually means it isn't.
12:18But with every second shop along Canal Street selling cheap perfume,
12:22there must be a lot of wide-eyed tourists
12:24who at least believe they're getting a bargain.
12:4125 bucks.
12:43Another tourist hotspot is Central Park.
12:49Today it's full of people out for a stroll,
12:53riding bikes,
12:54and hiring pedicabs.
13:03You are alone?
13:04Yeah.
13:04I charge you $70.
13:07$70, okay.
13:08Within moments of my arrival, I'm getting the hard sell.
13:11Thanks.
13:12Where are you going now?
13:13Thanks, thanks.
13:13I'm going to think.
13:14Think about it.
13:14I am giving you a good price.
13:16You are?
13:17I don't want to lose you.
13:18I charge you 60 bucks.
13:19One hour long.
13:21And three stops.
13:22Okay, I'll think about it.
13:23Just as I get rid of one guy, another one's on my case.
13:27You pay $75.
13:29There's no tax.
13:30All right, $75 for one hour.
13:32For maybe more.
13:34I'm not going to give you a time limit or a stop limit.
13:37Okay.
13:38Second reason, I also stopped by John Lanin's house.
13:42Okay.
13:42Is he in?
13:43Yeah.
13:44Is he in?
13:44John Lanin?
13:45Yeah.
13:46John Lanin is not home since...
13:49No?
13:50Come back to me, man.
13:51I'm just talking to this guy.
13:52Okay, thank you.
13:53Oh, you're switching now?
13:55Huh?
13:55You're switching?
13:56Well, I'm looking for the best price, aren't I?
13:58What's the problem?
13:58How much is the best price?
13:59Hey, listen, listen.
14:00I talked to these guys before you, man.
14:03So what?
14:04Don't look at me.
14:05Is it what's...
14:06That's okay.
14:06He doesn't do erections.
14:08He's not giving me...
14:08He offered me 60 bucks for a...
14:10Like a pedicab?
14:11...for a pedicab, yeah.
14:12Look, I'll tell you something.
14:14Only a few people are licensed to give a tour in the park.
14:17So are you licensed?
14:18Yes, yes, yes.
14:19Can I see your license?
14:20I don't have my license on it.
14:21Oh, you don't have it on you?
14:22All right.
14:23Some people tell you, like,
14:24Oh, it's this building where Madonna lives there.
14:26It's not really.
14:27Really?
14:28Some people are true.
14:29People will lie to you?
14:30That's the whole time.
14:31I'll give you 65.
14:32I'll give you 65.
14:34On the other side of the street, I notice an official-looking guy with a clipboard and a badge watching
14:39what's going on.
14:40Is he monitoring the touts?
14:42He's not a pedicab driver.
14:44He's not?
14:45No, he's not a pedicab driver.
14:46Yeah.
14:46So he's just like a tout that is the go-between and he takes the commission?
14:50Yeah, yeah.
14:50And he takes the commission.
14:51So really, you should have one of these to even approach a tourist?
14:54Absolutely.
14:55That's called soliciting, basically, what he's doing.
14:57You know, he just works with other people.
14:59He's like a middle man in a case, so to speak.
15:02He offered me 65.
15:03He'll make a cut from that 65.
15:05A few years ago, it wasn't even like this.
15:06It was all just pedicab drivers hustling for their own.
15:14The scammers here are the unlicensed tanks.
15:17They charge you an extra $25 for walking you 20 meters to the bikes.
15:25The insistent one is back over near the subway exit.
15:29Now, here's the guy, yeah.
15:30Yeah.
15:31What you did?
15:32You ran?
15:33No, no, I'm waiting.
15:34I'm going to meet my friend.
15:35I was a bit worried earlier, because you guys, I thought you were going to have a fight.
15:38You started.
15:40You're supposed to not...
15:40When people talk to you, they may have my gun.
15:43I'm just shopping around, you know?
15:45Yeah, you're right.
15:46You have a right to do that.
15:48You want to take the pedicab?
15:50Oh, man, I don't want to start a fight with anybody.
15:52No, no, no.
15:52So you want it?
15:53I think I'm going to go with the guy, because I kind of said I would now.
15:56How much he charge you?
15:58Same as you.
15:59Same as me.
16:01Why don't you take it from?
16:02Sorry.
16:02Because I just...
16:03I kind of...
16:07He doesn't like me anymore.
16:10The second tag delivers me to his rider a bit further into the park.
16:22But the thing is, if the police catch you, you got a ticket.
16:25Yeah.
16:26Yeah.
16:27It's going to cost you $200.
16:29But the police are out in force today.
16:34So only the license drivers are working.
16:56What was here before?
16:58Just rocks?
17:00A swamp with rocks?
17:02Yeah.
17:03A rocky swamp.
17:05How do you know all this stuff?
17:07How do you know all this stuff?
17:07Is there a school that you go to to learn all this?
17:10You go to school, you say you want to learn about Central Park.
17:12Really?
17:13About Central Park?
17:14Yeah.
17:15Or you can buy the books.
17:17And do you think you know stuff that other guys don't know?
17:21I know what I know, but what they know, I don't know.
17:25Well, there's no turf war going on here.
17:28All the scammers are freelancers and anyone's free to have a go.
17:34It's hardly the gangs of New York.
17:47I know a bargain when I see one, but that perfume I bought on Canal Street must have a story
17:53behind it.
17:54The shopkeeper insisted it was real, but I have my doubts.
18:00With Steve, the cameraman, I'm going back to pose as a commercial buyer.
18:05I want to see if I can talk them into admitting the stuff is fake and maybe even find out
18:10where they get it from.
18:12Can you do an order?
18:13If I give you like a particular brand, will you be able to see if you can find it?
18:16How many?
18:18Maybe ten?
18:19Ten pieces?
18:20Yeah.
18:21How many you need?
18:22Why?
18:22When?
18:23Yeah, today if possible.
18:25I'm here for a couple of days, so...
18:28But it's a Tom Ford, but it's not this one.
18:31I'll write it down for you if you like.
18:33Okay.
18:34You want now?
18:35Yeah.
18:36It's not Black Orchid.
18:37It's not Black Orchid.
18:38It's called Noir de Noir.
18:40While the runner goes off to check the stock room, the manager appears and gets on the phone to his
18:44distributor.
18:47He takes his business card out of his pocket, which gives me an idea.
18:55Now I've got the number of a distributor and his address.
19:07It's interesting that all those guys are selling designer perfumes on Canal Street and they all say the same thing.
19:11It's real.
19:12Look, it's sealed.
19:13It's the same one you buy in Macy's.
19:14But what I did was I asked them for a brand that I know would be quite difficult to get
19:18hold of.
19:19And then they started calling their distributors.
19:20And what I did was take a cheeky little photograph of the business card on my phone.
19:40The booths and shops on Canal Street that sell scent are pretty small.
19:44And I've noticed they're constantly serviced by runners.
19:47Very little stock seems to be kept on the premises.
19:56I found the address on the card I photographed behind the guy's back and it's led me to the Garment
20:02District.
20:05The shop is well stocked and if he's supplying Canal Street, then somebody must be supplying him.
20:11I got your number from a guy down on Canal Street I was talking to because I want to buy
20:16a quantity of a couple of fragrances.
20:20So what I'm wondering is, is it possible, can you get some made for me?
20:27I mean, can you reverse engineer these?
20:29The guys down on Canal, because you supply...
20:32He called me, that's what he said, but he said they can't do it.
20:35But you supply them, right?
20:36But not those items, we don't carry, but I can look for you anyway.
20:40Can you?
20:41And what if it's not something anyone carries?
20:43Can we...
20:44Is it possible that someone here in New York could make it for me?
20:47I don't think so.
20:48It's very hard to get.
20:49Still, I'm looking for you.
20:51Keep the card, call me tomorrow, okay?
20:53For this one.
20:53Okay.
20:54Let me see if I carry something for you.
20:56And if you can't get it, is there somewhere else I can try?
20:59This is a difficult one to get hold of.
21:01But, I mean, I imagine, you know, if you're making all these other ones, you can make that one, kind
21:05of.
21:05No, we don't make the cologne.
21:08The transport, they made it, but we don't make it.
21:14This guy insists he doesn't make the scent, and he's not giving anything away about where the other stuff is
21:20coming from.
21:21He's a bigger version of the guys on Canal Street.
21:24He's supplying them, you know, they're just another antler.
21:28The tough nut to crack is getting to the guys that supply him.
21:34I still need to find the big suppliers.
21:39Around the corner, I quiz a guy called Lloyd.
21:42He's on the street selling perfume.
21:44I want to know where he's getting it from.
21:49What is it in the shops?
21:50Basically, they cost like $58.99 plus tax.
21:54They're not real, though, are they?
21:56Oh, yeah, they're real.
21:57They're real.
21:58Come on.
21:58It's two different types.
21:59They're good.
22:00I'll sell them for less, more, you know what I mean?
22:03Sometimes $20, whatever I get.
22:06Go on, you can tell me.
22:06What do you buy them for?
22:07About $5 each.
22:09$5 each.
22:10Where do you get these from?
22:11Well, I get it from some people to promote.
22:13Where's that?
22:14Downtown.
22:22This perfume seems to be everywhere I go,
22:25and everyone, including Lloyd, insists it's real.
22:29Lloyd's tip leads me to a distributor's office
22:32on the 14th floor of a building off Fifth Avenue,
22:35in the shadow of the Empire State.
22:48There's no perfume company there.
22:51There's no perfume company there.
22:58Acupuncture.
23:00No perfume.
23:02I go around the entire floor looking for the distributors.
23:07But there isn't a whiff of dodgy scent.
23:12There's at least half a dozen other perfume companies
23:14in that building, but there's no one on the 14th floor,
23:16so it looks like I've drawn a blank.
23:18This might be a bit harder than I thought.
23:29For now, the perfume trail's gone cold,
23:31but after two days of chasing them,
23:34I've finally made a breakthrough with the pickpockets.
23:37They've agreed to meet.
23:49I'm heading to a bar in Brooklyn,
23:51where the pickpocketing gang are waiting to meet me.
23:57They want to check me out and explain how they operate.
24:07They're very nervous.
24:09For repeat offences, pickpockets here can get four years in jail.
24:17So far, they've proved very elusive,
24:20and I'm not sure if they'll let me into their world.
24:29I need you guys to understand what this is really about.
24:32It's not just about taking money.
24:34It's about kind of like speaking against the system,
24:38because the system has ignored us,
24:40so now we're speaking against, and it has to be heard.
24:44So tourism in America grosses a lot of money, you know,
24:48and since, you know, the whole gist of this,
24:52why should people come here and have a good time
24:56when the people that live here doesn't have a good time?
24:58So that's a very interesting perspective.
25:00Tourists are not going to stay around long enough to press charges.
25:03You know, to press charges is lengthy, you know,
25:07and most tourists, they don't have the money
25:10to stay in New York for months at a time, you know,
25:12and to come back and forth for court days.
25:15So that's one of the advantages.
25:17Usually, um, shortists don't want to press charges,
25:20because they don't want to stay around for it.
25:21Don't go home.
25:22Right.
25:23No charges, and you go home as well.
25:25So you stay away from Americans?
25:26It depends.
25:27It depends on what America you're talking about.
25:29Okay.
25:30Black America, yeah.
25:32Only the wealthy.
25:33Only the wealthy, that's it.
25:34Right.
25:35Or Robin Hood, that's what it is.
25:36You're like Robin Hood?
25:38Modern day.
25:38Monday, Robin Hood.
25:41It's about taking from those that can be taken from.
25:45So that's basically the whole gist up.
25:47Wow.
25:48Okay.
26:06Political pickpockets, they say.
26:08Robin Hoods.
26:10Stealing from the rich and giving to the poor.
26:13Themselves, presumably.
26:14They certainly talk a good game.
26:17And we've arranged to meet again tomorrow.
26:32Everywhere you go on Manhattan Island, you see the Empire State Building.
26:36It's the jewel in New York's crown.
26:43On the approach to the great building, there are loads of tourists eager to see the unparalleled
26:48view from the top, along with a load of guys in brightly coloured jackets.
26:53Could they be security?
26:57Empire State, guys.
26:58We going up.
26:59What's the quickest way up?
27:01The quickest way up is fast track.
27:03Yeah.
27:03That is 49 plus tax.
27:04You get a view on the 86th floor.
27:06Standard, you go in, you're in one, two, three, four, five lines.
27:09Yeah.
27:10Fast track, we bring you in through security.
27:12You bypass four of the five lines.
27:15With that, you get the view, the museum, the sky ride.
27:17Okay.
27:18This guy isn't security.
27:19He's flogging me a ticket.
27:21Okay.
27:21I mean, all I'm interested in is the quickest way to the top.
27:2449 plus tax.
27:24That's definitely you.
27:25You're quicker than going in the official way.
27:27Yes, sir.
27:27We escort you in the building.
27:29Okay.
27:29And how much is the tax then?
27:30Sure.
27:30What's the actual full price?
27:32When I don't, it'd be 57.
27:3557 bucks for a sky ride ticket.
27:38They're a separate company with their own route to the top of the building.
27:42So there's two entrances to the Empire State Building.
27:44There's the official entrance and then there's the entrance to which I've just bought a ticket.
27:48It costs a little bit more, but they say that will get you up in 15 minutes as opposed
27:51to more than an hour.
27:52So my producer, Chris and I are going to have a little race.
28:08So I go up through the official entrance with my official express ticket.
28:1210 bucks cheaper for the one outside.
28:22Chris goes in through the sky ride entrance with the so-called fast track ticket.
28:27And within 20 yards, he's waiting in line.
28:302, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1.
28:34While the customers with the expensive sky ride tickets wait downstairs for the lift, I'm
28:40in like Flynn and up to the 80th floor.
28:47The sky ride line with Chris in it waits while the official ticket holders swan by.
28:55And the view of New York is stunning.
28:58I thoroughly recommend it.
29:00I wonder how Chris is getting on.
29:04Okay, so by my reckoning, that took exactly 19 minutes from the bottom to the top.
29:23That's seven minutes to get back down.
29:24In total, to get up, take some pictures and get back down, that ticket allowed me to do
29:29that in half an hour.
29:32I think I might be waiting a while for Chris.
29:37In all, it takes two hours for Chris to go up and come back down, which gives me enough
29:43time to make a couple of calls and set up a meeting with a contact in Chinatown.
29:57Everybody keeps saying the perfume I bought is real, but I need a second opinion.
30:01I set up a meeting with a former perfume counterfeiter who I meet on the back street in Chinatown.
30:07Nice to meet you.
30:08He wants to remain anonymous.
30:10Thanks for meeting me.
30:11Thanks for meeting me.
30:11Yeah, real thing, he said.
30:12Exactly the same as you would buy in Macy's instead.
30:17Well, right off the bat, I'll tell you that this does not look authentic.
30:22You can tell by the lines here.
30:24Normally, the companies spend a lot of time trying to get the package to look absolutely pristine.
30:30And this right here, it doesn't look like that.
30:34It looks cheap right off the bat.
30:36So...
30:37Yeah, I mean, I'll show you the bottle.
30:38There's something when I looked at the bottle that kind of was a warning sign for me.
30:44Well, I mean, just even...
30:47Yeah, look at the small details.
30:50I mean, this doesn't even line up.
30:52No way.
30:52I wouldn't even want to spray this on myself or give this to someone as a gift.
30:56Who knows what's in it?
30:57I mean, where is this...
30:58Ultimately, where is all this stuff coming from?
31:00Most of it comes from China, specifically southern China, like Guangzhou.
31:05So the Bangladeshi guys are sort of middlemen.
31:07They're the frontmen for the sales.
31:09That's right, absolutely.
31:10And the Chinese guys?
31:11Yes.
31:12They're pulling the strings behind.
31:13That's correct.
31:16My perfume contact seems sure that the perfume is fake.
31:20But to prove it, I'll need to get into the trade.
31:23First, I'll have to find a willing distributor, and then I'll have to set up a deal.
31:33I'm back in the garment district, and I'm going to pull a new tactic.
31:37If I ask for a very large amount of Chanel, maybe they'll agree to sell it to me.
31:44So, this was how many of these?
31:462,000.
31:472,000?
31:48Okay, I'm going to check with him.
31:50You know, we don't do the, you know, fake.
31:53Original.
31:54Only original.
31:55Yeah, original, but...
31:57These guys are stonewalling me.
32:00I may have to completely rethink my tactics, or drop the perfume scam altogether.
32:11There?
32:11Save your money.
32:12Go to the warehouse.
32:13What are you looking for?
32:14Yeah, I'm looking for this one.
32:18Maybe they don't have it.
32:19Which warehouse?
32:21But they have all of their names.
32:23That's where those people, they buy.
32:25Where is it?
32:26Anyone who paid $15.
32:27Gucci, Blana, Burberry, all kinds of names.
32:30Where?
32:31Perfect.
32:32But I don't know if they have this.
32:33But I can ask them, can I?
32:34Where's the warehouse?
32:35You want a big one?
32:36Yeah.
32:39How did this guy know I was having trouble getting to the suppliers?
32:43Was he following me?
32:50If they know I've been recording them, I'll be in trouble.
32:53But if I break out now, I'll blow my chances.
32:59Wired up, following a complete stranger who I just met on the streets of New York
33:04to do a dodgy perfume deal is probably not the smartest thing to do.
33:11Hey, how are you, my friend?
33:12Good, how are you?
33:13Good, nice to meet you.
33:14Nice to meet you.
33:15So this guy said you might be able to help me.
33:17I'm looking for that.
33:20No idea.
33:21And if I want to buy number five?
33:23Chanel number five?
33:24Chanel number five, right?
33:27Chanel number five.
33:28Yeah, no, this is for shipping, this is not for sale.
33:31I don't have selling quantity.
33:33It doesn't have to be today.
33:35Okay.
33:35I can order this.
33:37Yeah, then I have to find out, yes.
33:39Okay.
33:39Yeah, you order me, then I can write it down on the paper and I can go look for it.
33:42Okay, let's do that.
33:43Yeah.
33:44But this...
33:44It's all going smoothly, then suddenly he doesn't want to take my order.
33:48Those two places, I know they carry big quantity.
33:51You can talk to them.
33:52Let me write down my number for the...
33:53Give him the number.
33:54He's actually going to deal with you since you came with him, you know?
33:58Yeah.
33:59He's actually going to deal with you.
34:00He's going to deal with me for 2,000 bottles of perfume?
34:03Yeah.
34:03Sure.
34:04He's...
34:05You were here first, so he's actually...
34:07Yeah, no, that's absolutely fine, but I'm going to buy 2,000 bottles of perfume and I'm
34:11going to buy it directly from the guy.
34:13If you don't want the business, that's fine.
34:15Okay.
34:16So the distributor won't get me 2,000 units and he's piled me off to a guy from the street.
34:22It doesn't make sense.
34:24Only in America.
34:28My new broker, who I met on the street, is a Haitian who I'll call George.
34:33You should pay me.
34:34I have all of this.
34:35How much do I have to pay?
34:39Paying.
34:40Trust me, if you don't pay me, I'll be with you.
34:42Yeah, no, I'm happy to pay.
34:43That's my job.
34:43That's what I'm doing.
34:44I understand that, man.
34:45I appreciate that.
34:46I'm happy to pay you a commission if I do a deal.
34:48That's no problem.
34:50But I have to find what I'm looking for.
34:51You understand?
34:54You can be working for the company.
34:57They don't know you.
34:58They're not going to trust you.
34:59I'll tell you the truth why it's running.
35:01Yeah.
35:02You channel, you take my number.
35:05Anytime you're ready, given you need 5,000, 10,000, even right now, you need 5,000,
35:10I can give you 5,000 channel.
35:12You can get it.
35:13You want it right now?
35:15I can get you that right now.
35:17Okay, you get me a price right now, 2,000.
35:192,000 bottles of Chanel on number 5.
35:21I do 15 dollars a piece.
35:2315 is too much.
35:25Too much?
35:25How much?
35:265 bucks a piece.
35:27No, no.
35:27I'm not going to get it for 5 dollars.
35:31You're not going to get it for 5 dollars.
35:32No, you're going to get it for 5 dollars.
35:34No, I'm going to get it more than that.
35:36What are you going to get it for?
35:38Me?
35:39Yeah.
35:39Yeah.
35:39I'm going to get it for 10 dollars.
35:41I'm honest with you.
35:43You want it now, I'll give you 5,000 now.
35:46I want 2,000.
35:47What?
35:48You're going to get it for 10 dollars and you want to make how much I make?
35:505.
35:53You don't want to make 10.
35:53You give me 13.
35:55I'll give you 11.
35:57No, give me...
35:57You make 2 grand like that.
35:59Alright, 11.
36:00Okay.
36:00You ready now?
36:02For 2,000 units.
36:04He said nothing.
36:0411 bucks a piece.
36:06Are you ready now?
36:07I'm ready.
36:08You got the money for it.
36:10I haven't got the money on me, but no, I'm ready.
36:12I'm not going to walk around here with 20 grand on me, huh?
36:17I got 20 grand in my hotel, it's fine.
36:19What do I want to do?
36:19Cash.
36:21So how many of this is in?
36:222,000.
36:24Chanel.
36:24Chanel, number 5.
36:26I'm standing on a street corner, agreeing to a $22,000 perfume deal with a complete stranger.
36:32If I pull this off, I'll be in the illicit perfume trade.
36:36But why did he agree to this so readily?
36:39And if it happens here all the time, are the streets of New York really so clean?
36:45Don't make me go for nothing because you know you don't need it.
36:49Now.
36:49Do you understand?
36:51Why am I here?
36:52Okay, all right.
37:03Well, saying that I wanted to buy 2,000 bottles of an expensive perfume, so I've left it with him
37:08because he says people trust him.
37:09He's going to see if he can find 2,000 units.
37:12We've agreed a price of $11, clearly counterfeit, and he's going to call me back.
37:17I'm going to say I'm a bit nervous about turning up to meet a guy with $22,000 in my
37:22pocket though.
37:31While I'm waiting for news from my perfume broker, I've got time for a rendezvous with the pickpocket gang.
37:38Yesterday after the meeting, I wasn't sure if I'd see them again, but they've called to arrange a meeting in
37:43a bar in Brooklyn, and I'm heading over there.
37:51They're going to give me a demonstration of their pickpocketing techniques. I agree on the basis that any money they
37:56steal, they give back.
38:04Before we meet them, we get rigged up.
38:10One, two, three, four guys over there who are ready to go into the bar and do a lift from
38:16someone's bag once they see the right victim.
38:17We're going in as a crew, so as soon as something gets stolen, we're going to see it.
38:26We know the lookout and the security guard are already there, but the pickpocket will come in later.
38:34One of the pickpockets befriends a woman at the bar. He's there to distract her attention. Her bag is hanging
38:40over the seat behind her.
38:46After half an hour of waiting and knowing what's about to happen, the gang turn up.
38:54They've chosen this bar because it's so dark. The main pickpocket, known as the Dipper, and his accomplice wait at
39:01the back. Our mics pick up their chat.
39:04She's at the end of the bar. We'll just go on both sides and we're going to order drinks and
39:08****.
39:09The bar is busy and the customers carry on oblivious.
39:15The woman remains distracted and when the moment is right, the Dipper strikes in the dark.
39:23In a split second, her wallet is his.
39:27Instantly, the gang leave. Round the corner, they hand the bag back to us and disappear into the night.
39:35After filming, we contacted the woman in the bar and made sure she got her money back.
39:41Well, it seems in New York you're always being watched.
39:44You know, even sitting in a bar like that one, you leave your bag over the back of your chair
39:48and get distracted by the person talking next to you.
39:51And your wallet has gone all too easily.
40:03While most people are enjoying a normal morning in Manhattan, I've got a possibly dangerous deal to complete.
40:10But my Haitian broker appears to have gone to ground.
40:22Hey, Breezy.
40:23See you again. How's it going?
40:24Yeah, you too, man. Thanks for coming down.
40:26I've been encountering various scams in New York.
40:30One that kind of found me, really, was selling perfume, saying it's kind of real perfume, when in fact it's
40:36fake perfume.
40:36I told people that I was looking for 2,000 bottles of Chanel No. 5.
40:42Okay.
40:42My concern is that that's a lot of money. It's 22 grand.
40:46And am I going to turn up and meet this guy again with 22 grand in my pocket?
40:52This is New York. You know, be careful.
40:56Like, they're looking for anyone that seems eager.
40:59You want to make it back across the water.
41:01You know, be careful where you're going and who you're allowing to know, you know, I have this much money
41:06on me and I want this perfume.
41:08And you can't really trust everybody like that, you know.
41:12Even if I turn up without the money, the fact that he's expecting me to have the money or even
41:16there's a possibility that I have the money.
41:18That he shows up with the actual merchandise and then you're looking like a little more than, you know, unprepared.
41:26Leave that one alone.
41:31Take my word on that one.
41:33What's the worst that can happen, Rosie?
41:35You don't want to end up floating in the East River or bumping into anybody's boat and we're wondering, you
41:44know, who's that guy there?
41:54Leave that one alone. Maybe Breezy has a point.
42:06Sleeping with the fishes in the East River is not exactly how I saw my future, but I've come too
42:12far to let it go.
42:13There's a man waiting for me with $22,000 worth of fake Chanel No. 5.
42:28After a restless night, dreaming about boats on the East River, I decide to take a chance.
42:35I have to know whether he's come up with the goods and to see if he can take me further
42:39along this fake perfume trail.
42:45I know Breezy said to stay clear of these guys, but they're the only people that I know who are
42:52going to give me the lowdown on what's going on in this counterfeit perfume industry.
42:57So I'm going to go back and talk to him one more time.
43:02It's business as usual this morning down in the Garment District, but my guy won't return my calls.
43:08Does he have cold feet too? Or is he working out an angle on how to rip me off?
43:17He's nowhere to be seen, but the lookouts and the runners are.
43:22Sorry mate, is that guy?
43:24He usually hangs around here.
43:26Yeah.
43:27You know the guy I mean? The tall guy?
43:28Yeah, he's around.
43:36It won't be long before they spot what we're doing.
43:39I can't hang around for too long.
43:43Then from nowhere, just like before, he appears.
43:48Hey, my friend. Hey.
43:49How are you?
43:50Remember me? You never called me.
43:53Anybody you come in and talking about 1,500, they're not going to believe you.
43:58Yeah. No, I don't work for the company and I don't work for the police.
44:01I know. I know.
44:02Do you know what I do?
44:04I make TV shows.
44:09From his reaction, that's not what he expected to hear.
44:13First of all, when I see you, you see you're going to bite.
44:15When you get over there, you change the subject.
44:18Me, I come here towards me.
44:19You know, I don't have time to waste.
44:21Listen, I don't want to waste your time.
44:23You want to come and get off the street?
44:24You want to come and talk to me?
44:25I can't do it here.
44:26You can't do it here?
44:27I will get killed.
44:29We decide to move away from the lookouts to somewhere much more discreet.
44:34I'm not sure how much he'll give away.
44:36He'll take some persuading to come clean.
44:39Listen, if I ask you anything that you're not comfortable,
44:43you want to say, I can't tell you that, that's fine.
44:45Just say, I can't tell you that.
44:48On the way, he goes to grab a drink.
44:50He's clearly terrified.
44:53He's really, really nervous about talking to me.
44:55He says, everyone here is watching everybody else.
44:57And so, we're going to go round the corner,
45:00and he's going to explain to me a little bit more about what's going on here
45:03in the counterfeit perfume industry.
45:06Finally, we settle outside a police station,
45:08where my Haitian friend feels more comfortable.
45:12Who is it you're scared of?
45:13You didn't want to talk over there.
45:17I'm just wondering, who is it you're scared of?
45:19Which people are you scared of?
45:26And is it always fake perfume?
45:30Right. And where does it come from?
45:36And where do the deliveries come in?
45:40Like big quantities?
45:43What sort of price do you think they're buying them in for?
45:50Maybe they're buying them in for four hours.
45:53Because they have to double the money.
45:56Whatever perfume you see here, they're all fake.
46:04It's nothing original.
46:06All of it is fake.
46:09All of them is fake.
46:15All imported from China.
46:18Water is perfect.
46:20You see there on Broadway,
46:22the oil is fake.
46:26For me, it's very dangerous.
46:28In my life, it's online.
46:32What I do now, they know they killed me.
46:38They will kill me.
46:47So I guess our deal is off.
46:50But I have my answer.
46:51This is a massive scam.
46:53And it could be way too dangerous to go deeper into on my own.
46:58It's all been a shock for my contacts.
47:03When I started looking for scams in New York, I thought maybe the Big Apple had cleaned up.
47:09But while some of the tourist scams are fairly harmless, others are operating on a commercial scale.
47:17Who knew that the average tourist on the hunt for a bargain would be two degrees of separation from crime?
47:24New York still has its gangs, but they're a lot harder to find.