Spanish Prisoner
Encyclopedia
The Spanish Prisoner is a confidence trick
originating in the late 19th century. In its original form, the con-man tells his victim (the mark) that he is in correspondence with a wealthy person of high estate who has been imprisoned in Spain under a false identity. Supposedly the prisoner cannot reveal his identity without serious repercussions, and is relying on a friend (the confidence trickster) to raise money to secure his release. The confidence trickster offers to let the mark put up some of the funds, with a promise that he will be financially rewarded when the prisoner returns, and perhaps also by gaining the hand of a beautiful woman represented to be the prisoner's daughter. After the mark has turned over the funds, he is informed that further difficulties have arisen and more money is needed. With such explanations, the trickster continues to press for more money until the victim is cleaned out or declines to put up more funds.
, written and directed by David Mamet
, includes such a confidence trick as part of the plot, as does his other film about con men, House of Games
(1987). Comedian Steve Martin
stars as the serious confidence man performing the Spanish Prisoner con in Mamet's film and, in contrast, also starred in the 1988 film Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
as a comically unaccomplished con man who becomes associated with an expert Spanish Prisoner con artist (played by Michael Caine
).
The 1967 film The Flim-Flam Man
also contains a Spanish Prisoner con. A short story
by Arthur Train
entitled "The Spanish Prisoner" was published by Cosmopolitan
in March 1910.
The first episode of season seven of Hustle
shows the team carrying out this con, simultaneously, on four marks, using the same "prisoner" in each case, with a different team-member acting as con-artist and collaborative-convincer.
The March 9, 1951 episode of the Sam Spade radio program is entitled "The Spanish Prisoner" and includes a version and full description of the classic scam.
Confidence trick
A confidence trick is an attempt to defraud a person or group by gaining their confidence. A confidence artist is an individual working alone or in concert with others who exploits characteristics of the human psyche such as dishonesty and honesty, vanity, compassion, credulity, irresponsibility,...
originating in the late 19th century. In its original form, the con-man tells his victim (the mark) that he is in correspondence with a wealthy person of high estate who has been imprisoned in Spain under a false identity. Supposedly the prisoner cannot reveal his identity without serious repercussions, and is relying on a friend (the confidence trickster) to raise money to secure his release. The confidence trickster offers to let the mark put up some of the funds, with a promise that he will be financially rewarded when the prisoner returns, and perhaps also by gaining the hand of a beautiful woman represented to be the prisoner's daughter. After the mark has turned over the funds, he is informed that further difficulties have arisen and more money is needed. With such explanations, the trickster continues to press for more money until the victim is cleaned out or declines to put up more funds.
Characteristics
Key features of the Spanish Prisoner trick are the emphasis on secrecy and the trust the confidence trickster apparently places in the mark not to reveal the prisoner's identity or situation. The confidence trickster will typically claim to have chosen the mark carefully, based on his reputation for honesty and straight dealing, and may appear to structure the deal so that the confidence trickster's ultimate share of the reward will be distributed voluntarily by the mark.Modern variants
Modern variants of the Spanish Prisoner include the advance-fee fraud, in particular the Nigerian money transfer fraud (or 419 scam). In the advance fee fraud, a valuable item must be ransomed from a warehouse, crooked customs agent, or lost baggage facility before the authorities or thieves recognize its value. In the Nigerian variation, a self-proclaimed relative of a deposed African dictator offers to transfer millions of ill-gotten dollars into the bank account of the victim in return for small initial payments to cover bribes and other expenses. More recent examples feature people sharing the same surname as the intended victim, with the scammer guessing the surname from observing patterns in e-mail addresses, or obtaining full names from harvested e-mail headers.In popular culture
The 1997 film The Spanish PrisonerThe Spanish Prisoner
The Spanish Prisoner is a 1997 American suspense film, written and directed by David Mamet and starring Campbell Scott, Steve Martin, Rebecca Pidgeon, Ben Gazzara and Ricky Jay...
, written and directed by David Mamet
David Mamet
David Alan Mamet is an American playwright, essayist, screenwriter and film director.Best known as a playwright, Mamet won a Pulitzer Prize and received a Tony nomination for Glengarry Glen Ross . He also received a Tony nomination for Speed-the-Plow . As a screenwriter, he received Oscar...
, includes such a confidence trick as part of the plot, as does his other film about con men, House of Games
House of Games
House of Games is David Mamet's 1987 film directorial debut. Mamet wrote the screenplay himself, from a story he devised with Jonathan Katz. The film's cast includes Lindsay Crouse, Joe Mantegna, Ricky Jay, and J. T. Walsh.-Plot:...
(1987). Comedian Steve Martin
Steve Martin
Stephen Glenn "Steve" Martin is an American actor, comedian, writer, playwright, producer, musician and composer....
stars as the serious confidence man performing the Spanish Prisoner con in Mamet's film and, in contrast, also starred in the 1988 film Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (film)
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is a 1988 American comedy film directed by Frank Oz. The screenplay by Dale Launer, Stanley Shapiro, and Paul Henning focuses on two con artists who ply their trade on the French Riviera...
as a comically unaccomplished con man who becomes associated with an expert Spanish Prisoner con artist (played by Michael Caine
Michael Caine
Sir Michael Caine, CBE is an English actor. He won Academy Awards for best supporting actor in both Hannah and Her Sisters and The Cider House Rules ....
).
The 1967 film The Flim-Flam Man
The Flim-Flam Man
The Flim-Flam Man is a 1967 American film directed by Irvin Kershner, starring George C. Scott, Michael Sarrazin and Sue Lyon, based on the novel The Ballad of the Flim-Flam Man by Guy Owen. The film boasts a cast of well-known character actors in supporting roles, including Jack Albertson, Slim...
also contains a Spanish Prisoner con. A short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
by Arthur Train
Arthur Train
Arthur Cheney Train was an American lawyer and legal thriller writer, particularly known for his novels of courtroom intrigue and the creation of the fictional lawyer Mr Ephraim Tutt.-Life:...
entitled "The Spanish Prisoner" was published by Cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan (magazine)
Cosmopolitan is an international magazine for women. It was first published in 1886 in the United States as a family magazine, was later transformed into a literary magazine and eventually became a women's magazine in the late 1960s...
in March 1910.
The first episode of season seven of Hustle
Hustle (TV series)
Hustle is a British television drama series made by Kudos Film and Television for BBC One in the United Kingdom. Created by Tony Jordan and first broadcast in 2004, the series follows a group of con artists who specialise in "long cons" – extended deceptions which require greater commitment, but...
shows the team carrying out this con, simultaneously, on four marks, using the same "prisoner" in each case, with a different team-member acting as con-artist and collaborative-convincer.
The March 9, 1951 episode of the Sam Spade radio program is entitled "The Spanish Prisoner" and includes a version and full description of the classic scam.
External links
- The Spanish Prisoner Original story by Arthur Train
- Metropolitan Police Service - Fraud Alert
- Feb. 13, 1910: Fraud Letters Flood State Minneapolis Tribune newspaper article
- Examples of Spanish Prisoner letters