The Criminal Who Knew Which Social Buttons to Push
William Thompson capitalized on our natural desire to avoid awkwardness in social settings, avert a faux pas, and not give offense. When we run into somebody who seems to know us, but whom we cannot place, we often pretend to know exactly just who that person is. Thus, a well-heeled Thompson would approach a stranger who seemed to be a member of the upper class, strike up a conversation as if the two were acquainted, and shoot the breeze for a few minutes.
He would then ask his mark if he had the confidence to trust him with his watch or a small amount of money until the next day. It was a simpler America back in the nineteenth century, and New Yorkers must have been quite different in those days because, surprisingly, the scam worked. The mark, hesitant to give offense, often obliged. Unsurprisingly, the money or watch were never returned after Thompson walked away and left behind a bewildered mark trying to figure out what had just happened.