Police Log: FlimFlam Special At Shaw's

With the tendency of the criminally inclined to use the dead of night or a strong arm to take what they want, there is a certain charm and nostalgia for the flimflam man; the person who uses a confidence game involving slight of hand and quick talking to confuse a person into believing what is not true to swindle money from them. As a quote from the movie "House of Games" explains: "It's called a confidence game. Why? Because you give me your confidence? No. Because I give you mine."

On Aug. 20 at 3 p.m., Belmont Police was called to Shaw's Supermarket on Trapelo Road. There they met a manager who said a man wearing a blue shirt who initially made a very small purchase at the customer service desk victimized the store. After the sale, the man began a conversation with the employee at the desk concerning the purchase and the amount of money used for the sale. By the end of the conversation, the man left with $400. Police learned the man is well known to Shaw's as he had used this same or a similar sting to bamboozle money from other stores. The flimflamer is still at large.