The Unmasking of a Traveling Grifter
A persistent con man who preyed on local residents by posing as a member of the 'fraternity' was finally arrested after fleecing a victim in Port Townsend.
An individual going under the name of Eton, who has been to almost every town in the territory, was arrested at Port Townsend and taken to Tacoma yesterday. He is well up in assurance and has been posing as a member of the fraternity wherever he has been. He obtained $150 from a resident of the Port of Ebey through false pretenses and was wanted as a swindler at other points. He is now held to answer and to await prosecution in this territory.
“He is well up in assurance and has been posing as a member of the fraternity wherever he has been.”
This 1887 report of a persistent, itinerant swindler preying on local social circles mirrors modern concerns about digital identity theft and sophisticated 'social engineering' scams that still target unsuspecting residents in growing cities like Seattle.
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