21st Century Crime

A man robbing an armored car in Washington State recruited his unwitting henchmen from Craigslist.

“ . . . an ad was posted on the free classified advertising site, asking for 15 to 20 men to show up near the Bank of America on Old Owen Road at 11:15 a.m. Tuesday to work on a maintenance project called “Restore Monroe.”

“The men were to wear dark blue shirts and surgical masks covering their noses and mouths. In return, they’d be paid about $28 per hour, which Willis said is well above the standard for that kind of work . . . “

While these guys were standing around providing a distraction, a man dressed in a similar fashion maced the guard, grabbed the bag of money, and ran for a nearby river, where his getaway inner tube was waiting.

This is damn near perfect. Using 21st century communication technology, a man recruits a gang of accomplices who don’t even know they’re accomplices. He’s assembled a criminal gang as if they were a flashmob! (“Wear a flat cap, domino mask, and a striped shirt, and carry a bag labeled ‘SWAG.'”)

Meanwhile in Nigeria, Henry Okah and the boys of MEND use similar tactics to recruit a guerilla army, embargo and/or steal half a million barrels of oil every day.

Here’s an idea whose time has come. (And fortunately, it’s what my next book is going to be about.)