The Clip Joint Scam

A clip joint is usually a night club or a strip club, claiming to offer bottle service and/or adult entertainment. “Customers are tricked into paying excessive amounts of money, for surprisingly low-grade goods or services—or sometimes, nothing—in return. Typically, clip joints suggest the possibility of sex, charge inflated prices for watered-down alcoholic drinks, and then throw out customers when they become unwilling or unable to spend more money. The products/services offered may be illegal, allowing the establishment to maintain such activities with little fear of punishment from law enforcement, since its victims/customers cannot report their abuse without also admitting that they broke the law as well. In the United States, clip joints were widespread during the national prohibition of alcohol from 1920 to 1933. They are generally outlawed in America now. Clip joints still operate openly in some areas of the world.”

The films Marked Woman, Manpower, Lullaby of Broadway, and The Penalty featured clip joints. The internet variation of this scam is a type of advance fee fraud, where bogus charges and fees are collected by illegal scam sites as “membership fees”, and in return the “member” gets nothing besides the realization that he/she has been scammed.

The Scam
Generally the victim or the ‘mark’ in this type of scam is a young adult male tourist. A young attractive woman approaches the mark and strikes up a conversation, where it is revealed that she is a local or claims to be one. She recommends visiting a “favorite local” club or bar. At the local club or bar, the mark is “usually seated at a table and joined by a “hostess,” who may or may not order drinks. Whether or not any “services” are performed or drinks are ordered has little bearing on the outlandish bill received at the end of the night. Bills are commonly hundreds of dollars, listing things like a “hostess fee” or “service charge.” The arrival of the bill typically corresponds with the arrival of a few large bouncers to ensure payment. The beautiful woman or women who originally lured the mark to the location will often make an excuse and leave prior to the arrival of the bill. If confronted the establishment will claim that they have no connection with the woman and indicate that she arrived with the mark, and as such the mark is responsible for all of the items on the bill.”

The mark is made to pay the amount. If he does not have the money on him, then the bouncers may accompany him to a nearby ATM, so that he can withdraw and pay the bill. If the mark does not have an ATM card, then usually the bouncers beat the mark and hand him over to the police on charges of theft of services. The charges are usually not proved and are dismissed. However, before handing the mark over to the police, the bouncers may take whatever valuables they may get, like wristwatch, necklace, rings, etc., after threatening the mark with further beatings if he reported the same to the police. “This scam is in a legal gray area if extortion is not explicitly involved, since there is no law against charging high prices and the customer is primarily responsible for determining the prices of services to be rendered before accepting them.”

To scam you, scammers use various ways like chain letter scam, green goods scam, miracle cars scam, Thailand airport scam, Spanish prisoner scam, badger game scam, black money scam, pigeon drop scam, Jamaican switch scam, poetry scam, mystery shopping scam, Father’s Day shopping scam, internet clearinghouse scam, computer finance scam, romance scam and various other scams. Avoid the scams by recognizing them. Stay alert and don’t get scammed.

REFERENCES:
1. Bell, Sarah,  “Cracking down on clip joint scams”. BBC News. 6 October 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8175510.stm
2. Del, John, “Roughed-Up Reveler Sues Club Over 3 Bottle Shakedown”. Gothamist. 31 December 2007. http://gothamist.com/2007/12/31/roughedup_revel.php
3. Thompson, Tony, “Soho clip joints to be forced out of business by police”, The Guardian/The Observer, 29 February 2004. http://www.guardian.co.uk/crime/article/0,2763,1158894,00.html