Last week we stood by watching Hattie lose $350. to two crooked women who stole her money using a process know to police as a "pigeon drop."

Hattie was the pigeon because she added her own $350 to an envelope containing, she thought, $1,500. The women said they’d share the $1,500 with Hattie (ha, ha, ha, ha).

About a week later, two men in business suits knock on Hattie’s door. They show badges. "We’ve located the women who stole your money," says the taller man. "With your help we can put them in prison."

Hattie is surprised but happy. "Will I get my $350 back?" she asks.

"We can’t promise anything, but we’ll do what we can, ma’ am," says one officer. The men ask Hattie to come with them to her bank. As they drive, the men explain how they plan to arrest the two women:

"These women are laundering money illegally, and they recognize serial numbers on money we try to plant at the bank. We want you to draw out as much money as possible and bring it back here to the car. We’ll mark your money in a way those women won’t recognize. We’ll explain the rest of the plan as soon as you bring us the money."

Hattie, the pigeon, follows her instructions to the letter. After marking (?) the $70,000, the two men tell Hattie to go back inside the bank and pick up six or eight deposit slips. "We’ll be a few steps behind you but we’ll pretend not to know you," says one of the men.

Again, Hattie goes back inside the bank. That’s the last time she ever sees either of these two men. In desperation, she tells one of the bank officers what’s happened.

The (real) police investigate, but rarely in such cases is the victim’s money recovered. The best advice in such schemes is found in this old law enforcement adage: "In God we trust-everybody else we fingerprint."