⬇ DOWNLOAD STUDENT HANDOUTS · DOCX ⬇ DOWNLOAD TEACHER PLAN · DOCX

Vocabulary Grammar Reading Listening Speaking Writing

The Real Hustle: 1 · The Street Scam 2 · The Long Con 3 · The Digital Trap 4 · Caught in the Act

The Real Hustle · Lesson 1 of 4

Teacher's Lesson Plan

Lesson Overview

Series

The Real Hustle — a four-lesson crime series. Each lesson follows investigative journalist Anna as she exposes a different type of scam.

This lesson

Lesson 1 — The Street Scam. Anna witnesses a classic three-card trick in a busy market. She talks to the scammer, the victims and a police officer — and discovers that the scam has been running in the same spot for years.

Level

Duration

90 minutes

Skills

Reading · Listening · Speaking · Writing (+ Vocabulary + Grammar)

Grammar

Present Simple — how scams work; general facts about crime
Past Simple — what happened in the market; completed events
Can — ability, possibility, permission in a crime context
Passive (Present + Past) — victims are targeted; money was taken

Vocabulary

10 words (B1): scam · victim · suspect · distract · deceive · witness · investigate · confess · evidence · arrest

Materials

Student Handouts 1–6 (printed); whiteboard; this plan

Key Grammar — Teaching Notes

Present Simple vs Past Simple

Present Simple = how scams generally work, facts, repeated actions:
The scammer stands on the corner every day. · Victims don't realise they have been cheated.

Past Simple = what happened in the specific incident:
Anna saw the scam at 2pm. · The man took the money and disappeared.

Common B1 error: using Past Simple for general facts. Board contrast:
✓ Scammers always work in groups. (PS — general)
✓ Yesterday, three scammers worked in the market. (Past S — specific)

Passive — Present and Past

Present Passive: Victims are targeted near tourist areas. · The money is taken before anyone notices.
Past Passive: Three people were cheated yesterday. · The scammer was arrested last week.

Focus: passive is natural in crime reporting — we often don't know who did the action, or the victim is more important than the criminal.

Can — ability, possibility and permission

A good scammer can distract you in seconds. (ability)
This can happen to anyone, anywhere. (possibility)
You can't film people without permission. (permission)
Can the police do anything about it? (question — possibility)

Lesson Procedure

Time

Stage

Skill

Teacher does

Students do

0–6 min

Lead-in

Speaking

"Have you ever been tricked or scammed? What happened?" Board: "A scammer takes your money — but is it your fault?" Discuss.

Share experiences. Discuss the question.

6–14 min

Vocabulary

—

10 B1 words. Quick concept-check. Part B gap-fill.

Part A: read + self-test. Part B: gap-fill.

14–40 min

Grammar

—

PS vs Past S → Passive → Can → contrast exercises 1–5.

Study cards. Exercises 1–5. Pair-check.

40–53 min

Reading

Gist: "What did Anna see? What does the police officer say?" Tasks 1–2.

Read Anna's report. Questions. T/F/NG.

53–65 min

Listening

Context: "Anna interviews a market victim." Read TWICE.

MCQ. Notes. Compare.

65–78 min

Speaking

Role-play: interview + debate. Monitor PS vs Past S + Passive.

Interview as victim/journalist. Debate. Discussion.

78–90 min

Writing

80–100 words. Police report or news article. All 4 structures.

Write the report. Self-check.

Listening Script — 'He Was So Fast'

Read aloud twice at a clear B1 pace. Do not show to students during the tasks.

Anna:

Excuse me — can I ask you a few questions? I'm a journalist. I saw what happened at that card table.

Michael:

Yes — I was cheated. I still can't believe it. I lost forty euros.

Anna:

Can you tell me exactly what happened?

Michael:

I was walking through the market. A man called me over. He showed me three cards and said I could win twenty euros if I found the red card. I watched carefully. But I chose the wrong card. Then another man pushed past me — and when I looked again, the card table was gone. The money was taken. I was deceived.

Anna:

Did you know it was a scam?

Michael:

I suspected it. But the first card he showed me — it was red. I was so sure. He was so fast. These people can switch the cards in less than a second. You can't see it happen. It's impossible.

Anna:

Can the police do anything?

Michael:

I reported it. But the officer said this scam is operated by a group — and when one person is arrested, another one takes their place the next day. The market is used as a trap. Tourists are targeted every single weekend.

Grammar in the script:
· PS: these people can switch cards / this scam is operated / tourists are targeted / another one takes their place
· Past S: I was walking / a man called me over / I watched / I chose / the table was gone / I lost / I reported it
· Can: can I ask / can you tell me / I could win / can switch / you can't see / can the police do
· Passive: I was cheated / I was deceived / the money was taken / is operated / when one is arrested / are targeted / the market is used

Answer Key

Handout 1 — Vocabulary

Part B: 1. scam 2. victim 3. suspect 4. distract 5. deceive 6. witness 7. investigate 8. confess 9. evidence 10. arrest

Handout 2 — Grammar

Ex 1 (PS or Past S?): 1. PS 2. Past S 3. PS 4. Past S 5. PS 6. Past S 7. PS 8. Past S

Ex 2 (complete): 1. work (PS) 2. saw (Past S) 3. can switch (Can) 4. are targeted (Passive PS) 5. disappeared (Past S) 6. was arrested (Passive Past S) 7. can't see (Can) 8. was taken (Passive Past S)

Ex 3 (active → passive): 1. Three tourists were cheated by the scammer. 2. The money is always taken quickly. 3. Two suspects were arrested by police last night. 4. Victims are chosen carefully.

Ex 4 (can): 1. can distract 2. can't get 3. Can you describe 4. can happen 5. can't film

Ex 5 (errors): 1. are (PS passive — general) 2. saw (Past S — specific time) 3. can't (not possibility of negative) 4. was taken (Past passive) 5. happens (PS — general fact)

Handout 3 — Reading

Task 1: 1. She saw a three-card trick in a busy market. 2. The scammer works in a group — when one is arrested, another takes his place the next day. 3. Because the police say the market is used as a trap every weekend and tourists are targeted regularly. 4. He lost his money because the scammer switched the cards so fast that he couldn't see it. 5. She believes the public needs to be warned — the same scam is used in tourist areas all over Europe.

Task 2 (T/F/NG): 1 T 2 F (the same scammer — or a replacement — is back the next day) 3 T 4 NG 5 T

Handout 4 — Listening

Task 1: 1-B 2-C 3-A

Task 2: (1) forty euros (2) three cards / red card (3) can switch / less than a second (4) was arrested / takes their place (5) are targeted / every weekend

The Real Hustle · Lesson 1 of 4

The Street Scam

Student Handouts

Name:

Date:

Class:

Handout 1

Vocabulary

Part A — Key Words

Word

What it means

scam

a dishonest plan to trick someone and take their money — the three-card trick is a classic street scam

victim

a person who is harmed or tricked by someone else

suspect

a person the police think may have committed a crime — the man near the card table was the main suspect

distract

to take someone's attention away from what they are doing — an accomplice distracts the victim while the scammer acts

deceive

to make someone believe something that is not true — the scammer deceived three tourists in one afternoon

witness

a person who sees something happen — Anna was a witness to the whole scam

investigate

to find out the facts about a crime or a problem — the police investigated the market complaint

confess

to admit that you did something wrong — the man confessed to running the scam for two years

evidence

facts or objects that help prove something is true — the police found evidence of a larger organised group

arrest

to take someone to the police station because they are suspected of a crime

Part B — Fill in the Gaps

1.The three-card trick is one of the oldest street __________________ in the world — and it still works.

2.The __________________ was a tourist who lost sixty euros in less than a minute.

3.The main __________________ was a man in a blue jacket who ran away when he saw Anna's camera.

4.An accomplice in the crowd tries to __________________ the victim by asking them a question at the critical moment.

5.The scammer __________________ his victims by switching the cards at incredible speed.

6.Anna was a __________________ — she saw everything from across the square.

7.The police __________________ four complaints in the same market last month.

8.The man __________________ that he worked for a larger criminal organisation in the city.

9.The police found no __________________ — the scammer had already removed everything from the scene.

10.Two men were __________________ near the market on Saturday evening.

Handout 2

Grammar

Four Structures — The Language of Crime

PRESENT SIMPLE
General facts, how scams work, repeated actions.
Street scammers work in groups. · The victim never sees the switch. · This happens in tourist areas all over the world.
Ask: "Is this always true / usually true?" → Present Simple

PAST SIMPLE
Completed events at a specific time in the past.
Anna saw the scam at 2pm. · The man took the money and ran. · Three tourists lost money yesterday.
Ask: "Did it happen at a specific time?" → Past Simple

CAN
Ability, possibility and permission.
A scammer can switch cards in less than a second. (ability)
This can happen to anyone. (possibility)
You can't film here without permission. (permission)
Can the police stop it? (question — possibility)

PASSIVE
When the action matters more than who does it — very common in crime reports.
Present: Tourists are targeted near markets. · Money is taken quickly.
Past: Three people were cheated. · The man was arrested.
Structure: be (is/are/was/were) + past participle

KEY CONTRAST — Present Simple vs Past Simple:
"Scammers always work in groups." → PS (always true) · "Yesterday, the scammer worked near the fountain." → Past S (specific)

Exercise 1 — Present Simple or Past Simple?

Write PS (Present Simple) or Past S (Past Simple) for each sentence.

1.Street scammers always work in pairs or small groups. [ ]

2.Anna saw the scam from across the square yesterday. [ ]

3.Victims never realise the cards have been switched. [ ]

4.The man disappeared before the police arrived. [ ]

5.This type of scam occurs in tourist markets all over Europe. [ ]

6.Michael chose the wrong card and lost forty euros. [ ]

7.The police investigate complaints but rarely make arrests. [ ]

8.Two officers questioned the witnesses for thirty minutes. [ ]

Exercise 2 — Complete the Sentences

Use the correct form: Present Simple · Past Simple · Can · Passive.

1.Street scammers __________________ (work) in organised teams — this is always true.

2.Anna __________________ (see) the scam from the other side of the market at 2pm.

3.A skilled scammer __________________ (switch) the cards faster than the eye can follow. [Can]

4.Tourists __________________ (target) near the main entrance every Saturday. [Passive PS]

5.The man __________________ (disappear) before anyone could stop him. [Past S]

6.One suspect __________________ (arrest) by police on Sunday evening. [Passive Past S]

7.You __________________ (not / see) the switch — it happens in less than a second. [Can]

8.Sixty euros __________________ (take) from Michael before he realised what happened. [Passive Past S]

Exercise 3 — Active to Passive

Rewrite each sentence in the passive. Keep the same tense.

1. "The scammer cheated three tourists." (Past)

___________________________________________________________________________

2. "They always take the money quickly." (Present)

___________________________________________________________________________

3. "Police arrested two suspects last night." (Past)

___________________________________________________________________________

4. "Scammers choose victims very carefully." (Present)

___________________________________________________________________________

Exercise 4 — Can or Can't?

Complete with can or can't.

1.A skilled scammer __________________ distract you before you even notice.

2.The police __________________ always get the money back — it's usually gone.

3.__________________ you describe the man you saw? (police question)

4.This type of scam __________________ happen anywhere — even in safe areas.

5.You __________________ film inside the police station without permission.

Exercise 5 — Find and Correct the Error

Each sentence has ONE mistake.

1. "Tourists was targeted by scammers every weekend."

Corrected: ___________________________________________________________________

2. "Anna sees the scam yesterday at two o'clock."

Corrected: ___________________________________________________________________

3. "You can to film this — it's happening in a public place."

Corrected: ___________________________________________________________________

4. "The money taken before anyone could stop him."

Corrected: ___________________________________________________________________

5. "This scam happened in tourist areas all over the world." (general fact)

Corrected: ___________________________________________________________________

Handout 3

Reading

Anna's Report — The Card Game in the Market

The scene

At two o'clock on a Saturday afternoon, Anna walked through the central market. She heard shouting near the fountain. A man stood behind a small folding table. Three cards lay on the table — two black, one red. "Find the red card and win twenty euros," he said. A small crowd watched. A woman placed her money down. She chose the wrong card. The man smiled. The money was taken.

The scam

This is called the three-card trick — or "Find the Lady." It is one of the oldest street scams in the world. The scammer shows you where the red card is. But then he switches it at incredible speed. Victims never see the switch. An accomplice stands in the crowd and pretends to win — to encourage others to play. The real victims are chosen carefully: tourists who look confident but distracted.

The police

Anna spoke to Officer Chen, who patrols the market every weekend. "This scam is operated by a team," he said. "When one person is arrested, another one takes their place the next day. The market is used as a trap. Complaints were made seventeen times last year. Two arrests were made. Both men were released within twenty-four hours." The police can investigate, but they can't always stop it. The law is complicated — money is handed over voluntarily.

After reading: Underline every passive construction. Can you find at least six?

Task 1 — Answer the Questions

Write full sentences.

1.What did Anna see in the market?