33. Targeting Bigwigs
Highwaymen in particularly targeted aristocrats who were spotted wearing elaborate wigs. Since only the rich could afford big wigs, rich nobles were nicknamed “bigwigs”, after the lucrative target atop their heads.
Not all wig thieves used force. One account tells of a wig bandit so bold and skilled, that he was able to replace his target’s expensive wig with a cheap rug when the mark was distracted. The aristo, unaware of the switch, would then walk away, unaware that he had just lost a fortune. Unfortunately for the thieves, their gravy train eventually came to a halt when wigs went out of fashion.
