[frmrda]

I must say, I have never heard of these folks and I'm utterly fascinated by this whole subculture.

One question I have is why these people are driving around such fancy cars? How does that help in the con?

[Eridanus]

I have to admit, when I first heard the comment "Irish Traveler" on the radio the other day, I cracked up. The notion seems so outrageous that there are still gypsy - like folk in America. Like in the beginning of an article I read, the whole concept of it is 'from another time, another continent.'
This is what is interesting to many people who had never heard of the travelers. It is almost a romantic concept, in a way.
What most people don't realize is that their are many other groups of oddballs in the country that seem impossible. In northern NJ, in the mountains live the mysterious "Van Dunk" clan. Ask any regional person and they will act revolted at that name. A derogatory name of these people is the Jackson Whites. Centuries of inbreeding have led to giant blue eyes, albinism and other genetic defects. Their are thousands and you have to get really into the mountains on the loneliest back dirt roads to find their communities of huts without running water or power. And this is only 40 minutes away from one of the biggest cities in the world, NY!
In NY itself, or rather underneath NY lie entire communities of thousands of 'mole people' who live in the depths of abandoned subway tunnels and have learned to hate the 'surface dwellers' whom they have never seen, for they have never seen the sun. Read "The Mole People" by Jennifer Toth for an academic study of those people.
Their are a lot of bizarre folks like the travelers that most people know nothing about. I thought I knew all about the weird subgroups of people in America, but then I heard of the travelers. Just shows, you learn something new every day!

[Devil_Anse]

That's a good question: why do they drive those fancy cars? For that matter, why do so many of them have fancy $500,000+ homes up in Murphy's Village, SC, when they apparently spend little or no time in the homes?

I don't think the cars are part of the scam. I think they just buy the best--or flashiest--because they have a taste for such things. If you or I separated a few sick old ladies from their life savings each year, you or I might also take an "easy come, easy go" attitude, and just buy the most expensive car on the lot, just for the hell of it!