9 Most Famous Con Artists And Their Famous Scams In The World

There have been numerous outrageous con artists throughout history who have sold monuments like the Taj Mahal and created fictitious billion-dollar businesses. Continue reading to learn about the famous scams perpetrated by the nine most notorious con artists in history.

Like all primates, humans evolved in the wild. At the time, survival was crucial, so humans developed numerous defense mechanisms to survive. Deception was one of these defenses, and it is still used a lot.

Although they do not have the ability to communicate, other animals also use deception to ward off attacks and lure prey. Using deception in communication is known as lying, and it has been practiced for thousands of years.

Like politicians and cults, people frequently lie to get their way, make a sale, get an interview, or influence other people. However, when it comes to deception, some people stand out from the crowd.

Throughout history, individuals have sold landmarks like the Taj Mahal and the Eiffel Tower; either impersonated famous people and lived their lives or created fake businesses and became insanely rich. The tales of these con artists range from completely unbelievable to why didn't I think of that. In light of this, take a look at the nine most notorious con artists ever.

Top most notorious con artist in the world

• Charles Ponzi
• Natwarlal
• Sylvia Browne
• False Dmitry
• Gregor MacGregor
• Amy Bock
• William Thompson
• Frank Abagnale
• Elizabeth Holmes

1. Charles Ponzi

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The Famous Scams of the 9 Most Famous Con Artists in History In the early 20th century, Charles Ponzi was an Italian businessman and con artist who was responsible for defrauding thousands of investors. Investors were conned out of an estimated $32 million, which is now worth nearly half a billion dollars. The con Ponzi pulled off was so massive and out of this world that it was named after him, despite the fact that he wasn't the first to try it: the pyramid scheme.

Before being caught, Ponzi led an extravagant lifestyle. Before World War II, he was deported to Italy and moved to Brazil, where he died penniless and alone after spending years in and out of prison.

The Ponzi scheme is a straightforward but effective con that still deceives unsuspecting investors. Falsely promising investors high returns, paying them out of money from previous investors, and continuing the cycle until it grows in size are all part of it.

Since then, numerous others have successfully orchestrated Ponzi schemes. Before being caught in 2008, American trader Bernie Madoff used a Ponzi scheme to make nearly $19 billion.

2. Natwarlal

Indian conman Natwarlal (Mithilesh Kumar Srivastava) sold the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the Red Fort, and the Taj Mahal. One of the most prolific con artists of all time, Natwarlal is widely acknowledged. He orchestrated numerous prison evasions and tried almost every kind of con.

Natwarlal started forging checks when he was young, followed by forging documents and committing elaborate frauds. Numerous merchants, prostitutes, jewelers, bankers, and foreigners were conned out of thousands of rupees by him. Natwarlal is also well-known for his clever schemes and high intelligence. The sales of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the Red Fort, and the Taj Mahal are probably his most well-known accomplishments.

Due to the non-violent nature of his crimes and the fact that he primarily targeted the wealthy, Natwarlal became a Robin Hood figure. In his village, he was regarded as a celebrity and frequently donated his wealth to the needy. Natwarlal was imprisoned for approximately two decades before he escaped in 1996 at the age of 84.

3. Sylvia Browne

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Sylvia Browne was an American author and self-described psychic who claimed to be able to communicate with God. In the latter half of the 20th century, she rose to fame on radio and television by regularly participating in séances and appearing on talk shows. In addition, Browne wrote more than forty books, some of which were on The New York Times Best Sellers list.

Additionally, Sylvia Browne claimed to have observed angels and heaven. However, Browne got into trouble when she started manipulating people who were in pain and in need of help. She made false claims about the victims' circumstances when she met with relatives of those who had gone missing. Browne was also committing investment fraud and defrauding her gullible supporters while she was playing with the victims' emotions.

4. False Dmitry

False Dmitry There are impersonators, and then there are those who pose as the head of one of the world's largest empires. Imposters who pretended to be Dmitry Ivanovich of Russia, the youngest son of Tsar Ivan the Terrible, are referred to as False Dmitry. At the time, no paintings or photos could be used to identify the royal family.

Russia's throne was threatened by a number of imposters, some of whom almost succeeded. All three of the fictitious Dmitrys came from humble beginnings and a desire to conquer Russia. 11 months after being crowned king, False Dmitry I was killed, and his wife accepted False Dmitry II as her deceased husband.

5. Gregor MacGregor

Gregor MacGregor was a Scottish soldier and adventurer who sold investors in London a fictitious utopian South American island. MacGregor unsuccessfully attempted to live as an aristocrat in London after marrying a wealthy woman. He moved to Venezuela following the death of his wife, where he got married to another wealthy woman and helped in the war against Spain.

MacGregor began referring to himself as the Cazique (prince) of Poyais, an island kingdom in the Bay of Honduras, when he and his wife moved back to Britain in 1821. Macgregor made outrageous claims that the island was ready to be colonized, had gold-rich rivers, fertile land, and a thriving harbor. In addition, in order to increase the credibility of his claims, he produced fake currency, a flag, maps, land grants, and other documents. By selling land in Poyais, MacGregor realized his goal of joining high society.

However, when the colonists arrived at the aforementioned island, they found nothing but barren land. Hundreds of thousands of pounds were lost and many of them died from diseases. MacGregor moved to France and retired in Venezuela, where he spent the rest of his life, where he continued to deceive people.

6. Amy Bock

Amy Bock was a trickster from New Zealand who was born in Tasmania and spent most of her life committing small frauds. She used to make passionate pleas for money, property, watches, and other items to her employers or other unsuspecting acquaintances, and then run away.

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Bock carried on with these swindles for the greater part of her life, but upon her release from prison, she orchestrated one of the most flagrant scams ever. In order to woo Agnes Ottaway, a wealthy woman, she assumed the identity of wealthy sheep farmer Percy Redwood. Even though they got married, Bock's con was short-lived because she was arrested for fraud three days after the wedding.

7. William Thompson

William Thompson was a criminal from the United States whose deeds gave rise to the term confidence man, which is now synonymous with con man. In upstate New York, Thompson approached wealthy upper-class individuals and won their trust or confidence. After that, Thompson would demand money or valuable items like watches. After that, he'd run off with the items.

8. Frank Abagnale

Frank Abagnale is an American convicted felon who orchestrated a nationwide cheque fraud scheme, stealing millions of dollars, when he was in his early 20s. He also acted as a pilot, a lawyer, and a doctor. Abagnale reportedly passed the bar exam after flying 2 million miles. He was arrested at 21 after committing fraud in 12 nations.

Abagnale claims that after completing his sentence, he worked as a consultant for the FBI and assisted in the capture of additional check forgers. Journalists and the FBI themselves have disproved some of his claims, but Abagnale has always maintained that he exaggerated his actions. His reputation as a con artist is only enhanced by these new developments. He conned people into thinking he was a conman.

Catch Me If You Can, directed by Steven Spielberg in 2002, focused on Abagnale.

9. Elizabeth Holmes

Elizabeth Holmes was a prominent figure in Silicon Valley who gave Mark Zuckerberg a hard time. Holmes left Stanford University in 2003 to start Theranos, a health technology company that claimed to have changed blood testing. By 2015, Holmes had been named the youngest and richest self-made female billionaire in the world due to Theranos' explosive growth.

Surprisingly, even though Theranos was valued at $9 billion, all of its success was built on lies. Following the discovery of Theranos' fraudulent claims, Holmes' net worth decreased to zero within a year. Theranos' blood testing technology had been the subject of Holmes's deceptive or exaggerated claims for years, according to investigations.

Holmes could face up to 20 years in prison while awaiting his sentence. The Dropout, a 2022 Hulu miniseries, focused on her.

Conclusion:

Convincing someone is difficult. A skilled manipulator is required to persuade people to part with their most prized possessions. Con artists, despite their difficulty, are not saints. They leave people vulnerable in a competitive world by emotionally and financially harming them. The majority of con artists, regardless of their success, are eventually caught and die in poverty alone. In the list of the nine most infamous con artists and the famous scams they perpetrated, we have identified some of these people for you. The list should have taught you something interesting.