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Dumb Things

19 Mind-Boggling Scams That Actually Made These Conmen Millionaires

Whether selling the Eiffel Tower (twice!) or masquerading as a rich fashionista, these fraudsters got rich quick at other people’s expense.

Amy Wilkinson

March 13, 2020

Fake New York City socialite and heiress Anna Delvey — CaptionWho was the first con man? No one can say for sure (Jacob literally “fleeced” his father Isaac all the way back in biblical times), but the term “confidence man” itself has a pretty clear derivation. The term was likely inspired by a 19th-century New York man named William Thompson. Dressed as a proper gentleman, Thompson would strike up conversations with strangers on the street and once he’d won their favor, would ask if they had the “confidence” to lend him their watch overnight. He purloined many watches from many trusting men this way, and thus, the modern-day con man was born.

Of course, today’s fraudsters traffic in much larger prizes than mere timepieces—in fact, a handful have stolen sums totaling in the billions of dollars. From the first-ever catfish in history to the guys who put on the Fyre Festival, here are some of the biggest scammers of all time.Getty Images

CaptionWho was the first con man? No one can say for sure (Jacob literally “fleeced” his father Isaac all the way back in biblical times), but the term “confidence man” itself has a pretty clear derivation. The term was likely inspired by a 19th-century New York man named William Thompson. Dressed as a proper gentleman, Thompson would strike up conversations with strangers on the street and once he’d won their favor, would ask if they had the “confidence” to lend him their watch overnight. He purloined many watches from many trusting men this way, and thus, the modern-day con man was born.

Of course, today’s fraudsters traffic in much larger prizes than mere timepieces—in fact, a handful have stolen sums totaling in the billions of dollars. From the first-ever catfish in history to the guys who put on the Fyre Festival, here are some of the biggest scammers of all time.Getty Images

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