In 1904 a woman borrowed $5 million dollars from US Banks because people thought she was Andrew Carnegie’s illegitimate child. She wasn’t.
A type of food fraud where honey is cut with cheaper sugars…
A type of food fraud where honey is cut with cheaper sugars and syrups and then sold as pure honey is called “Honey Laundering”.
From 1995 to 2000, the winner of the McDonald’s Monopoly…
From 1995 to 2000, the winner of the McDonald’s Monopoly grand prize was an insider tasked with producing the game pieces.
Nigerian scammers once sold a fake airport to a major…
Nigerian scammers once sold a fake airport to a major international bank for $242 million, and the scam wasn’t discovered till 3 years later.
A guy implied he was going to build a 480 ft skyscraper but labeled…
A guy implied he was going to build a 480 ft skyscraper but labeled all the plans as 480″. Then he had it built 40′ tall as per the plans, pocketed the investment money and won in court because he didn’t technically defraud anyone.
Jesse Jackson, Jr. and his wife were sentenced to jail for using $750,000…
Jesse Jackson, Jr. and his wife were sentenced to jail for using $750,000 in campaign money for over 3000 personal purchases that included a Michael Jackson fedora and cashmere capes.
In 1849 New York, a man would walk up to strangers…
In 1849 New York, a man would walk up to strangers and begin a conversation. Gaining their trust, he would ask “Have you the confidence to trust me with your watch until tomorrow?” He would never return. When finally caught, he was labeled a “confidence man”, later shortened to simply “con man”. The man, William Thompson, would reportedly gain the confidence of his upper-class “mark” by dressing very nicely and pretending to be an old, forgotten friend. He was eventually arrested when one of his former victims recognized him on the street.