There’s something undeniably captivating about con artists. Their schemes often reveal dazzling audacity and cunning intelligence, but they also leave a trail of devastated victims. These tricksters played on human trust and greed to make their crimes work, building illusions so persuasive that even the sharpest minds were fooled. From selling monuments they didn’t own to peddling fake technology to investors, their exploits feel more like works of fiction than real-life events. Today, we’ll peel back the stories of some of history’s most infamous con artists, exposing the truth behind their clever deceptions and the devastation they left behind.

Victor Lustig - The Man Who "Sold" the Eiffel Tower (Twice!)

Victor Lustig is famous for one of the boldest cons in history. Born in Austria-Hungary in 1890, Lustig's most daring stunt occurred in 1925 when he set his sights on Paris’ Eiffel Tower. At that time, the Eiffel Tower was seen by many as a rusting, expensive-to-maintain structure. Spotting an opportunity, Lustig forged government documents and posed as a high-ranking official from the Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs. He “explained” to several scrap metal dealers that the government intended to quietly sell the Eiffel Tower for scrap.

Lustig’s charm and forged documents convinced his first victim, businessman André Poisson, to pay thousands of francs—not only for the “purchase” of the Eiffel Tower but also as a bribe to seal the deal. When Poisson realized he had been conned, he was too embarrassed to report it to the officials. Emboldened, Lustig tried the scheme again a few months later. This time, his potential buyers became suspicious and alerted authorities, forcing Lustig to flee to the United States.

Though Lustig's scams didn’t stop there, he was eventually arrested in the U.S. in 1935 for a large-scale counterfeiting operation. Despite his downfall, he remains one of history's smoothest criminals.

Anna Sorokin - The Fake Heiress of New York

Anna Sorokin, better known by her alias Anna Delvey, dazzled New York’s upper crust in the 2010s. Posing as a wealthy German heiress with a substantial trust fund, Sorokin wormed her way into exclusive social circles, portraying herself as someone ready to launch a high-end art club. But Anna Delvey wasn’t actually a wealthy heiress. She was the daughter of working-class Russian immigrants and grew up in Germany.

Through sheer confidence and careful image-crafting, Sorokin stayed in luxury hotels, dined at extravagant restaurants, and attended important social events. She even convinced major banks to lend her tens of thousands of dollars, ultimately attempting to secure a $22 million loan for her fictional art club.

Her glamorous façade began to unravel in 2017 when she was arrested for grand larceny. Sorokin was convicted in 2019 of stealing approximately $275,000 from investors, friends, hotels, and banks. While her crimes were serious, many were fascinated by how she used charisma and appearances to fool so many people.

Frank Abagnale - The Real Story Behind Catch Me If You Can

Frank Abagnale Jr. became widely known thanks to his dramatized autobiography and Steven Spielberg’s 2002 movie Catch Me If You Can. According to the story, Abagnale claimed to have posed as a Pan Am pilot, a doctor, a lawyer, and a professor, all while forging over $2.5 million in fake checks across multiple countries. But decades after his story made headlines, many of Abagnale’s claims have been debunked.

He did impersonate a Pan Am pilot and forge checks, but the scale of his cons was much smaller than he originally claimed. Investigations show he spent much of the time between ages 16 and 21 in prison, making it impossible for him to have accomplished the exploits he described. For example, he never successfully posed as a doctor or a lawyer, and he did not cash $2.5 million worth of fraudulent checks. Instead, his actual criminal gains amounted to less than $1,500 in Pan Am payroll check fraud.

Despite these revelations, Frank Abagnale turned his life around and later worked as a security consultant, advising banks and government agencies on fraud prevention.

Bernie Madoff - The Mastermind of the Largest Ponzi Scheme in History

Bernie Madoff didn’t rely on forged credentials or fake personas; instead, he gained trust by presenting himself as a financial genius. His investment firm promised steady, high returns to clients, including wealthy individuals, foundations, and even charities. But Madoff wasn’t investing the money. Instead, he was operating a Ponzi scheme, using funds from new investors to pay returns to earlier ones.

The scheme unraveled during the 2008 financial crisis when too many investors tried to withdraw their funds at once. By then, an estimated $50 billion was missing from Madoff’s investors. This staggering loss made his scam the largest Ponzi scheme in history.

Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in prison in 2009. His actions bankrupted his clients and destroyed trust in financial institutions, highlighting how even highly regarded industry figures could engage in fraud.

Elizabeth Holmes - The "Visionary" Who Fooled Silicon Valley

Elizabeth Holmes, the founder of Theranos, wanted to revolutionize healthcare, but her ambition came at a massive cost. Holmes claimed her company had developed groundbreaking blood-testing technology capable of running hundreds of tests with just a drop of blood. Investors were sold on her vision, and Theranos attracted hundreds of millions of dollars in funding.

The reality, however, was far less glamorous. Theranos’ technology didn’t work. Holmes knowingly falsified test results, misled investors, and lied about the company’s relationships with partners like Walgreens and the U.S. Department of Defense. Meanwhile, patients received inaccurate results from Theranos tests, putting lives at risk.

Holmes’ empire fell apart in 2015 after investigative reports exposed the truth. She was convicted in 2022 of defrauding investors, though she was acquitted of charges related to defrauding patients. Sentenced to more than 11 years in prison, Holmes serves as a stark reminder of how ambition unchecked by ethics can lead to disaster.

While these stories can be fascinating, they also serve as cautionary tales. They remind us to question what seems too good to be true and to remain skeptical when trust is used as a tool for manipulation. Ultimately, history’s most infamous con artists show us both the ingenuity and the dangers of deceit.