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1. George C Parker (1870-1936) made a career of "selling" New York landmarks, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Statue of Liberty, to naive newcomers. His favourite was Brooklyn Bridge, which he flogged an average of twice a week for years - complete with impressive "title deeds" - before being sentenced to imprisonment for life at the notorious Sing Sing in 1928
2. Gregor MacGregor (1786-1845) invented the Central American state of Poyais, a fertile territory of 12,500 square miles rich in precious metals. He appointed himself its cazique, or prince, "sold" land and rights there to gullible British investors and raised a loan of £200,000 on behalf of the Poyais Government. When the scam was exposed here, he took it to France with some success
3. Victor Lustig (1890-1947) operated swindles across Europe and America before being sent to Alcatraz. His first success was the repeated sale of a "money-printing machine". This cost the buyer $30,000 and produced two $100 bills, then blank paper. He is best known for posing as a corrupt offical to "sell" the Eiffel Tower to a scrap metal dealer for a large sum, plus bribe
4. Frank Abagnale (1948-) passed bad cheques for $2.5 million as a teenager during the 1960s. He also posed as a Pan Am pilot, doctor and attorney to milk various perks. As a "pilot", for instance, he took advantage of free "deadheading" flights to 26 countries, complete with hotel stays. He served four years in prison, escaping once, and now advises businesses on fraud
5. Charles Ponzi (1882-1949), made millions from the pyramid scheme which now takes his name before it collapsed in 1920. After serving a jail term in Massachussets, and running a second scam selling swampland while out on bail, he was deported to Italy. There he advised Mussolini on finance before fleeing to retirement in Brazil with a chunk of the dictator's treasury
6. Philip Arnold (1829-1878) perpetrated the Diamond Hoax of 1872 with his cousin John Slack. The pair bought cast-off stones and planted these across a field in Wyoming, which they showed to prospective investors, including Baron Rothschild and Charles Tiffany of Tiffany & Co. The latter bought the cousins' interest for $660,000. He later sued, but the case was settled out of court
7. Howard Welsh (1953-) and his partner Lee Hope Thrasher reportedly made $31 million from a Ponzi scheme that targeted Christians with a "tax-free investment" marketed as "a divinely-inspired mission that behaves like a diocese, a church, a mission or assembly
2. Gregor MacGregor (1786-1845) invented the Central American state of Poyais, a fertile territory of 12,500 square miles rich in precious metals. He appointed himself its cazique, or prince, "sold" land and rights there to gullible British investors and raised a loan of £200,000 on behalf of the Poyais Government. When the scam was exposed here, he took it to France with some success
3. Victor Lustig (1890-1947) operated swindles across Europe and America before being sent to Alcatraz. His first success was the repeated sale of a "money-printing machine". This cost the buyer $30,000 and produced two $100 bills, then blank paper. He is best known for posing as a corrupt offical to "sell" the Eiffel Tower to a scrap metal dealer for a large sum, plus bribe
4. Frank Abagnale (1948-) passed bad cheques for $2.5 million as a teenager during the 1960s. He also posed as a Pan Am pilot, doctor and attorney to milk various perks. As a "pilot", for instance, he took advantage of free "deadheading" flights to 26 countries, complete with hotel stays. He served four years in prison, escaping once, and now advises businesses on fraud
5. Charles Ponzi (1882-1949), made millions from the pyramid scheme which now takes his name before it collapsed in 1920. After serving a jail term in Massachussets, and running a second scam selling swampland while out on bail, he was deported to Italy. There he advised Mussolini on finance before fleeing to retirement in Brazil with a chunk of the dictator's treasury
6. Philip Arnold (1829-1878) perpetrated the Diamond Hoax of 1872 with his cousin John Slack. The pair bought cast-off stones and planted these across a field in Wyoming, which they showed to prospective investors, including Baron Rothschild and Charles Tiffany of Tiffany & Co. The latter bought the cousins' interest for $660,000. He later sued, but the case was settled out of court
7. Howard Welsh (1953-) and his partner Lee Hope Thrasher reportedly made $31 million from a Ponzi scheme that targeted Christians with a "tax-free investment" marketed as "a divinely-inspired mission that behaves like a diocese, a church, a mission or assembly
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number 4's exploits were grossly exaggerated to sell that movie they made - hard to distinguish fact from fiction with his life story i think, only i'd be willing to bet a large majority of his 'exploits' are fiction
peter foster a shocking omission?
peter foster a shocking omission?
what about jamie spencer. has imitated a jockey for years
Frank Abagnale is now a millionaire btw
Joseph Weil famous Grifter lived to be 100, perhaps thats the lifestyle to take if you want to live to a ripe old age
Joseph Weil famous Grifter lived to be 100, perhaps thats the lifestyle to take if you want to live to a ripe old age
That bloke who was on the footie forum who started a syndicate, had thousands away.
Football Ones
Peter Ridsdale, made money from two football clubs and brought them to their knees
Michael Knighton
Ali Dai, George Weah cousin my ar$e
Racing ones:
Barry Conway
Kenny Envers
Delroy Devine
John Hughes
John Bailey aka The Pencil Man
Golf ones
Maurice Flitcroft, pretended to be a pro golfer and shot 118 in an Open qualifier
Peter Ridsdale, made money from two football clubs and brought them to their knees
Michael Knighton
Ali Dai, George Weah cousin my ar$e
Racing ones:
Barry Conway
Kenny Envers
Delroy Devine
John Hughes
John Bailey aka The Pencil Man
Golf ones
Maurice Flitcroft, pretended to be a pro golfer and shot 118 in an Open qualifier
Delroy Devine was going to smash my head in 1 afternoon not a nice sort.
David James Pompey Keeper/clown shocking omission.
David James Pompey Keeper/clown shocking omission.
Here's a 'good worldwide current one
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Federal regulators announced fraud charges Friday against a company they said was operating a $600 million Internet Ponzi scheme "on the verge of collapse."
The Securities and Exchange Commission accused ZeekRewards.com, its parent company, Rex Venture Group, and Rex Venture head Paul Burks of luring more than 1 million investors worldwide into the scheme, which began in early 2011.
ZeekRewards is a companion to the penny auction site Zeekler.com. Visitors to the the ZeekRewards site were told that by paying subscription fees and becoming "affiliates," they could share in the company's profits.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Federal regulators announced fraud charges Friday against a company they said was operating a $600 million Internet Ponzi scheme "on the verge of collapse."
The Securities and Exchange Commission accused ZeekRewards.com, its parent company, Rex Venture Group, and Rex Venture head Paul Burks of luring more than 1 million investors worldwide into the scheme, which began in early 2011.
ZeekRewards is a companion to the penny auction site Zeekler.com. Visitors to the the ZeekRewards site were told that by paying subscription fees and becoming "affiliates," they could share in the company's profits.
Barry Minkow, the man who scammed L.A. in the '80s with a $100 million ponzi scheme involving a carpet cleaning company called ZZZZ Best, seemed to get his act together after that scandal and the 7 years of prison time it inspired.
He consulted the FBI about how to ID corporate schemers, and he became a donor to San Diego's Community Bible Church (though members there would later allege he bilked them too). Upstanding? Then he got caught up on a play to drive down the stock price of Home builder Lennar Corp.
Prosecutors said that amounted to federal conspiracy. And Minkow said he did it. Today he was sentenced to five years behind bars.
Minkow tried to get a lenient deal from the Miami U.S. District Court judge in the case, writing that he needs meds that can't be had in jail and that his two sons have learning disabilities and need his help, according to the Los Angeles Times.
During his self-styled reformation, he even established a company called the Fraud Discovery Institute.
When a La Jolla businessman with soured ties to the company allegedly wanted to put Lennar's stock in the toilet, Minkow was in. Authorities said he spread false information about the company that hurt its market value by $400 million at one point.
Prosecutors say the guy has a history of tricking people, and they asked for five years.
They got it, and then some. The judge today ordered Minkow to pay $583 million in restitution.
He consulted the FBI about how to ID corporate schemers, and he became a donor to San Diego's Community Bible Church (though members there would later allege he bilked them too). Upstanding? Then he got caught up on a play to drive down the stock price of Home builder Lennar Corp.
Prosecutors said that amounted to federal conspiracy. And Minkow said he did it. Today he was sentenced to five years behind bars.
Minkow tried to get a lenient deal from the Miami U.S. District Court judge in the case, writing that he needs meds that can't be had in jail and that his two sons have learning disabilities and need his help, according to the Los Angeles Times.
During his self-styled reformation, he even established a company called the Fraud Discovery Institute.
When a La Jolla businessman with soured ties to the company allegedly wanted to put Lennar's stock in the toilet, Minkow was in. Authorities said he spread false information about the company that hurt its market value by $400 million at one point.
Prosecutors say the guy has a history of tricking people, and they asked for five years.
They got it, and then some. The judge today ordered Minkow to pay $583 million in restitution.
nick leeson, for the sheer amount of money he 'stole' (even though he claims to have never benefited from the cash)
George w. Bush
wall street Bankers ...too many to greedy peeps to mention
wall street Bankers ...too many to greedy peeps to mention
To be fair, a supposedly known nonce getting the BBC to give him a children's show blows this lot out the water.
Delroy Devine was going to smash my head in 1 afternoon not a nice sort.
Capt_F you possibly dodged a bullet there. Delroy Devine is currenty serving life for murdering someone with a screwdriver.
Capt_F you possibly dodged a bullet there. Delroy Devine is currenty serving life for murdering someone with a screwdriver.
Mr Martin
Trodmore races 1898
.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trodmore_Racecourse
Trodmore races 1898
.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trodmore_Racecourse
Michael Mcintyre masquerading as a comedian
I'll second that
William
I'll second that
William
Titanic Thompson - the all time guv'nor, although whether he made as much money as Twitchy Dedkrapp is open to question.
The scourge of the bookies baggers.
Travelled far and wide to employ their cons.
Had to tell DD to leave the premises one day, horrible cant of a man.
Biggest con ever was 2nd fav at the dogs on the second race. 2 bites of the cherry. Hence bookies stopped accepting second bests at the dogs.
Travelled far and wide to employ their cons.
Had to tell DD to leave the premises one day, horrible cant of a man.
Biggest con ever was 2nd fav at the dogs on the second race. 2 bites of the cherry. Hence bookies stopped accepting second bests at the dogs.
The legal ones are worse.
Name a star ffs, only £29.85. Makes a wonderful present was the gab.
Name a star ffs, only £29.85. Makes a wonderful present was the gab.
Getting millions of people every day to pay £3 for a cup of coffee in a cardboard cup surely has to be one of the biggest of our time
Crossword clue today:
Ultimate in conmen starts to inveigle her into lowering zip. (5)
Ultimate in conmen starts to inveigle her into lowering zip. (5)
Just read the whole wiki article on Charles Ponzi. A fascinating read. The denouement is great:
Supported by his last and only friend who spoke English and had notions of Italian, the barber Francisco Nonato Nunes, Ponzi granted one last interview to an American reporter, telling him, "Even if they never got anything for it, it was cheap at that price. Without malice aforethought I had given them the best show that was ever staged in their territory since the landing of the Pilgrims! It was easily worth fifteen million bucks to watch me put the thing over."
Supported by his last and only friend who spoke English and had notions of Italian, the barber Francisco Nonato Nunes, Ponzi granted one last interview to an American reporter, telling him, "Even if they never got anything for it, it was cheap at that price. Without malice aforethought I had given them the best show that was ever staged in their territory since the landing of the Pilgrims! It was easily worth fifteen million bucks to watch me put the thing over."
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