10 most cunning crooks humanity! (10 pics + text) Bashny.Net

Headed by our top Count Victor Lustig, forever inscribed his name in history as the man who sold the Eiffel Tower.





1. Victor Lustig (1890-1947) - the man who sold the Eiffel Tower

Lustig is considered one of the most talented scam ever lived on earth. He endlessly inventing scam, had 45 aliases and fluent in five languages. In the US alone Lustig was arrested 50 times, but each time for lack of set free. Prior to the outbreak of World War Lustig specialized in organizing fraudulent lotteries in the transatlantic cruises. In 1920 he moved to the United States, and just a couple of years cheated on tens of thousands of dollars, banks and individuals.

The most ambitious scam Lustig was the sale of the Eiffel Tower. In May 1925, Lustig in search of adventure arrived in Paris. In a French newspaper Lustig read that famous tower order dilapidated and in need of repair. Lustig decided to take advantage of it. The fraudster was fake credentials, in which he called himself the deputy head of the Ministry of Post and Telegraph, and then sent an official letter to the six dealers Vtorchermet.

Lustig invited businessmen in an expensive hotel where he was staying, and told me that since the cost of unnecessarily huge tower, the government decided to demolish it and sell for scrap at a private auction. Supposedly not to cause public outrage, had time to fall in love tower Lustig persuaded businessmen to keep everything a secret. After some time, he sold the right to dispose of the tower Andre Poisson and fled to Vienna with a suitcase full of cash. Poisson, not wanting to look like a fool, concealed the fact of fraud. Because of this some time later Lustig returned to Paris and once again sold the tower in the same way. But this time he was not lucky because deceived businessman told the police. Lustig was forced to flee to the United States.

In December 1935 Lustig was arrested and put on trial. He received 15 years in prison for counterfeiting dollars, and 5 years for the escape from another prison a month before sentencing. He died of pneumonia in 1947 at the famous Alcatraz prison near San Francisco.



2. Frank Abegneyl - "Catch Me If You Can»

Frank William Abegneyl Jr. (born April 27, 1948), in 17 years has managed to become one of the most successful bank robbers in US history. This story took place in the 1960s. With forged bank checks stolen from banks Abegneyl about 5 million. Dollars. He also made countless air travel around the world on forged documents.

Later, Frank successfully played the role of the pediatrician for 11 months in a hospital in Georgia, then, forged diploma from Harvard University, got a job in the office of the Attorney General of Louisiana.

For more than 5 years Abegneyl replaced about 8 professions, he also continued enthusiasm to forge checks and receive money - the actions of a rogue hit banks in 26 countries. Money spent on young people dining at expensive restaurants, buying clothes prestigious brands and date with a girl.



History Frank Abegneyla was the basis for the movie "Catch Me If You Can", where a witty swindler played by Leonardo DiCaprio.



3. Christopher Rokankurt - fake Rockefeller

In 2001, Canadian police arrested a rogue French origin, who cranked out a series of grandiose frauds. Rokankurt Christopher, who was born in 1967, claimed that he was a personal friend of Bill Clinton and a member of the Rockefeller family.

Rokankurt was arrested along with his wife - a former Playboy model Maria Pia Reyes. The woman was charged with fraud and deliberate deception for selfish purposes Vancouver businessman at a prestigious ski resort located in Whistler, - favorite vacation spot of wealthy tourists from Europe and the United States.

According to police, Rokankurt fled to Canada after he was arrested in East Hampton (NY) in August 2000. Then he was accused that he skillfully misled dozens of wealthy Americans and lured them almost $ 1 million.

Offender openly advertised itself in the media under the name Christopher Rockefeller. In fact, his mother was a prostitute and an alcoholic father - at the age of 5 years, parents have passed Christopher to the shelter.

When the fraud was uncovered in the US, rogues had to flee to Canada. Whistler hotel employees told the police that all Rokankurt presents the famous racing driver of international class, which, to avoid the annoying attention of fans, forced to live under an assumed name. One of them deceived victims said that the conman also portrayed themselves as an influential financier. It is known that other people he represented as a boxing champion, he also portrayed the film producer. Some time impostor was friends with Mickey Rourke.

In March 2002, was issued by the US Rokankurt. He pleaded guilty to 3 of 11 counts, including theft, smuggling, bribery and perjury. He admitted that he cheated wealthy citizens at $ 40 million.



4. Ferdinand Desmarais - "The Great Impostor»

Ferdinand Waldo Desmarest (1921-1982), known by the nickname "The Great Impostor", for his life with great success played a large number of people professions and occupations - from a monk and surgeon to the warden. In 1941, he went to serve in the US Army, where for the first time began life under a new guise, named after his friend. After that Desmarais many times disguised himself as other people. He never finished high school, but every time forged documents about education, to play another role.

During his career fraudulent Desmarais had to stay a civil engineer, deputy sheriff, warden, doctor of psychology, lawyer, expert services to protect the rights of children, a Benedictine monk, editor, cancer specialist, surgeon and lecturer. Surprisingly, in any case, he was not looking for more material benefits seemed interested only Desmarais social status. He died in 1982. The life of Ferdinand Desmarais write a book and filmed.



5. David Hampton (1964-2003) - African-American swindler. Pretended to be the son of a black actor and director Sidney Poitier. First Hampton presented by David Poitier to free dinner in restaurants. Later, he realized that he believes he can influence people, Hampton persuaded to give him money or shelter to many celebrities, including Melanie Griffith and Calvin Klein.

Some people Hampton said that a friend of their children, another lie that missed the plane in Los Angeles and that his luggage flew without him, lied to third that he was robbed.

In 1983, Hampton was arrested and charged with fraud. The court sentenced him to pay compensation to the victims in the amount of 4490 dollars. David Hampton died of AIDS in 2003.



6. Milli Vanilli - the duo who could not sing

In the 90s scandal associated with the popular German duo Milli Vanilli, - it turned out that on the studio recordings the voices are not members of the duo, and others. As a result, the duo was forced to return in 1990 received an award Grammy.

The duo Milli Vanilli was created in the 1980s. Rob Pilatus popularity and Fab Morvan began to grow rapidly, and in 1990 they won the prestigious Grammy.

The scandal led to the exposure of the tragedy - in 1998 one of the duo Rob Pilatus died of an overdose of drugs and alcohol at the age of 32 years. Morvan unsuccessfully tried to pursue a musical career. Total Milli Vanilli in the period of its popularity sold 8 million singles and 14 million records.



7. Cassie Chadwick - the illegitimate daughter of Andrew Carnegie

Cassie Chadwick (1857-1907), born Elizabeth Bigley, 22 years old the first time she was arrested in Ontario for forgery of a bank check, but she was released because it simulated a mental illness.

In 1882, Elizabeth married Wallace Springsteen, but her husband left her after 11 days, when I learned about her past. Then in Cleveland woman married Dr. Chadwick.

In 1897, Cassie organized its most successful scam. She called herself illegitimate daughter stalepromyshlennika from Scotland, Andrew Carnegie.

rich "dad" Elizabeth ...

Thanks to a false bill in the amount of $ 2 million, allegedly issued by her father, Cassie received loans in different banks totaling $ 10 million to $ 20 million. In the end, the police asked the Carnegie himself, knows whether he crook, and after his negative response arrested Mrs. Chadwick.

Cassie Chadwick appeared in court March 6, 1905. She was found guilty of nine large-scale fraud. Sentenced to ten years, Mrs. Chadwick died in prison two years later.



8. Mary Baker - Princess Karabu

In 1817 in Gloucestershire appeared a young woman in exotic dress with a turban on his head, who spoke in an unknown language. Local residents appealed to many foreigners with a request to identify the language, while Portuguese sailors are not "translated" her story. Ostensibly woman was a princess Karabakh with islands in the Indian Ocean.

How to tell the stranger, she was captured by pirates, the ship was wrecked, but she managed to escape. Over the next ten weeks, the stranger was in the public spotlight. She dressed up in exotic clothes, climbed trees, singing strange words and even swam naked.

Soon, however, a Mrs Neal identified the "Princess Karabakh". Impostor from the island was the daughter of a shoemaker named Mary Baker. As it turned out, a maid working in the house of Mrs. Neal, Mary Baker entertained the children invented her tongue. Mary was forced to confess to cheating. At the end of her life she was engaged in selling leeches at a hospital in England.



9. Wilhelm Voigt - Captain Köpenick

Wilhelm Voigt (1849-1922) - German shoemaker, pretending to be a Prussian captain. October 16, 1906 in the south-eastern outskirts of Berlin Köpenick Wilhelm Voigt unemployed rented in Potsdam form Prussian captain and organized the capture of the town hall.

Voigt ordered randomly stopped on the street to strangers four grenadiers and a sergeant arrested Köpenick mayor and treasurer, and then without any resistance alone capturing the local town hall, and then seized the city treasury - 4000 marks and 70 pfennigs. And all his orders and soldiers, and the mayor himself served unquestioningly.

Take the money and ordered the soldiers to remain in place for half an hour, Voigt left the station. On the train, he changed into civilian clothes and tried to escape. In the end, Voigt was arrested and sentenced to four years in prison for his raid and stealing money. In 1908, he was released early on the personal order of the Kaiser of Germany.



10. George Psalmanazar - the first witness of the island of Formosa Aboriginal culture

George Psalmanazar (1679-1763) claimed to have been the first inhabitant of the island of Formosa, visited Europe. He appeared in Northern Europe around 1700. Although Psalmanazar was dressed in European clothes and looked like a European, he claimed that he had come from a distant island of Formosa, where he previously captured Aborigines. As proof he gave details of their traditions and culture.

Inspired by the success, Psalmanazar later published a book "Historical and geographical description of the island of Formosa." According Psalmanazar men on the island go completely naked, and a favorite food of the islanders are snakes.

Formozantsy allegedly preaching polygamy, and the husband is given the right to eat their wives for infidelity.

Aborigines executed murderers by hanging them upside down. Each year, the islanders sacrificed to the gods of 18 thousand. Boys. Formozantsy ride on horses and camels. The book has also been described alphabet islanders. The book was a great success, and the Psalmanazar began to lecture on the history of the island. In 1706 Psalmanazar bored with the game, and he admitted that he just cheated all.