Richest Scammers In The World

Scammers operate in the shadows, leveraging deception and manipulation to amass wealth through illicit means. Humans, like all primates, have evolved survival instincts that have adapted. We have developed multiple defence mechanisms to get by. One defence mechanism was deception. To be successful in this dog-eat-dog world, you must master these qualities. 

Deception is common among other species to lure prey or trick their opponent; it can fall under lying and faking emotions to survive; it goes back thousands of years. There have been moments in history when the whole world slowed down to listen to the scam that had just taken place. People have sold monuments like the Taj Mahal or Eiffel Tower, created fake companies for money or impersonated celebrities.  Con artists come in all shapes and sizes with the same motive. The tales of the richest scammers still live on. The stories range from downright improbable to Why didn’t I think of that? 

This article explores some of the most infamous figures in the realm of scams and fraud, shedding light on their cunning tactics and the consequences they faced when their schemes inevitably unravelled. 

Where Did It Start?

Charles Ponzi 

He was an Italian businessman and swindler and one of the earliest and most iconic figures in the world of scams. Ponzi became popular in America for his eponymous “Ponzi Scheme, in which he duped thousands of investors and cheated them out of roughly $32 million in the early 1920s, which can be valued at nearly half a billion today. 

Although he may not have been the first to commit a crime, because he was able to pull off such a huge win, they even named the scam ritual after him. Ponzi thoroughly enjoyed his life leading up to his arrest.
You could say his notorious work has further inspired scammers in this digital age and has become a method for those who are interested in investing and trading. It’s best to ensure you have a good investment fraud lawyer on speed dial.

Berni Madoff: The Wizard of Wall Street

A former chairman of NASDAQ ran one of the most successful and long-running Ponzi schemes in history. It lasted over several decades, and Madoff deceived investors into believing that he was making them a lot of money with consistent and high returns. 

In 2008, his empire fell, revealing that he had defrauded investors of $65 billion. Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in prison, where he eventually passed away in 2021. 

The surprising element of this story is that Madoof paid his debts to his investors in an attempt to clean up his image but still never changed his fate. 

Anna Sorokin: The Fake Heiress

Also known as Anna Delvey, she posed as a wealthy German heiress in New York City’s social elite who supposedly had a $66 million trust fund and was used to the jet-set lifestyle. 

She soaked up this facade by living in luxury hotels, dining at expensive restaurants and somehow convincing others to cover her bills and other expenses, from extravagant holidays to partying. 

Devely was able to maintain this lie for several years by forging documents and convincing banks and established firms to loan her obscene amounts of money. However, it was all put to an end when she failed to pay for hotel bills and a restaurant tab, and she was arrested again four months later. 

There are not many cases around for which Delvey was able to do it; she even gained a significant following on social media after her trial; there was nothing else like it. Although she was only convicted of swindling under $300,000, a mere fraction of what others have been able to achieve, the story has not been one to forget. 

Frank Abagnale Jr: The Con Artist Extrodaniaire

Ambagnale Jr.’s life was immortalised in the film “Catch Me If You Can,” starring Leonardo Dicaprio, where he posed as a Pan American World Airways pilot, a doctor, and a lawyer.

He was able to do this by forging documents and checks to swindle banks and individuals out of millions of dollars. His youthful charm, bold tactics and skill made him one of the most audacious scammers of the 20th century. 

No one has been able to pull off a scam just like it. Abnales Jr. was, of course, caught but later turned his life around by teaming up with the criminal justice system and working as a consultant to help prevent fraud in exchange for a prison sentence. 

Shimon Hayut: The Tinder Swindler

An Israeli man is travelling around Europe, presenting himself as the son of the Russion-Israeli diamond mogul Lev Leviev, a wealthy billionaire. 

After creating his fake identity, Simon Leviev used the popular dating app Tinder to contact and build relationships with several women who, at the time, believed they were in a romantic relationship with them. 

Over time, he convinced them to loan him substantial sums of money for various “business ventures”. Although what he did was technically not illegal, these women are left out of pocket and out of what they thought was a real and trusting relationship. 

It is said that he has stolen an estimated $10 million but this figure could potentially be much more. 

While these and many others, such as Allen Stanford, Jerome Kerviel, Huang Guangyu and many others, have scammed the world with billions of dollars, it is crucial to remember that their actions were illegal and unethical. Scammers prey on the trust and vulnerability of others. 

While it is hard to discuss who is the richest scammer in the world currently holding first place, Berni Madoff is the only one who has been caught. So take this article as a reminder that you can never be too careful.  

P.S. The same goes if you travel! Check out our works on Airbnb scams, most common holiday scams, full list of taxi scams and how to avoid it, and Top 10 Scamming Countries in the World.