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Who is the Cyber-criminals?

In recent times, Nigerians are encrypted Internet fraudsters or other cyber-criminals. Sincere business proposals are rejected by potential business representative will be noted that the IP address from Nigeria.

In a country with allegedly the happiest people on earth, one of the most religious and stinking rich human and natural resources, with the average citizen actually toiling it out daily to Eke, fair in most cases, a living room, It is a shocking, but also an understandable assertion. Scam emails or other e-mail the origin can be easily identified by Internet Protocol (IP) address. However, It takes two to tango. Rightly or wrongly labeled, Nigerians are like the average Earthling – faced with the vagaries of the reality of a changing world nanosecond. But how this came to be is another story.

The Nigeria Internet came quite late. Even in the late, late 1990 and early 2000's. Then, little deception was the order of the day as in most countries, particularly in the western world. Naples, Italy, New York, USA, London, UK and many other sites had stories to tell van conmen and all that. Not much was heard of Cyber-crimes anywhere near the banks of an African country since cyber-ACTIVITIES were virtually non-existent. Nobody drives a dream car, without actually purchasing or buying.

All of the earliest recorded histories of deception or con man-ship of the Nigerian or were never even African dramatis personae, for that matter. According to knowledgeable chroniclers of this dishonorable way of life, a confidence trick or confidence game (also known as a fraud, con, Flim Flam, gaffle, Grift, hustle, scam, scheme, scam or hoax) was an attempt to defraud a person or group by gaining their trust. The victim is known as the brand, the impostor called a confidence man, con man, confidence trickster or con artist, and possible accomplices are known as shills.

Confidence men exploit human traits such as greed and dishonesty, and have people from all walks of life scammer victim is a person that another person intentionally, misleads usually for personal financial gain. In the recent past, there are a number of conmen who really stood out both for the wealth they amassed, or the ease with which they betrayed people.

The record keepers staggered a list of 10 most famous swindlers in recent history:

1. Frank Abagnale (born 1948)
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Frank Abagnale is a former check con artist, forger and impostor who over five years in the 1960s, passed bad checks worth more than $ 2,500,000 in 26 countries. His nefarious deeds inspired the shooting of the recent blockbuster movie "Catch Me If You Can." He began carving a niche for itself fraudulent in his youth, when his father Mobil card used car parts that he would buy then sell it back to the gas station for a lower price. Records have it that he did not realize that his father was the one who had to foot the bill and when he was finally confronted the fraud, his mother sent him for four months at a young correction facility.

After moving to New York, Frank lived only on the income of his fraudulent activities. One of his most famous tricks was to his own account number to print fake bank deposit slips, so that when the clients of the bank deposited money, would it actually mean to go on his account. By the time the banks realized what had happened, and Frank had taken $ 40,000 in hiding.

For about two years, Abagnale globe-trotting around the world for free by parading himself as a Pan Am pilot. He was able to abuse the professional courtesy of other carriers free transport offer for rival pilots if they had to move to another town in the short term. Once he was almost caught leaving a plane, but he changed his masquerade as that of a doctor and worked as a medical supervisor for 11 months without detection. Sometimes he worked as a lawyer and a teacher.

He was eventually caught in France and spent six months in prison there. Then he was extradited to Sweden and put in prison for a further period of six months. After a successful escape during a trip to the United States, he was finally 12 years in prison. He escaped from his prison by posing as an undercover agent of the Bureau of Prisons. He was again imprisoned in New York and returned to prison. After serving only five years of his sentence, the U.S. federal government offered him his freedom in exchange for helping the government against fraud and scams artists without paying.

Currently he runs Abagnale & Associates, a consulting firm and financial fraud is a multi-millionaire.

2. Charles Ponzi [Born: 1882; Deceased: 1949]

Ponzi, an Italian immigrant in the United States was one of the most famous swindlers in American history. Although many people do not know the name Ponzi, Ponzi Scheme is the very well known and remains today Internet Make Money Fast schemes. His early life is not entirely known if he was sensitive to stories about manufacturing. It is known that he was a short time at the University of Rome spent and, after dropping off, caught a boat to Boston, United States, where he arrived with $ 2.50 in his pocket.

His first years in the United States were difficult. He started working in a restaurant, but was quickly dismissed playing tricks with the bills and does lack customers. His next job was working at a bank in Canada, which provided for the Italian immigrants. His knowledge of numbers helped him very well there. Unfortunately the owner of the bank was to steal money from newly opened savings accounts for interest on interest-bearing pay bills and to cover bad investments. The bank owner eventually fled to Mexico and left without a job Ponzi. After writing a fraudulent expenditure control and a number of years in prison, Ponzi's determination to become rich at any price.

Once he enrolled at life on the outside, he discovered by postal reply coupons means of a letter that was sent to him from abroad. He realized he could buy foreign coupons on massively devalued prices (due to price fixing after the war) and then sell them in the United States for a 400% profit. This was a form of arbitration and it was legal. Ponzi began cloths friends and acquaintances for money – promising them a 50% performance or a doubling of their money in 90 days. He started his own company, the Securities Exchange Company, to promote the scheme.

The word of this great investment spread quickly and before long Ponzi was living in a luxurious mansion. He took a great interest in cash, but the simplest financial analysis showed that it is not was to make money, he was soon to lose. For every dollar he, he went deeper into debt. As long as money kept flowing in, Ponzi would proceed with the final collapse residence.

People soon began to be suspicious and the press began to publish negative articles about him. It is inevitable that people begin to demand their money. Short after federal agents raided his office and quit. No stock of stamps was found and everyone who had invested their money in Ponzi's lost every cent. It is likely that he lost tens of millions of dollars. Ponzi pleads guilty to fraud and e-mail was sent to prison. After an escape, he was sent back to prison to finish his sentence making. He was eventually deported back to Italy in 1949 and died in poverty.

3. Joseph Weil [Born: 1877; Deceased: 1975]

Joseph "Yellow Kid" Weil was one of the most famous swindlers of his time. During his career he is believed to have stolen more than $ 8,000,000. In his first job as a collector, he realized that his employees were collecting their debts, but keeping a small portion of the money for himself. Weil started a protection racket – offering not to report their activities in return for a small portion of what they take.

He also used phony oil deals, women, fixed races, and an endless list of other tricks to steal one more gullible audience. He can change his character into their daily gains further: he was Dr. Henri Reuel one day, a famous geologist who traveled around and told his hosts that he was a representative for a major oil company, while draining them of cash they gave him to "invest in fuel." The next day he was director of the Elysium Development Company, promising land to innocent believers to rob them, while recording fees and abstract. Whether he was a chemist par excellence, who had discovered how to copy dollar bills, promising to increase your fortune, he would multiply your Bill's take the booty once the police arrived.

In his autobiography, Weil writes:

"The desire to get something for nothing is very expensive for many people who have dealt with me and other swindlers, "Weil writes." but I have found that this is the way it works. The average person, in my estimation, is ninety-nine percent animal and human one percent. The ninety-nine percent of the animals caused few problems. But the one percent that is the human causes all our woes. When people learn – as I doubt they will – not something that they can get for nothing, crime will decrease and we will live in greater harmony. "

4. (Count) Victor Lustig [Born: 1890; Deceased: 1947]

Victor Lustig was known as the man who offered the Eiffel Tower. He was born in Bohemia, but later moved to Paris, where he was able to help people far away on his frequent travel between Paris and New York. His first con was to show people a device that can print $ 100 bills. The only problem, he would tell them is that they only bill prints every six hours. Many people paid him huge amounts of money (usually more than $ 30,000) for the device. In fact, the device contained two $ 100 bills hidden real – Once they were spit out by the machine would produce only blank paper. By the time the buyers discovered that, fun was going with their money.

In 1925, as France was recovering from the war, the maintenance of the Eiffel Tower was an almost impossible burden for the city of Paris. If Lustig read about this in a newspaper, he came with his most brilliant idea. After forging government credentials, he invited six scrap dealers for a secret meeting in a hotel. He explained that the city could not afford to keep the tower and they had to sell it as scrap. He told them the secret of the meeting and all future relationships was due to the fact that the public might be upset at the idea the removal of the tower.

While it seems unlikely at the time of the tower was built it was intended as temporary and this has happened only 18 years after the original date for the removal of the tower. Lustig dealers in a limousine to tour the tower. One of the dealer, Andre Poisson was convinced that the story was legitimate and he handed the money. When he realized he was betrayed, he was too embarrassed to tell the police and fun escapes with the money. A month later he returned to Paris to try The whole scam again. This time it was reported to the police, but managed to escape activities.

At one point, for Lustig convinced Al Capone to invest $ 50,000 with him. He saved the money in a safe, and he returned two months later, stating that the deal had fallen through. Capone, so impressed with Lustig's integrity gave him $ 5,000 for his efforts. In 1934, Lustig was found guilty of counterfeiting. He pleads guilty and was sentenced to 20 years in Alcatraz. In 1947 he died of pneumonia while in prison in Springfield, Missouri.

5. George Parker [Born on: 1870; Deceased: 1936]

Parker was one of the most daring con men in the U.S. history. He made a living selling public attractions in New York to unwary tourists. His favorite object for sale was the Brooklyn Bridge, which he sold twice a week for years. He convinced his marks they make a fortune by controlling access to the roadway. More than once had the police remove naive buyers of the bridge as they tried to throw a toll.

Other public monuments he sold included the original Madison Square Garden, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Grant's Tomb and the Statue of Liberty. George had a large number of different methods for making its sales. Grant's Tomb when he sold, he would frequently as the grandson of the general. He even found a fake "office" to his real estate scam deal. He produced impressive forged documents to prove that he is the legal owner of the property he sold.

Parker was convicted of fraud three times. After his third conviction on 17.12.1928, he was sentenced to life term in Sing Sing Prison. He spent the last eight years of his life behind bars. He was popular among the guards and fellow prisoners enjoyed hearing from his heroics. George is remembered as one of the most successful swindlers in the history of the United States, as one of history's most talented pranksters. His actions have proceeded In popular culture, giving rise to phrases like "if you think I have bridge to sell you", a popular way of expressing a belief that someone is silly.

6. Soapy Smith [Born: 1860; Deceased: 1898]

Soapy Smith (born Jefferson Randolph Smith) was an American con artist and gangster who had a big hand in the organized criminal operations of Denver, Colorado, Creede, Colorado, and Skagway, Alaska 1879-1898. He is perhaps the most famous "Sure-thing" cheats man of the old west. Sometime in late 1870 or early 1880, Smith began duping entire crowds with a ploy the Denver newspapers said the prices Soap Sell Swindle.

Jefferson would be open "tripe and keister" (display case on a tripod) on a busy street corner. Stacking ordinary soap cake on the top keister, he would describe their miracles. As he spoke to the growing crowd of curious onlookers, he pulls out his wallet and started wrapping ratio ranging from one dollar up to one hundred U.S. dollars, around a select number of bars. He ended each bar by wrapping paper around it just to hide the money. He mixed the money wrapped in packets wrapped with bars no money. He sold the soap to the crowd for one U.S. dollar a cake.

A shrill planted in the crowd would be a bar to buy crack it open, and loudly proclaiming that he is money had won, swung him around for all to see. This performance had the desired effect of enticing the sale of the packages. More often than not, victims bought several bars before the sale is completed. Halfway through the sale, Smith would announce that the hundred-dollar bill remained in the post, unpurchased. He would then auction the remaining soap bars to the highest bidders.

Through the masterful art of manipulation and dexterity of the hand, the cakes of soap wrapped in cash were hidden and replaced with packages holding no cash. It was certainly that the only money "won" went to the members of what became known as the Soap Gang. " Soapy was eventually shot dead by a group he cheated in a card game.

7. Eduardo de Valfierno

Eduardo de Valfierno, who referred to himself as Marques (Marquis) was an Argentine con man who allegedly masterminded the theft of the Mona Lisa. Valfierno paid several men to steal the artwork from the Louvre, including the museum employee Vincenzo Peruggia. In August 1921, 1911 Peruggia hid the Mona Lisa under his coat and went straight out the door.

Before the robbery took place, Valfierno commissioned the French art forger Yves Chaudron and restorer to six copies of the Mona Lisa to make. The counterfeits were then shipped to various parts of the world, preparing them for the buyers he had a row. Valfierno knew that once the Mona Lisa was stolen would be difficult to smuggle past customs copies. After the robbery of the copies were delivered to the buyers, each thinking they had just stolen the original was for them. Because Valfierno just wanted to sell counterfeit, he only needed the original Mona Lisa to disappear and never contacted again Peruggia after the crime. Eventually Peruggia was caught selling the painting and it was back to the Louvre in 1913.

8. James Hogue [Born: 1959]

Hogue is an American swindler who most famous Princeton University entered by posing as a self-taught orphan. In 1986, Hogue enrolled in a Palo Alto High School Jay Mitchell Huntsman, a 16-year-old orphan from Nevada. He had taken the identity of a dead baby. A suspicious local reporter exposed him. In 1988, Hogue enrolled at Princeton University, using the alias Alexi INDRIS Santana, a self-taught orphan from Utah. He deferred admission for one year because he was convicted for the theft of bicycle frames in Utah. Hogue claimed in his application materials he had slept outside in the Grand Canyon, raising sheep and reading philosophers. He violated his parole to go to class. For the next two years lived Santana and he is a member of the track team. He was admitted to the Ivy Club.

In 1991, Hogue real identity was discovered when Renee Pacheco, a student at Palo Alto High School, recognized him. He was arrested for defrauding the university for $ 30,000 in financial aid and sentenced to three years in prison with 5 years probation and 100 hours community service.

On 16/05/1993 Hogue made headlines again for his collaboration with Harvard University. Having lied about his identity again, he was able to take a job as a guard at one of Harvard's museums on campus. A few months into his tenure, museum officials noticed that several gems in this exhibition was replaced by cheap fakes. Somerville police seized Hogue in his home and charged him with grand larceny to the tune of $ 50,000.

03.12.2007 at Hogue pleaded guilty to one criminal count of theft over $ 15,000 in exchange for a prison sentence not exceeding 10 years, and prosecutors' agreement to other theft and habitual criminal charges be withdrawn.

9. Robert Hendy-Freegard [Born: 1971]

Robert Hendy-Freegard is a British barman, car salesman, swindler and trickster who masquerade as an MI5 agent and fooled several people to go underground for fear of IRA murdered. He met his victims on social occasions or customers in the pub or car dealership where he worked. He would reveal his "role" as an undercover agent for MI5, Special Branch of Scotland Yard, working against the IRA. He would win about them, ask for money and he wants them to do. He demanded that she cut off contact with family and friends, go through "loyalty tests" and living alone in poor conditions. He seduced five women, claiming that he wanted to marry them. Initially some of the victims refused to cooperate with the police because he had warned them that the police would be double-agents or performing an MI5 agents "loyalty test".

Hendy-Freegard also seduced a newlywed who was the personal assistant care for his children. He told her that he and the MI5 and forced her to contact friends and family for fear that the IRA cut would kill her. He was also naked pictures of her and threatened them with her husband when she would not cooperate. She had to change her name and the deed poll officer it was because they were sexually abused as a child to tell. Her loyalty tests included sleeping in Heathrow airport and on park benches for several nights and pretending to a Jehovah's Witness, so his bosses at MI5 would marry.

In 2002 Scotland Yard and the FBI organized a sting operation. First, the FBI bugged the phone of the parents of the American psychologist. Her mother told Hendy-Freegard they would hand over £ 10,000, but only in person. Hendy-Freegard met the mother in Heathrow airport, where police arrested him. He denied all accusations and claimed that they were part a conspiracy against him and continued the story in the subsequent trial. On June 23, 2005, after an eight month trial, Blackfriars Crown Court convicted Robert Hendy-Freegard for two counts of kidnapping, 10 of theft and eight of deception. On 6 September 2005, he received a life sentence. Police doubt that they have discovered all the victims. On April 25, 2007, the BBC reported Robert Hendy-Freegard appeal filed against his kidnapping convictions and won. This means that the life sentence was revoked, but he will still serve nine years for the other criminal offenses. He could be released by the end of 2007.

10. Bernard Cornfeld [Born: 1927; Deceased: 1995]

Bernard Cornfeld was a prominent businessman and financier who sold investments in U.S. international investment funds. He was born in Turkey. When he moved to the U.S., he first worked as a social worker, it was a mutual fund salesman in the 1950s. Although he suffered from a stutter, he had a natural gift for sales and when a school friend's father died, the two of them used the $ 3,000 insurance money to buy and an age and weight suggest booth at the fair run Coney Island.

In the 1960s, he formed his own investment fund Cornfeld selling company, Investors Overseas Services (IOS), which he recorded with funds outside the U.S., Canada and its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Although the head office in Geneva were offcially, the main operational offices of IOS were in Ferney-Voltaire, France, a short drive from the Swiss border near Geneva, it was simply a means to address the issues of obtaining work permits for many Swiss people. During the next ten years, IOS raised more than $ 2,500,000,000, making a personal fortune Cornfeld of more than 100 million U.S. dollars. Cornfeld himself was known for conspicuous consumption with a wonderful party. Socially, he was generous and jovial.

A group of 300 workers IOS complaint with the Swiss authorities that Cornfeld and his co-founders pocketed part of the proceeds of an issuance of shares among employees increased in 1969. Consequently, he charged with fraud in 1973 by the Swiss authorities. As Cornfeld visited Geneva, the Swiss authorities arrested him. He served 11 months in a Swiss jail before being released on a guarantee of $ 600,000 bail. He returned to Beverly Hills, live less ostentatious than in previous years. He developed an obsession for healthy food and vitamins, apart from red meat and rarely drank alcohol. He suffered a stroke and died of a cerebral aneurysm on February 27, 1995 in London, England.

The grandfather of all scammers in history Bernard Madoff, mastermind of the biggest investment scam. This report by Reuters about his trial and conviction:

Bernard Madoff was sentenced on Monday to 150 years in prison – the maximum sentence the judge could give him the "extraordinary evil" crimes on Wall Street's largest and most brutal investment fraud.

It goes:

"Fleeced investors in the courtroom cheered and applauded as the judge pronounced the sentence.

Madoff, 71, stood passively with his hands around his waist, showing no reaction when he saw the punishment that will send him to prison for the rest of his life heard.

The former nonexecutive chairman of the Nasdaq Stock Market has been locked in a cell Manhattan because he pleaded guilty to 11 charges including securities fraud, money laundering and perjury in March.

"Here the message to be sent to Mr. Madoff's crimes were particularly bad," U.S. District Judge Denny Chin said in rejecting of the defenses for a mild, 12 years imprisonment. "The violation of trust was massive.

"I just do not feel that Mr. Madoff has everything he could and told he knows it. "

The gray-haired Money Manager is dressed in his signature dark gray suit, white shirt and tie instead of a prison jumpsuit.

The shame passive financier sat the whole hour and a half hearing as his victims called him a "beast", an "animal" and a "Lowlife."

He apologized for them, at a turning point in the direction of the 250 people in the courtroom.

"I will live with this pain, this agony for the rest of my life, "he said calmly." I live in a troubled state feel the pain and suffering I've made. "

Madoff, who is accused of bilking investors worldwide out of a whopping $ 65 billion, said: "In my business, when a trading error, it is expected you a trading error, it was accepted. My mistake was much worse. I made an error estimate. "

FINANCIAL CRISIS replaced by

Madoff's December arrest came as investors feel that the worst of the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression in 1930.

The case has led to much criticism from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which is accused of missing red flags that would have led to the curtain on its asset management activities.

It was not known Madoff which will be punished for what prosecutors described as a global fraud of small and private clients, charities and financial institutions.

Judge Chin heartbreaking heard statements from nine of Madoff's victims, some of whom said they lost their savings, their homes were forced to sell, or had an application for government support to buy food.

"I only hope that his prison sentence is long enough that his cell is his coffin," said Michael Schwartz, 33, who said his family was robbed of savings for the care of his mentally disabled brother.

The White House said the judge had a strong signal to those who handle other people's money.

"My guess is that this message be heard loud and clear," said President Barack Obama's spokesman Robert Gibbs.

Madoff was arrested in December after his two sons told authorities that he had confessed to them that his investment empire was a sham.

Prosecutors have said that Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities has 65 billion U.S. dollars in the accounts weeks before his arrest, but the removal of the trustee company has so far only able to collect 1.2 billion U.S. dollars back to investors.

As much as 170 billion U.S. dollars flowed through the principle of Madoff decades. Madoff was symbolically sentenced to pay that amount in restitution.

While a much lesser sentence would Madoff sent to prison for life, Chin said he deserved the maximum, most pronounced for the organized crime bosses.

"The fraud here was staggering," said the judge.

A law professor said she was surprised by the sentence, but is uncertain whether it would serve as a deterrent.

"I would like to think that the mini-Madoff who would think that what happened today has something to do with them, but I suspect most of them, "said Jayne Barnard College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Madoff's lawyer said no decision had been made on whether the sentence appeal.

None of Madoff's relatives came to court. They have not participated to one of his earlier performances right.

The judge said he no letter received on behalf Madoff, stating all good deeds or charitable works. "The lack of such support is telling," says Chin.

Madoff's wife Ruth, 68, was not charged with any crimes, but she has put down the deceived investors shunned by friends, and pursued by the media. Breaking her long silence, she said in a statement on Monday that it had "betrayed and confused 'by scam of her husband.

"From the moment I learned from my husband that he committed a massive fraud, I had two thoughts – first, that so many people who trusted him would be financially and emotionally devastated, and secondly, that my life with the man I have more than 50 years had passed, "she said.

Madoff said that he acted alone. The only other person who has been criminally external accountant.

Madoff's brother, Peter, and his sons, Mark and Andrew, were executives in the mediation of his business unit. They said they were not aware of or involved in the crooked asset management side.

Madoff, and his wife have agreed to sell three luxury homes and other assets or value shipments. Proceeds from sale of assets will be distributed to defrauded investors.

Ruth Madoff will be left with $ 2,500,000, after the decay of some entitlement to $ 80 million in assets, including Manhattan, the couple's penthouse.

Madoff told investors in court that he could not apologize, says he tried to undo his crimes, but "the harder I tried, the deeper I a hole dug for myself. "

Investors said the apology had them cold.

"There is something very pathological. He is still making excuses for themselves, "George said Nierenberg, 57.

(Reporting by Grant McCool, Martha Graybow, Daniel Trotta, Mike Erman and Christine Kearney, editing by John Wallace, Toni Reinhold) "

Stuff gets the scam on our collective nerves so much that genuine business proposals will not look-in by most foreign prospects once the IP addresses shows Nigeria: But one fact remains – the victims of fraud or greedy or gullible and proportionate criminal minded 2 paragraph 4 of such schemes. The victim also willingly unwillingly accepted by the get-rich-quick proposals commits the crime as an unlikely (?) Accomplice.

According to Wikipedia: "The first known use the term "confidence man" in English was in 1849, it was used by the American press during the U.S. trial of William Thompson. Thompson chatted with strangers until he asked if she had the confidence to lend him their watches, whereupon he would walk off with the watch, he was captured by a victim recognized him street ".

The respected online encyclopedia explains further: "Confidence tricks exploit typical human qualities like greed, dishonesty, vanity, honesty, compassion, gullibility and naivety. The common factor is that the brand is on the good faith of the scammer. Just as there is no typical profile for swindlers, nor is there one for their victims. Virtually anyone can fall prey to fraudulent crimes.

Certainly victims of high-yield investment fraud can have a level of greed which exceeds their caution and a willingness to believe what they want to believe. However, not all victims of fraud have been greedy, risk taking, self-deception individuals looking to make a quick U.S. dollars. Nor are all fraud victims naive, uneducated, or elderly. A greedy or unfair trade mark may try to out-cheat The swindler, only to discover that he or she is manipulated into losing from the very beginning. This is such a general principle in confidence tricks that there is a saying among the men who con "You can not cheat an honest man. "

The confidence trickster often works with one or more accomplices called shills, that help manipulate the mark into accepting the con artist's plan. In a traditional confidence trick, the mark is led to believe that he will be able to transfer money or other win prizes by doing a certain task. The accomplices may pretend to be strangers who have benefited from performing the task in the past.

Wikipedia also on the list of her own record of world-famous thief, some of them were mentioned in the previous sections above, and of course none of them was even African or Nigerian that issue:

Known scammers

Born in the 18th century

Gregor MacGregor (1786-1845) – Scottish conman who tried to attract investment and settlers for a non-existent country Poyais.

Born or active in the 19th ?entur y

Lou Blonger (1849-1924) – organized massive ring of con men in Denver in early 1900.

Helga de la Brache (1817-1885)

Horace de Vere Cole (1881-1936)

Canada Bill Jones – riverboat gambler and card sharp

Victor Lustig (1890-1947) – born in Bohemia (now Czech Republic) and known as "the man who sold the Eiffel Tower.

George C. Parker (1870-1936) – U.S. con man who landmarks in New York sold to tourists.

Charles Ponzi (1882-1949) - "Ponzi scheme" is a "get rich quick" fraud named after him.

Death Valley Scotty (1872-1954) prospector, performer, and "swindler", famous for gold mining scam and the mansion in Death Valley known as Scotty's Castle.

Soapy Smith (1860-1898) – Trust of the gang boss who operated in Denver, Colorado, Creede, Colorado, and Skagway, Alaska

William Thompson (active 1840-1849) - American criminal deceptions that the cause of the confidence limit of the human being conceived.

Joseph Weil (1875-1976) – one of the most famous American con men of his time.

Cassie Chadwick (1857-1907) – a number of U.S. banks defrauded of millions of dollars by claiming that a illegitimate daughter and heiress of Andrew Carnegie are.

Born or active in the 20th century

Bernie Cornfeld (1927-1995) – ran the Investors Overseas Service, probably from a Ponzi scheme.

Richard Eaton (1937-1979) – con, saloon-owner and CEO of Moo Moo Vedda's dress factory and a member of the Lucchese crime family.

David Hampton (1964-2003) – Inspiration for the play and the film Six Degrees of Separation

Konrad Kujau (1938-2000) – German forger of the alleged Hitler Diaries.

Eduardo de Valfierno – Argentine conma n who allegedly masterminded the theft of the Mona Lisa in 1911.

Living people

Frank Abagnale (1948) – U.S. check forger and impostor, his autobiography, Catch Me If You Can, was made into a movie.

Peter Foster (1962) – Australian con man of convictions and imprisonment on three continents for fraud and money laundering, known for the Bai Lin slimming tea scam and involvement in real estate transactions with Cherie Blair.

Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter (1961) – Bavarian born impostor, for nearly two decades, claimed a family member of the wealthy Rockefeller.

Robert Hendy-Freegard (1971) – Briton kidnapped people in the name of an MI5 agent and cheated them out of money.

James Arthur Hogue (1959) – U.S. con man who is most famous Princeton University Implemented by posing as a self-taught orphan.

Clifford Irving (1930) – The American writer, known for a fake "authorized autobiography "Howard Hughes.

Samuel Israel III (1959) – Ran the former hedge fund Bayou Group fraud, faked suicide.

Bon Levi (1943) – Ron Aka Con and Ronald Frederick. Undoubtedly notorious swindler, in Australia most Australian cheated and American citizens investing in businesses franchise scam. He was put in prison, both in Australia and the United States.

Bernard Madoff Lawrence (1938) – Former U.S. chairman of the Nasdaq Stock Market, who admitted running a world record 65 billion U.S. dollars Ponzi scheme. Under the leadership of the hedge fund Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC until his arrest in 2008. In March 2009 he pleaded guilty to 11 federal crimes.

Matt the Knife (1981) – American-born cheat card and pickpocket who bilked companies, casinos, and at least one mafia family crime.

Barry Minkow (1967) – American entrepreneur. His company, ZZZZ Best, cost investors an estimated $ 100,000,000, before he served seven years in prison for fraud and other offenses.

Semyon Mogilevich (1946) – is a billionaire and boss of organized crime worldwide con artist praised by European and U.S. federal law enforcement agencies to "Boss of bosses" of most Russian mafia syndicates in the world.

Lou Pearlman (1954) – The U.S. businessman and manager Boy bands, sentenced to 25 years for operating a Ponzi scheme investment.

Casey Serin (1982) – Self-mortgage-known fraudster which became the "poster child" of the housing bubble.

Solomon Dwek (c.1973) Syrian Orthodox Jewish rabbi and real estate investor from Deal, New Jersey, who has pleaded guilty to bank fraud involving a $ 50,000,000 PNC Bank.

Michael Sabo (1945) Best known for its history as a checks, stocks and bonds forger. He became notorious in the 1960s and the 1990s as a "Great impostor", and was featured on national television, had more than 100 aliases, and earned millions.

With the foregoing it is unreasonable to stigmatize Nigerians for criminal enculturation by the Western world in nearly almost every aspect of contemporary life. Western movies into homes all Nigerian and African immorality now alien to them. People wear three-piece suits in hot weather and recently many scammers began using religion for their scamming thought processes to date. Well, it's no surprise to you but as Jesus warned us that two millennia ago "In the last days, there will be many many people in my name 'cheat. Now we see the many, and most of them are not Nigerians. But why treat them with such a disgrace?

As noted earlier, the Internet and mobile technology, these shores in the late 90's. Before that time, Western cheaters continue to deceive people by via schemes and were not as vilified as Nigerians. They hacked computer systems with viruses and other unwanted things were against humanity. 95% of Nigerians no access to the Internet, but we hear of bewildering Internet fraud schemes are attributed to Nigerians.

Many of these emails are sent to most of us (Nigerians), but we ignore them without batting an eyelid.

For example, you get a scam e-mail saying that you only sweepstakes and blah blah blah won. You knew you never played a game and you fall for her. That is greed and trying to reap where they sow not. Or someone an email from someone else saying is deceased and left money into a fictitious bank account and needs your help to get it out in yours. I would not buy this idea for a half penny, because I'm not greedy. In my little research was I learned that this scam schemes are actually taken from the western world itself. It's like the back-to-channel syndrome. What's more, we hear these days from the Madoff this world whose only surpassed the entire booty spoils of so-called Nigerian scammers. 0.001% of Nigerians in contrast to most parts of the western world are actually involved in any way. Their ability to send bulk email to millions at the touch of the button is not the average Nigerian is a scammer making as much as the singular act of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab action on Christmas Day 2009, not all Nigerians are terrorists or suicide bombers.

The real, the average Nigerian is hardworking and strives every day to earn his keep. The world thinks in most cases of people and places they have never been a representation of what they are getting their news sources.

My advice to scam-phobics is simple: Never get a building through the windows when the door is wide open. Greed and selfishness is a sine qua non-for-like a scam victim.

I rest my case for now.

PS

This testimony about the real Nigerian inboxed I was a white American, and one of my Friends on Facebook:

March 15 at 2:54 p.m.
Hi Henry – Thanks for telling me about the fan page. Yes, I know and understand that – it's a shame that some Nigerians are not known and have wrong / ignorant assumtions about them. There are swindlers and hustlers from everywhere, and we are to pray for the protection of the Lord of these evil people. I have personally used and cheated by people in real life, even here in Montana recently, and none of them ever Nigerians.

I used to live in Southern California and my son had a medical emergency. I had to pay the house had just left me refinance my mother if she had just deceased. I called every mortgage company I could find. I lived Orange County (I hated it there, was not originally from there, bad people) and I called companies in Los Angeles and Ventura counties as well. All the companies I could find. I had just declared bankruptcy.

Finally I reached a company in Thousand Oaks, CA. They all had British accents. They were the only company out of thousands that would help me. To I had to help them trust me. They were also Christians. I shared with them the state of my son, and that of the Children's Services threatened to take away, because my children I could not find a doctor who knew how to work with him – he had / has a very rare disorder (that's how we ended up in Montana).

She refiananced my house. I had to pay $ 6,000 for a lawyer just to keep my son home. It was ridiculous Henry as his problem with his knee and their main complaint was that he was too heavy. It was not life threatening in any case and I got him to 10 different doctors and had the proof!

When they refinanced again! They said it would not be easy if my bankruptcy, and all of a loan, she would find at a private party. I begged them and told them my case and what happened to my son. He shared with me that they are Christians were.

Everyone in the office was so kind to me. They all said they were praying for me and my children.

I finally sold the house as the only surgeon I could find who knew how to work with my son was here in Montana.

On my way to California, I drove by their office. I wanted them personally thanks for everything they have done for us. Their confidence and kindness kept my family together. They were also very fair with their rates and business relationships.

I stopped and went inside, and was so surprised they were all from Africa, from Nigeria. She had been educated in England. And the owner of women to this day still the most beautiful African woman I've ever seen in my life. She wore tradtitional Nigerian clothing.

Henry, these people were my angels here on earth. My parents were given cancer, my brother was a drug addict (he is now clean and has found the Lord, praise God), my husband ran to a beggar on a train (true story) and his family, who were rich, do not care if my children were dead or alive.
These Nigerians saved my family – my children – the most precious thing on the face of this earth for me. I will never, never, never forget what they did for me and my children. I am so thankful to God for them.

I also met wonderful people here in Nigeria facebook.

Thanks for hearing this story. God bless you!
Sincerely,

(Name withheld)

About the Author

Born on November 24 1965 in Lagos, Nigeria. Graduated with a B.Sc (Honours) degree in Psychology from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria in 1991. Has had stints in management and construction. Currently involved in Oil and Gas Consultancy

8/20/09: White House Press Briefing