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Who Is The cyber-criminal?

Recently, the Nigerian Internet fraudsters or criminals were added. Sincere Business proposals from potential Business partners turned Associates as soon as it is observed that the IP address comes from Nigeria.

In a country with supposedly the happiest people on Earth, one of the religious and stinking rich in human and natural resources, with its average citizen actually working there to eke out every day, honestly, in most cases, a living, it is a shocking, but an understandable proposition. Scam-mails or e-mail the origin can be easily over the Internet Protocol (IP) address can be identified. However it takes two to tango. is right or wrong, are just like the average Nigerian inhabitants of the earth - with the vagaries of reality a nanosecond turbulent world confronted. But as has come to be something else entirely.

The Internet came quite late in Nigeria. Even in the late, late 90's and early 2000's. Then it was petty deception of the order of the day as in most countries, especially in the western world. Naples, Italy, New York, USA, London, UK and many other places had to tell stories of conmen and so on. There was not much of cyber-crime from anywhere near the shore an African country since cyber Activities were heard practically non-existent. No one drives a dream car, without actually buying or possessing it.

All of the earliest recorded stories of fraud or a con man-ship were never the Nigerian or even African dramatis personae, for that matter. After well-informed Chroniclers of this shameful way of life, a confidence trick or confidence game known (also known as bunko, con, Flim Flam Gaffles, grift, hustle, scam, scheme, vertigo or Bamboozle) is an attempt by one person or group to gain their trust to cheat. The victim is like the brand that is well known trickster an impostor, deceiver, Swindler or con artist, and all are shills known as accomplices.

Confidence men exploit human traits such as greed and dishonesty, and individuals from all walks of life conman sacrifice a person is deliberately deceived another person, usually for personal financial gain. In the recent History, there were a number of impostors who have really stuck either for the wealth they accumulated, or the ease with which they deceived people.

The archivists reeled from a list of 10 most famous cheater in recent history:

1st Frank Abagnale (born 1948)

Frank Abagnale is a former check confidence trickster, forger and impostor who passed for five years in the 1960's worth of bad checks more than $ 2,500,000 in 26 countries. His nefarious deeds inspired the filming of the latest blockbuster movie "Catch Me If You Can". He began a fraudulent Carving a niche for itself as a youth when he used his father's mobile card to buy auto parts, then sell it, would return to the gas station to a lower price. Records have that he did not know that his father was the one paying the bill, and when he finally confronted with the fraud, his mother had sent him for four months to a juvenile correction facility.

After moving to New York, Frank was living alone on the income of his fraudulent activities. One of his most famous tricks was to pay his own account number to print counterfeit bank slips, so that money paid by customers of the bank, it would actually go on his account. When the banks realized what had happened, Frank had taken over $ 40,000 and gone underground.

For about two years, Abagnale around the globe World free from parading himself as a Pan Am pilot trotted. He could abuse the professional courtesy of other airlines to free travel for the pilots competing offer, if they had to move quickly to another city. Once he was nearly caught leaving a plane, but he changed his masquerade, that the Doctor and he worked as a medical advisor for 11 months without evidence. Sometimes he worked as a lawyer and teacher.

He was eventually caught in France and spent six months are in jail. Then he returned to Sweden and was delivered to prison for six months. After a successful flight to travel to the United States, after all, he was 12th Years in prison. He escaped from prison by masquerading as an undercover officer of the Bureau of Prisons. He was once recorded in New York City and back to prison. After only five years of his sentence, offered the federal government to him his freedom in return for supporting the government against fraud and fraudsters, without paying.

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

2nd Charles Ponzi [Born: 1882, d. 1949]

Ponzi, an Italian immigrant in the United States became one of the most famous swindlers in American history. While many people do not know the name Ponzi is the Ponzi scheme very well known and continues today on the Internet Make Money Fast schemes. His early life is not completely known, as he was prone to fabricate stories about them. What is known, that he spent a short time at the University of Rome, and after they come out, caught a ship to Boston, USA, where he arrived with $ 2.50 in his pocket.

His early Years in the United States were difficult. He began in a restaurant, but was soon to play pranks with the accounts and short changing customers fired. His next task It was provided in a bank in Canada that work for Italian immigrants. His knowledge of numbers helped him do well there. Unfortunately, it turned out that the owner of the to steal money from bank opened new savings accounts to the interest on the interest-bearing accounts and pay cover bad investments. The bank owners eventually fled to Mexico and left Ponzi without a job. After writing a fraudulent check and spending several years in prison for Ponzi determined to get rich at any cost.

Once he had settled into life on the outside, he discovered postal reply coupons in a letter that was sent to him from abroad. He realized that he could buy Foreign coupons at prices massively devalued (because of the price-fixing after the war) and then they sell in the United States for a 400% profit. This was a form of arbitrage and it was legal. Ponzi began screens and friends for money - promised a 50% return, or a doubling of their money in 90 days. He began his own company, the Securities Exchange Company, to promote the scheme.

The word spread quickly and the large investment Ponzi was soon in a luxurious Mansion lives. He was bringing in cash at a fantastic price, but the simplest financial analysis showed that they are not making money, he was quick to lose it. For every dollar he took in, he went deeper and deeper into debt. As long as money flows in ever, Ponzi would stay ahead of the collapse.

People sometimes suspicious become and the press began to publish negative articles about him. Inevitably, people began to demand their money. Shortly thereafter, federal agents raided his office and turn it off. found no stock of stamps and all those who invested their money with Ponzi had lost every penny. It is likely that he lost millions of dollars. Ponzi plead guilty of mail fraud and was sent to prison. After a flight he was to return to prison to complete his sentence. He was eventually deported to Italy, where he died in poverty in 1949.

3rd Because Joseph [Born: 1877, d. 1975]

Joseph "Yellow Kid" was because one of the most famous men of his con-era. During his career he held for more than $ 8,000,000 should have been stolen. In his first job as a collector, he realized that his employees keep their claims were but a small part of the money for themselves. Since the beginning of a protection racket - Offers its activities are not in exchange for a small report of what they were there.

He also used phony oil deals, women, fixed Races, and an endless list of other tricks to steal from an increasingly gullible public. He could change his persona daily, its profits continued: One day he was Dr. Henri Reuel, a noted geologist who traveled around and told his hosts that he was a representative for a large oil company, while Draining them of cash, gave it to him to "invest in fuel." The next day he was director of the Elysium Development Company, promising land, to innocent believers while robbing them in recording fees and abstract. Or he was a chemist par excellence who discovered how to copy dollar bills had promised, to increase your wealth, he would multiply your bill's then the prey when the police arrived.

In his autobiography writes Weil:

"The desire to get something for nothing is very expensive, many people that need to be treated me and other fraudsters," Weil writes. "But I have stated that this is the way it works. The average person, in my estimation, is ninety-nine percent of animal and human one percent. The ninety-nine Percent of that animal causes little trouble. But that one percent that human causes all our woes. When people learn - as I doubt they will - that they are not something for nothing, will reduce crime, and we will live in greater harmony. "

4th (Count) Victor Lustig [Born: 1890, d. 1947]

Victor Lustig was, as the man who sold the Eiffel Tower known. He was born in Bohemia, but later went to Paris, where he was able to help people con on his frequent trips between Paris and New York. His first con was to show people, a device that could print out $ 100 bills. The only problem would He told them that it prints only one bill every six hours. Many people paid him huge sums of money (usually over $ 30,000) for the device. Actually the device contained two real hidden $ 100 bills - once they had the machine spat it would be to produce only blank paper. was the time that the buyers discovered this Lustig also disappeared with their money.

In 1925, when France was recovering from the war, was the maintenance of the Eiffel Tower to an almost unbearable burden on City of Paris. If funny to read about this in a paper, he came with his brilliant idea. After forging government credentials, he invited six scrap metal dealers to a secret Meeting in a hotel. He explained that the city could not afford to keep the tower and that they had to sell it as scrap. He told them the secrecy of the meeting and all future transactions is due to the fact that the public may, at the thought that the removal of the tower in despair.

While it seems plausible which was built at the time the tower is meant to be temporary and this happened, was only 18 years after the original date for removal of the tower. Lustig found the dealers in a limousine on the tower tour. One of the dealer was, Andre Poisson convinced that the story was legitimate and he handed over the money. When he noticed he was cheated, he was too embarrassed to tell the police and Lustig escaped with the money. A month later he returned to Paris again to try the whole scam. This time It was reported to the police, but Lustig managed to escape.

At one point, Lustig convinced Al Capone to invest with him $ 50,000. He saved the money in a Safe and there were two months later, stating that the deal fell through. Capone, so impressed with Lustig honesty gave him $ 5,000 for his efforts. In 1934 Lustig found guilty of forgery. He plead guilty and was sentenced to 20 years in Alcatraz. In 1947 he died of pneumonia while in jail in Springfield, Missouri.

5th George Parker [Born: 1870 Died: 1936]

Parker was one of the most daring con men in American history. He made his living by selling the New York landmark by the public to unwary tourists. His favorite object for sale was the Brooklyn Bridge, which he sold twice a week for years. He convinced his grades, that they could make a fortune by controlling access to the roadway. More than once had to remove the police naive buyer from the bridge as they tried to erect barriers to ring.

Other public landmarks he sold the original Madison Square Garden, included the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Grant's Tomb and the Statue of Liberty. George had many different methods for the production of its turnover. When he's Grant Tomb sold, he would often pose as the general's grandson. He even set a fake "office" to his real estate fraud to treat. He produced impressive fake documents to prove that he was the rightful owner of the property, which he sells.

Parker was convicted of fraud three times. After his third conviction to 17 December 1928 he was sentenced to a life term in Sing Sing prison. He spent the last eight years of his life behind bars. He was popular with the guards and fellow prisoners, the hearing of his exploits to enjoy. George is remembered as one of the most successful impostor in the history of the United States, and a history of the most gifted counterfeiters. His exploits have been passed on in popular culture, resulting in phrases such as "and if you believe that I have a bridge to sell you," a popular expression for the belief that someone gullible.

6th Soapy Smith [Born: 1860, d. 1898]

Soapy Smith (born in Jefferson Randolph Smith) was an American Con artist and gangster who had a large hand in the organized criminal operations of Denver, Colorado, Creede, Colorado, and Skagway, Alaska from 1879 to 1898. He is perhaps the most famous "sure-thing" Bunko man of the old west. Some time in the late 1870s or early 1880s, Smith began duping lot with a trick called the Denver newspapers, the sale price package soap Swindle.

Jefferson would be his "open and Keister tripe" (display case on a tripod) on a busy street corner. would urge ordinary soap cake on the top Keister, he described its wonders. As he spoke to the growing crowd of onlookers, he would pull out his wallet and start packing paper money of one dollar up to a hundred dollars to a select few of the bars. He then completed by wrapping each bar of plain around him to hide the money. He mixed the money packed in packages wrapped bars containing no money. He then sold the soap to the crowd for a dollar a cake.

would buy a shill planted in the crowd a bar, tearing open it, and loudly proclaim that he had some money, they waved for all to see. This performance had the desired effect of enticing the sale of the parcels. More often than not, victims bought several bars, before the sale was completed. Midway through the sale, Smith would know that the hundred-dollar bill remained in the pile, not bought. He would then auction off the remaining soap bars to the highest bidder.

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

7th Eduardo de Valfierno

Eduardo de Valfierno, who continues to Marques (Marquis), was an Argentine con man who allegedly masterminded the theft of the Mona Lisa. Valfierno paid several men, the work of art from the Louvre to steal, including museum staff Vincenzo Perugia. In August 21, 1911 Peruggia hid the Mona Lisa under his coat and simply walked out the door.

took place before the attack, was responsible Valfierno French art restorer forger Yves Chaudron and to make six copies of the Mona Lisa. The counterfeits were then shipped to various parts of the world and prepare them for the buyer he had lined up. Valfierno once knew the Mona Lisa was stolen would be more difficult to smuggle past customs copies. were delivered after the invasion of copies to customers, everyone thought they had the original, only for them had been stolen. Since only wanted to sell Valfierno forgeries, he needed to disappear, only the original Mona Lisa and never again Peruggia contacted after the crime. Finally Peruggia was caught trying to sell the painting, and it was back to the Louvre in 1913.

8th James Hogue [born 1959]

Hogue is a U.S. impostor who most notably by the Princeton University, which came as a self-taught orphan. enrolled in 1986 Hogue in a high school in Palo Alto, as Jay Mitchell Huntsman, a 16-year-old orphan from Nevada. He had assumed the identity of a dead infant. A suspected local reporter exposed him. In 1988 Hogue enrolled at Princeton University with the alias Alexi Indris Santana, a self-taught orphan from Utah. He deferred admission for one year, because he was convicted of theft of bicycle frames in Utah. Hogue claimed in his application materials that he had been sleeping outside in the Grand Canyon, and sheep and Read Philosophers. He violated his probation to come into the class. For the next two years he lived as Santana and as a member of the athletics team. He was also included in the Ivy Club.

suspended in 1991 Hogue's real identity was when Renee Pacheco, a student from the Palo Alto High School saw him. He was due to cheating the University for $ 30,000 in financial aid and sentenced to three years imprisonment with five years probation and 100 hours community service arrested.

On 16 Hogue made headlines again in May 1993 through his association with the University of Harvard. Once again lied about his identity, he could get a job as a security guard on one of Harvard's museums on campus. A few months into his tenure, museum officials noticed that several stones have been replaced for the issue with cheap fakes. Somerville police confiscated Hogue in his home and charged him with grand larceny in the amount of $ 50,000.

On 12 Hogue pleaded guilty in March 2007 to one felony count of theft over $ 15,000 in exchange for a prison sentence of 10 years, and prosecutors' agreement to other common to be theft, and criminal charges are.

9th Robert Hendy-Freegard [Born: 1971]

Robert Hendy-Freegard is a British barman, car salesman, Imposters and fraudsters, as MI5 agent disguised and misled several people to go for fear of IRA assassination underground. He met his victims at social events or as Customers in the pub or car dealership where he worked. He would reveal his "role" as an undercover agent for MI5, Special Branch and Scotland Yard is working against the IRA. He could win it, ask for money and make them do his bidding. He demanded that she go cut off contact with family and friends through "loyalty tests" and living alone in poverty. He seduced five women and claimed that he wanted to marry her. First, some of the victims refused to co- with the police because he had warned that police would double the MI5 agent or agents, each a different "loyalty test".

Robert Freegard seduced a newly married personal assistant who was taking care of his children. He told her he was from MI5 and forced her contact with friends and cut the family that the IRA would kill her. He also took naked pictures of her and threatened them to her husband she would not cooperate. She had to change her name and say She was the deed poll officer it because they sexually abused as a child. Your loyalty tests, including accommodation at Heathrow and on park benches for several nights, and acted as a Jehovah's Witness, so that his superiors at MI5 could marry her.

In 2002, Scotland Yard and the FBI organized a Sting operation. First heard the FBI phone number of the American psychologist parents. Her mother, he told them about £ 10,000 hands, but would be in person. Robert Freegard met the mother at Heathrow airport, where police apprehended him. He denied all charges and claimed they were part of a conspiracy against him and put this story in the following Process. On 23 June, 2005, after an eight month study, Blackfriars Crown Court convicted Robert Hendy-Freegard for two counts of kidnapping, theft, and 10 from eight of deception. On 6 September 2005, he received a life sentence. Police doubt that she discovers all the victims. On 25 April 2007 told the BBC that had Robert Hendy-Freegard against his and Doncaster won. This means that the life sentence will be lifted, but he will still serve nine years for other crimes. He could by the end of 2007 free.

10th Bernard Cornfeld [Born: 1927, d. 1995]

Bernard Cornfeld was a prominent businessman and financier, international investment in U.S. mutual funds sold. He was born in Turkey. When he moved to the U.S., he first worked as a social worker, but was a mutual fund salesman in the 1950s. Although he made a Stuttering suffered, he had a natural talent for the sale and when a school friend's father died, the two they used the $ 3,000 insurance money for the purchase and operation an age and weight guessing booth at Coney Iceland fairground.

In the 1960s, Cornfeld formed to sell his own fund company, Investors Overseas Services (IOS), which he incorporated outside the U.S. with funds in Canada and based in Geneva, Switzerland. Although the headquarters in Geneva offcially, the main operational offices of the IOS were in Ferney-Voltaire, France, a short drive from the border to Switzerland to Geneva, which was simply a means of avoiding the problems of obtaining Swiss work permits for the many employees. During the next ten years, raised over $ IOS from 2500000000, which Cornfeld a personal fortune of more than $ 100,000,000. Cornfeld itself has been known for conspicuous consumption at the glittering parties. Socially, he was generous and jovial.

A group of 300 employees IOS complained raised that the Swiss authorities Cornfeld and his co-founders pocketed part of the proceeds from the issuance of shares under the staff in 1969. It was therefore with fraud in 1973 collected by the Swiss authorities. If Cornfeld visited Geneva, Swiss authorities arrested him. He served 11 months in a Swiss jail before being transferred to a Deposit of $ 600,000 bail. He returned to Beverly Hills to live, less ostentatious than in previous years. He developed an obsession for healthy food and vitamins, avoided red meat and drank alcohol only rarely. He suffered a stroke and died of a cerebral aneurysm, 27 February 1995 in London, England.

The great-grandfather of all the cheats in history is Bernard Madoff, mastermind of the largest investment fraud. This report from Reuters about his trial and conviction:

"Bernard Madoff was sentenced on Monday to 150 years in prison - the maximum penalty the judge for him" extremely angry "crime could give Wall Street's largest investment and brazen fraud.

It goes:

"Laminated cheered investors in the courtroom and applauded when the judge handed the sentence down.

Madoff, 71, stood passively with his hands clasped at his waist, shows no reaction when he set that is to send him to prison for the rest of his life.

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

"This sent the message must be that Mr. Madoff crimes were extremely angry, "U.S. District Judge Denny Chin said in rejecting the defense pleaded for a lenient 12-year-old Prison sentence. "The breach of trust was massive.

"I just do not get the feeling that Mr. Madoff has everything he could and told all, that he knows enough. "

The gray-haired asset manager has been dressed in his signature dark suit, white shirt and tie instead of a prison Overall.

The shame Financière SA passively throughout the hour-and-a-half of his hearing as a victim called him a "beast", an "animal" and a "Lowlife."

He apologized to them at one point turning to the 250 people in the courtroom.

"I will be with this pain to live with this pain for the rest of my life, "he said quietly." I live to know in a state of torment, the pain and suffering I have created. "

Madoff, who is accused of bilking investors worldwide by as much as $ 65000000000 said: "In my business if you make a mistake, the trade, They are expected to make a trading mistake is to accept it. My mistake was much more serious. I made a mistake of the court. "

Caught out of financial crisis

Madoff in December as investors were caught feeling the brunt of the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression 1930th

The case has widespread criticism of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, triggered what the missing red flags that the curtain could have reduced its asset management business had been accused.

It was not known where Madoff will serve his sentence for prosecutors, which the world as a fraud of the small and wealthy private investors, charities and Financial institutions described.

Judge Chin is tearing statements of nine of Madoff's victims, some of which they had lost their life savings, said were forced to sell their homes or had to apply for government assistance to buy food.

"I just hope that his imprisonment is long enough so that his jail cell will become his coffin, "said Michael Schwartz, 33, who had been robbed of his family savings earmarked for the care of his mentally disabled, said brother.

The White House said that the judge had a strong signal to those that bypass other people's money sent.

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

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

Prosecutors have said that Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities showed 65000000000 $ in customer accounts weeks before his arrest, but the destruction of the trustee company has so far succeeded only 1200000000 to collect $ to investors back.

As much as 170 billion U.S. dollars flowed through the principle Madoff accounts for decades. Madoff was appointed symbolic to pay that amount in restitution.

While a much lower rate would Madoff sent to prison for life, said he deserved Chin the maximum, usually passed on to organized crime bosses.

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

A Law professor said she was surprised by the sentence but unsure if it will be a deterrent.

"I would like to believe that the mini-Madoff out there would think, what has happened today, something to do with them, but I suspect that most of them do not, "said Jayne Barnard College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia.

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

None of Madoff relatives came to court. You do not have all its attending court appearances.

The judge has said he did not have a single letter on behalf Madoff will testify all the good deeds or works of charity. "The lack of such support to say," Chin said.

Madoff's wife Ruth, 68, has not been charged with a crime, but they has reviled by the defrauded investors, shunned by friends, and being pursued by the media. Breaking her long silence, she said in a statement on Monday that she had "betrayed and confused, "her husband's fraud.

"From the moment was when I learned from my husband that he committed a huge fraud, I have two thoughts - first, trust that so many people that it would be financially and emotionally ruined, and second, that my life with the man I have known for over 50 years past was, "she said.

Madoff said he acted alone. The only other person criminally is its outside accountant.

Madoff's Brother, Peter, and his sons, Mark and Andrew were the executives in his company's brokerage unit. You have said that they were not aware or the crooked Asset Management page.

have Madoff and his wife, agreed to the sale of three luxury real estate and other assets and valuables. Proceeds from the sale of assets will be distributed defrauded investors.

Ruth Madoff will be left with $ 2,500,000, after losing entitlement to approximately $ 80,000,000 in assets, including the couple's penthouse apartment in Manhattan.

Madoff investors said that in the courtroom, he could offer no excuses and said, He tries to make his crime undo, but "the more I tried to dig a deeper hole for myself."

Investors said, the excuse it cold.

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

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

The Order is fraud in our collective nerves so much that honest business is not look-in proposals received by most foreign buyers even shows the IP address Nigeria: But one fact remains - victims of fraud are either greedy or gullible, and accordingly two criminal-minded are four such schemes. The victim also, willy-nilly through the adoption of the get-rich-quick proposals, the crime committed as unlikely (?) Accomplice.

According to Wikipedia: "The first known use of the term "Confidence Man" in English was in 1849, it was from the American press during the U.S. trial used by William Thompson. Thompson chatted with strangers until he asked if they had confidence in him their watches, whereupon he made himself a prisoner to walk with the clock, he was when a victim recognized him on the street ".

The respected online encyclopedia goes on to explain: "Confidence tricks exploit human characteristics typical such as greed, dishonesty, vanity, honesty, compassion, gullibility and naivety. The common factor is that the mark on the good faith of the con artist based. Just as there is no typical profile for swindlers, neither is it one of their victims. Virtually anyone can fall victim to fraudulent crimes.

Certainly Victims of high-yield investment fraud, may possess a level of greed exceeds their caution and a willingness to believe what they want to believe. Though Not all victims of fraud are greedy, risk-taking, self-deception individuals looking to make a quick buck. Nor are all fraud victims naive, uneducated, or elderly people. A greedy or dishonest trade mark may try to out-cheat the con artist, only to discover that he or she lose manipulated from the start was. This is such a general principle in confidence tricks, there is a saying among men that con "you can not cheat an honest man."

The con man often works with one or more accomplices called shills, who help manipulate the mark in the adoption of the plan impostor. In a traditional confidence trick is the brand led to believe that he will be able to get money or other prize by winning specific task. The accomplices may pretend by strangers who meet the Task will be benefited in the past.

Wikipedia also lists its own record of World renowned con artist, some of them mentioned were mentioned in the preceding paragraphs, and apparently none of them was in Nigeria or Africa for that matter:

Remarkable Con artist

Born in the 18 Century

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

Born or active in the 19 Centur y

Lou Blong (1849-1924) - organized massive ring of fraudsters in Denver in the early 1900s.

Helga de la Brache (1817-1885)

Horace de Vere Cole (1881-1936)

Canada Bill Jones - riverboat players and card sharp

Winner Lustig (1890-1947) - Born in Bohemia (now Czech Republic) and known as "the man, the Eiffel Tower" sold.

George C. Parker (1870-1936) - U.S. con man who sold the tourist New York landmarks.

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

Death Valley Scotty (1872-1954) Prospector, performer, and con man, famous for gold mining scams and the mansion in Death Valley Scotty's Castle as known.

Soapy Smith (1860-1898) - Trust gang leader, operated in the Denver, Colorado, Creede, Colorado, and Skagway, Alaska

William Thompson (1840-1849 active) - U.S. criminal whose deceptions caused the term confidant are shaped.

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

Cassie Chadwick (1857-1907) - Several U.S. banks defrauded of millions of dollars by pretending an illegitimate daughter and heiress of Andrew Carnegie be.

Born or active in the 20th Century

Bernie Cornfeld (1927-1995) - ran the Overseas Investors Services that are allegedly a Ponzi scheme.

Richard Eaton (1937-1979) - Con artists, salon owner and general manager of Moo Moo Vedda Garment factory, and an associate of the Lucchese family.

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

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

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

Human life

Frank Abagnale (1948) - US-check forger and fraudster, his autobiography, Catch Me If You Can, was made into a movie.

Peter Foster (1962) - Australian conman with convictions and prison sentences on three continents for fraud and money laundering, known for the Bai Lin slimming fraud and participation in real estate transactions with Cherie Blair.

Karl Christian Gerhart Reiter (1961) - Born in the Bavarian con artist, who has been nearly two decades, claimed a member of the wealthy Rockefeller family.

Robert Hendy-Freegard (1971) - Briton, the identity of persons kidnapped an MI5 agent and they cheated the money out.

James Arthur Hogue (1959) - U.S. impostor who most notably of Princeton University, the entry as a self-taught orphan.

Clifford Irving (1930) - American writer, best known for the wrong "authorized autobiography" by Howard Hughes.

Samuel Israel III (1959) - Ran former fraudulent Bayou Hedge Fund Group; fake suicide.

Bon Levi (1943) - aka Ron Con and Ronald Frederick. Probably Australia's most notorious conman who tricked Australian and U.S. citizens in investments in franchise businesses Fraud. He was arrested in both Australia and the United States.

Bernard Lawrence Madoff (1938) - American former Chairman of the NASDAQ Stock Exchange approved the scheme will be a world-record $ 65000000000 Ponzi. Under the direction 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 card cheat and the thief Corporations, cheated casinos, and at least a Mafia crime family.

Barry Minkow (1967) - American entrepreneur. His company, ZZZZ Best, Cost investors an estimated $ 100,000,000, before he was seven years in prison for fraud and other crimes.

Semyon Mogilevich (1946) - Is a billionaire and boss of organized crime is a global con artist by the European and the United States believed law enforcement authorities of the Federal to the "boss of bosses" of most Russian Mafia syndicate in the world.

Lou Pearlman (1954) - U.S. businessman and manager convicted of boy bands, to 25 years for running a Ponzi scheme investment.

Casey Serin (1982) - Mortgage-confessed fraudsters, the bladder was the "flagship" of the case.

Solomon Dwek (c.1973) Syrian-Orthodox rabbis and Jewish property investor from Deal, New Jersey, the bank pleaded guilty to bank fraud, a $ 50,000,000 PNC.

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

With all this, it is unreasonable to brand for the Nigerian criminal enculturation of the Western world in nearly almost every aspect of modern life. Western movies bring a stranger in Nigerian and African houses all sorts of immorality them so far. The men wear three-piece suits in hot weather, and many scammers have recently begun to realize their religion with scamming thought processes. Well, it's no surprise, yours truly, as Jesus warned deceive us two millennia ago that "In the last days will be many, many in my name." Now we see the many, and most of them are not Nigerian. But why deal with such a disgrace?

As already mentioned, came the Internet and mobile technologies that coast the late 90 Years. Before then put Western fraudsters to cheat the people through various programs and not been so maligned as Nigerians. They hacked computer systems with viruses and other harmful things have against humanity. 95% of Nigerians have no access to the Internet, but we hear of crazy Internet fraud schemes being attributed to Nigerians.

Many such e-mails are most of us (Nigerians), but we ignore them without batting an eyelash sent.

For example, you get e-mail fraud say that you just won the lottery and blah blah blah. You knew you never played any game, and you fall for them. This is greed and try to harvest, where they sow not. Or someone sends an e-mail says someone died and left money in a fictitious account and needs your help to sell it out. I would not buy the idea for a half a cent, because I'm not greedy. In my little research I found out that these regulations actually inherited fraud from the western world itself has. Its like the back-to-sender syndrome. What's more, we hear in these days of Madoff's of this world their prey alone exceeded the entire booty of the so-called Nigerian Fraudsters. 0.001% of Nigerians in contrast to most parts of the Western world are actually involved in any way. Their ability to send bulk mail to Million at the touch of a button does not make the average Nigerian is not a cheat as much as the singular act of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab the action on Christmas Day 2009 all Nigerians terrorists or suicide bombers.

The real, the average Nigerian is hardworking and strives daily to earn his keep. The world, in most cases, thinking about people and places she has never been as a representation of what they get from their news sources.

My scam-phobics to advice is simple: Try never to get into a building through the window when the door is wide open. Greed and selfishness is a conditio sine-qua-non for being a Fraud victims.

I rest my case for now.

PS

This statement about the real me from Nigeria was a Caucasian American inboxed, and one of my friends on Facebook:

15th March at 14.54 clock
Hi Henry - Thank you for telling me about the fan page. Yes, I know and understand that - it is a shame that some Nigerians have not known and have wrong / ignorant Assumption of them. There are swindlers and hustlers from all over, and we are praying for the Lord's protection from such evil people. I have used, and in person scammed by people in real life, even recently here in Montana, and none of them Nigerians ever.

I used to live in Southern California and my son had a medical emergency. To pay for this I had my mother's house just leave me refinance had when she was dead. I called every mortgage I could find. I lived in Orange County (I hated it there, was not originally there, common people) and called companies in Los Angeles and Ventura counties as well. Every company 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 who would help me. To help me they had confidence to me. They were also Christians. I shared with them the condition of my son, and that the Children's Services threatened to take away my children because I Could not find, as a doctor, to work on him - he has / is a very rare disease (which, as we did end up in Montana).

You refiananced my home. I had to pay $ 6,000 for a lawyer, just to keep my son at home. It was ridiculous as Henry was his problem with his knee and was their main complaint that he is overweight was. It was not life threatening in anyway and I had already taken him to 10 different doctors and had the proof!

Then they refinanced it again! They said it would not be so easy with my bankruptcy, and already with a loan of them, they had to find a private party. I pleaded with them and told them my Case and what had happened to my son. He told me that they were Christians.

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

I finally sold the house as the only surgeon I could find, as my son knew the work was here in Montana.

On my way from California, I drove by her office. I wanted to thank them personally for all they had done for us. Your confidence and kept my goodness family together. They were also very fair with their prices and transactions.

I stopped and went in and was so surprised, they were all from Africa, from Nigeria. She had been educated in England. And the wife of the owner to the present day Africa's most beautiful woman I've ever seen in my life. She wore an elegant Nigerian clothing.

Henry, These people were my angel here on earth. My parents have been passed on from cancer, my brother was a drug addicts (he is now clean and has noted the Lord, praise God), my husband ran away to be a bum on the train (true story) and his family, who were rich, I did 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 to me. I will never, never, never forget what she has done for me and my Children. I am so grateful to God for them.

I have also met wonderful people here in Nigeria on Facebook.

Thank you for this story heard. God bless you!
Yours 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

House Session 2010-03-25 (20:38:20-21:39:18)