Ponzi Schemes
This Italian immigrant gave his name to the investment scam that promises returns using new investors' money.
Charles Ponzi
This famous Renaissance artist's works are among the most commonly forged.
Leonardo da Vinci
This con artist posed as a pilot, doctor, and lawyer before his story inspired a movie.
Frank Abagnale Jr.
This energy company collapsed in one of America's largest accounting scandals.
Enron
In 1911, this famous painting disappeared from the Louvre.
Mona Lisa
This New York financier orchestrated one of the largest Ponzi schemes in history, costing investors about $65 billion on paper.
Bernie Madoff
Dutch forger Han van Meegeren became famous for creating convincing paintings by this artist.
Johannes Vermeer
Leonardo DiCaprio portrayed Frank Abagnale Jr. in this 2002 film.
Catch Me If You Can
This accounting firm dissolved after its role in the Enron scandal.
Arthur Andersen
This notorious thief stole the Mona Lisa.
Vincenzo Peruggia
Charles Ponzi claimed he made profits by exploiting price differences in these international mailing items.
International Reply Coupons
Forgers often fake this document to establish a painting's ownership history.
provenance
This biotech startup founder falsely claimed revolutionary blood-testing technology.
Elizabeth Holmes
This pharmaceutical company became infamous for aggressively marketing OxyContin.
Purdue Pharma
The 1990 Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum robbery occurred in this U.S. city.
Boston
In 2008, this financial crisis helped expose Bernie Madoff's fraud.
he Great Recession (Financial Crisis of 2008)?
This "Father of the Constitution" appeared on the forged $5,000 bills that occasionally fooled collectors.
James Madison
Ferdinand Waldo Demara became famous under this nickname.
The Great Impostor
Theranos claimed its blood-testing machine could perform hundreds of tests using only this.
single drop of blood
Two thieves disguised as these workers gained entry to the Gardner Museum.
police officers
Bernie Madoff once served as chairman of this major U.S. stock exchange.
NASDAQ
Wolfgang Beltracchi became famous for forging paintings supposedly created by artists from this early 20th-century movement.
Expressionism
This woman falsely claimed to be the missing Russian Grand Duchess Anastasia.
Anna Anderson
Volkswagen admitted installing software to cheat these tests.
emissions tests
Victor Lustig famously "sold" this Paris landmark twice.
Eiffel Tower
Charles Ponzi's infamous scheme lasted only about this many months before collapsing.
8 months
This infamous "Diaries" scandal of 1983 involved forged journals that many initially believed had been written by this historical figure.
Adolf Hitler
Frank Abagnale was especially known for forging these financial documents.
checks
This investor became famous for exposing accounting fraud at companies like Sino-Forest.
Carson Block
George C. Parker repeatedly "sold" this famous New York landmark.
Brooklyn Bridge
This cryptocurrency exchange collapsed in 2022 amid allegations of fraud led by Sam Bankman-Fried.
FTX
This Shakespeare play features a forged letter that convinces Malvolio he's secretly loved.
Twelfth Night
Anna Sorokin posed as a wealthy German heiress under this surname.
Delvey
This telecommunications company filed for what was then the largest bankruptcy in U.S. history after an $11 billion accounting fraud was uncovered in 2002.
WorldCom
The largest cash robbery in British history occurred at this depot in 2006.
Securitas Depot robbery