Fraudsters

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Rank the Most Wicked Fraudsters

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 1 
Jordan Belfort
(Author of 'The Wolf of Wall Street')
Jordan Belfort
57
Birthdate: July 9, 1962
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: The Bronx, New York, United States
The former stock broker, who was convicted for stock-market manipulation and cheating several investors, Jordan Belfort spent 22 months in prison before he was released and altered his way of living. Using his life experiences, he became a motivational speaker and also authored two memoirs, one of which, The Wolf of Wall Street, was adapted into an award winning film.
 2 
H. H. Holmes
(American Serial Killer and Con Artist)
H. H. Holmes
84
Birthdate: May 16, 1861
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Gilmanton, New Hampshire, United States
Died: May 7, 1896
American serial killer H.H. Holmes was sentenced to death for the murder of his accomplice Benjamin Pitezel but confessed to 27 murders and might have killed almost 200 people. He had set up a hotel, later known as the Murder Castle, specifically for this purpose. He inspired a bestselling book.
 3 
Frank Abagnale
(Impostor, Fraudster)
Frank Abagnale
62
Birthdate: April 27, 1948
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Bronxville, New York, United States

Frank Abagnale’s life story inspired the film Catch Me If You Can. He was a con man, imposter and did check forgery from the age 15 to 21. He assumed the identities of an airline pilot, a physician and a lawyer, among others. He was eventually arrested and after spending few years in prison started working for the federal government.

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 4 
Ross Ulbricht
(Drug Trafficker)
Ross Ulbricht
33
Birthdate: March 27, 1984
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Austin, Texas
Ross Ulbricht, or "Dread Pirate Roberts,” created the dark market site Silk Road, which let people make anonymous drug deals, using bitcoins. He was eventually convicted of a number of crimes, including hacking and money laundering, and was sentenced to a double life imprisonment plus 40 years without parole.
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 5 
Arnold Rothstein
(Racketeer)
Arnold Rothstein
12
Birthdate: January 17, 1882
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: nhattan, New York City, New York
Died: November 6, 1928

Arnold Rothstein, or the Brain, was a racketeer, gambler, and businessman who later became a leader of New York’s Jewish crime circuit. He had reportedly fixed the 1919 World Series. He inspired several fictional characters, including Meyer Wolfsheim in The Great Gatsby. He was murdered for declining a poker-related payment.

 6 
Charles Ponzi
(Con Artist)
Charles Ponzi
10
Birthdate: March 3, 1882
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Lugo, Italy
Died: January 18, 1949

Charles Ponzi was an Italian con artist and swindler who operated in Canada and the USA. He is best remembered for his money-making scheme in which he paid his earlier investors using the money given to him by later investors. Although this type of swindling investment scheme existed before Ponzi's time, it came to be known as a Ponzi scheme.

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 7 
William M. Tweed
(Member of the New York Senate from 1868 to 1873)
William M. Tweed
2
Birthdate: April 3, 1823
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Died: April 12, 1878

William M. Tweed was an American politician best known for serving as the boss of Tammany Hall, which had a major influence on the political scene of 19th-century New York State. He was later convicted for stealing millions of dollars from New York City taxpayers. His life and career inspired several films, such as Up in Central Park and Liberty.

 8 
Raymond Igbalodely
(Scammer)
Raymond Igbalodely
1
Birthdate: October 11, 1982
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Lagos, Nigeria
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 9 
Danny Porush
(Fraudster)
Danny Porush
7
Birthdate: 1957
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Lawrence, New York

Entrepreneur and former stock broker Daniel Mark Porush, better known as Danny Porush, was convicted of fraud and money laundering at Stratton Oakmont, a brokerage house. Following his 39-month prison sentence, he began working with Med-Care. He inspired the character Donnie Azoff in The Wolf of Wall Street.

 10 
Ryan Leaf
(Retired American Football Player)
Ryan Leaf
7
Birthdate: May 15, 1976
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Great Falls, Montana, USA
Height: 6'5" (196 cm)
 11 
Paul Le Roux
(Former Criminal Cartel Boss and Programmer)
Paul Le Roux
2
Birthdate: December 24, 1972
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
 12 
Nirav Modi
(Diamond business bank fraud, wanted by Interpol)
Nirav Modi
2
Birthdate: February 27, 1971
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Palanpur, Gujarat, India
Height: 5'4" (163 cm)
 13 
Andrew Fastow
(Former CFO of Enron)
Andrew Fastow
3
Birthdate: December 22, 1961
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Washington, D.C., USA
 14 
Frank DiPascali
(Chief financial officer, Fraudster)
Frank DiPascali
1
Birthdate: October 28, 1956
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Queens, New York, United States
Died: May 7, 2015
 15 
Anna Delvey
(Fraudster)
Anna Delvey
36
Birthdate: 1991 AD
Birthplace: Russia
Russian-born German citizen Anna Sorokin made headlines when she was convicted of duping people by posing as a fictitious heiress named Anna Delvey. She would dine at fancy restaurants and check into luxury hotels, making her companions pay for her and then wouldn’t pay them back. She inspired a Netflix drama.
 16 
Robert L. Vesco
(American financier)
Robert L. Vesco
0
Birthdate: December 4, 1935
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Detroit, Michigan, United States
Died: November 23, 2007
 17 
Barry Minkow
(Former American Businessman, Pastor, and Convicted Felon)
Barry Minkow
3
Birthdate: March 22, 1966
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Inglewood, California, United States

Businessman, felon and pastor, Barry Minkow opened his first business while in high school. But faced with fund crunch, he soon resorted to felony, ultimately executing a massive investment fraud, resulting in imprisonment. Later he became a pastor and fraud investigator, concurrently continuing with his illegal dealings, resulting in another confinement and a sentence to pay $612 million in restitution.

 18 
Elizabeth Holmes
(Former CEO of Health Technology Company 'Theranos' Who Was Convicted of Fraud)
Elizabeth Holmes
127
Birthdate: February 3, 1984
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Washington, D.C., United States

Elizabeth Holmes is a former businesswoman who is credited with founding the now-defunct health technology company Theranos . It was later revealed that Elizabeth Holmes had deceived her investors with false claims. The rise and fall of her company inspired a book titled Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup.

 19 
Kirtanananda Swami
(Gaudiya Vaishnava Guru and the Co-founder of New Vrindaban)
Kirtanananda Swami
3
Birthdate: September 6, 1937
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Peekskill, New York, United States
Died: October 24, 2011

Vaishnava guru and New Vrindaban co-founder Kirtanananda Swami, better known as Bhaktipada, was born into a Baptist family. In spite of receiving a fellowship to study at Columbia University, he quit academics and joined ISKCON instead. He was later expelled from ISKCON after he was found guilty of child molestation.

 20 
ʻAkosita Lavulavu
(Minister for Infrastructure and Tourism (2019-2021))
ʻAkosita Lavulavu
0
Birthdate: 1985 AD
Birthplace: Tonga
 21 
Bernard Madoff
(American Hedge-Fund Investment Manager and Fraudster)
Bernard Madoff
44
Birthdate: April 29, 1938
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
Died: April 14, 2021
American hedge-fund investment manager Bernard Madoff, who once served as the chairman of NASDAQ, masterminded the world’s biggest Ponzi scheme. Known as the Madoff investment scandal, his fraud affected thousands of investors. He eventually died of chronic kidney disease in prison.
 22 
Jeb Stuart Magruder
(Business Person)
Jeb Stuart Magruder
4
Birthdate: November 5, 1934
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Staten Island, New York
Died: May 11, 2014
 23 
Adam Starchild
(Author)
Adam Starchild
0
Birthdate: September 20, 1946
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Minnesota, United States
Died: September 22, 2006
 24 
Roberto di Ridolfo
(Conspirator)
Roberto di Ridolfo
0
Birthdate: November 18, 1531
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Florence, Italy
Died: February 18, 1612
 25 
Tommy Robinson
(Anti-Islam, Far-Right Activist Who Is Co-Founder of the Islamophobic Organization Called 'the English Defence League')
Tommy Robinson
26
Birthdate: November 27, 1982
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Luton, United Kingdom

Tommy Robinson is a British anti-Islam, far-right activist. The co-founder of an Islamophobic organization called the English Defence League, Robinson has been convicted on multiple counts of fraud and violence as well as other crimes. From 2017 to 2018, he also contributed as a writer for a Canadian far-right political website called Rebel News.

 26 
Paul Manafort
(American Lobbyist and Political Consultant)
Paul Manafort
11
Birthdate: April 1, 1949
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: New Britain, Connecticut, United States

Paul Manafort is an American former lobbyist, lawyer, political consultant, and convicted bank fraudster. As a political consultant, he served as an adviser to the presidential campaigns of Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford, and George H. W. Bush. He is also credited with co-founding a lobbying firm called Black, Manafort & Stone.

 27 
Joran van der Sloot
(Dutch Convicted Murderer Who Killed Stephany Flores Ramírez)
Joran van der Sloot
13
Birthdate: August 6, 1987
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Arnhem, Gelderland, Netherlands

Currently serving a 28-year sentence for robbing and killing 21-year-old Stephany Flores in Peru in 2010, Dutch criminal Joran van der Sloot is currently also facing a probable 18-year sentence for smuggling drugs hidden in vegetables. He is allegedly also associated with the disappearance of Natalee Holloway.

 28 
Otto von Pack
(Conspirator)
Otto von Pack
0
Birthdate: 1480 AD
Birthplace: Germany
Died: February 8, 1537
 29 
Sandra Ávila Beltrán
(Drug trafficker)
Sandra Ávila Beltrán
12
Birthdate: October 16, 1960
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Baja California, Mexico
 30 
Michele Sindona
(Italian Banker and Lawyer)
Michele Sindona
0
Birthdate: May 8, 1920
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Patti, Italy
Died: March 22, 1986
 31 
Curveball
(Defense Intelligence Agency cryptonym)
Curveball
0
Birthdate: 1968 AD
Birthplace: Iraq
 32 
Lou Pearlman
(Record producer)
Lou Pearlman
10
Birthdate: June 19, 1954
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Flushing, New York, United States
Died: August 19, 2016

Lou Pearlman was a record producer and creator of successful boy bands like NSYNC and Backstreet Boys. In 2006, Pearlman was accused of running a Ponzi scheme. After pleading guilty to money laundering, conspiracy, and making false statements, Lou Pearlman was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Pearlman was the subject of the 2019 documentary, The Boy Band Con

 33 
Anna Anderson
(Impostor)
Anna Anderson
6
Birthdate: December 16, 1896
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Borowihlas, Pomerania, Germany [now Borowy Las, Pomorskie, Poland]
Died: February 12, 1984
 34 
Farid Fata
(Hematologist)
Farid Fata
1
Birthdate: 1965 AD
Birthplace: Lebanon
 35 
Martin Guerre
(16th Century French Peasant Who Was at the Center of a Strange Case of Imposture)
Martin Guerre
0
Birthdate: 1524 AD
Birthplace: Hendaye, France
Died: 1560 AD

A 16th-century French peasant, Martin Guerre disappeared, leaving his family and village, while an imposter claiming to be Guerre came back to his village and stayed with his family for 3 years. The imposter was later tried for fraud, while the real Guerre returned. The tale inspired many novels, musicals, and films.

 36 
Walter Keane
(Plagiarist)
Walter Keane
5
Birthdate: October 7, 1915
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Lincoln, Nebraska, United States
Died: December 27, 2000
 37 
Abdul Rahman al-Amoudi
(American Muslim Activist and Founder of the 'American Muslim Council')
Abdul Rahman al-Amoudi
0
Birthplace: Eritrea
 38 
Allen Stanford
(Financier)
Allen Stanford
3
Birthdate: March 24, 1950
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Mexia, Texas, United States
 39 
Akira Nishiguchi
(Serial killer, Frauster)
Akira Nishiguchi
4
Birthdate: December 14, 1925
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Osaka, Japan
Died: December 11, 1970
 40 
Richie Farmer
(Basketball player)
Richie Farmer
1
Birthdate: August 25, 1969
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Corbin, Kentucky, United States
 41 
Glenn Wheatley
(Australian Musician, Tour Promoter, and Talent Manager)
Glenn Wheatley
1
Birthdate: January 23, 1948
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Australia
 42 
Alan Bond
(Australian Businessman Known for His High-Profile and Often Corrupt Business Dealings)
Alan Bond
3
Birthdate: April 22, 1938
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Hammersmith, London, England
Died: June 5, 2015

Born in the UK, Alan Bond moved to Australia with his family at 12. The business tycoon had started out as a signwriter in Perth and later emerged as the CEO of Bond Corporation. The first non-American to earn the sailing trophy America's Cup, he was later imprisoned for corporate fraud.

 43 
Malcolm Hardee
(Comedian, Writer)
Malcolm Hardee
4
Birthdate: January 5, 1950
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Lewisham, London, England
Died: January 31, 2005
 44 
Foutanga Babani Sissoko
(Politician)
Foutanga Babani Sissoko
1
Birthplace: Dabia, Mali
Died: February 29, 2021
 45 
Sergei Mavrodi
(Founder of the МММ, a scheme that defrauded millions of people around the globe)
Sergei Mavrodi
4
Birthdate: August 11, 1955
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Moscow, Russia
Died: March 26, 2018
 46 
James Hart Stern
(Known for defusing gang violence in the 1980s and 1990s, Convicted on five counts of wire fraud)
James Hart Stern
2
Birthdate: June 13, 1964
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
Died: October 11, 2019
 47 
Jasiel Correia
(44th Mayor of Fall River, Massachusetts)
Jasiel Correia
3
Birthdate: December 11, 1991
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Fall River, Massachusetts, United States
 48 
James McDougal
(Businessman)
James McDougal
4
Birthdate: August 25, 1940
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: White County, Arkansas, United States
Died: March 8, 1998
 49 
Rasmea Odeh
(Associate director of the Arab American Action Network, Chicago, Illinois)
Rasmea Odeh
6
Birthdate: 1947 AD
Birthplace: Lifta, British Mandate Palestine
 50 
Adel Smith
(Translator known for his radical stances and often accused of fundamentalism.)
Adel Smith
2
Birthdate: March 9, 1960
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Alexandria, Egypt
Died: August 22, 2014