History’s Greatest Deceptions & Confidence Scams

About the Book

This is the story of some of the greatest con artists throughout human history.

Throughout history, there have always been fraudsters and tricksters ready and willing to part people and their money with smooth talking and tall tales. But the first formally recorded “confidence trick” was uniquely American in its origins and set the bar for both simplicity and sheer guts — both hallmarks of the most successful frauds ever perpetrated.

What drives a person to deceive on such a grand scale? And why do intelligent, worldly people keep falling for it? From elaborate financial schemes to audacious social deceptions, this book explores the psychology and cunning behind some of history’s most breathtaking confidence games.

Co-authored with Mark Rodger, this is a fascinating, fast-paced tour through the darkest corridors of human ingenuity — where charm, nerve, and an eye for human weakness made fortunes for those willing to risk everything.