HomeBiographyThe Smartest Criminals In...

The Smartest Criminals In History

Frank William Abagnale Jr

Frank committed his crimes between the ages of 16 and 21. He opened numerous bank accounts while using various identities, and during this time, he faked his driver’s license to appear ten years older. He trained as a pilot to avoid detection while cashing his fake checks. He made a fake employee ID and pilot’s license.

He forged $2.5 million in bank checks in 26 countries where he had flown as a pilot.

He moved to Georgia shortly after retiring as a pilot and became a paediatrician. He resigned after nearly killing a baby. He then worked as a lawyer, claiming to be a Harvard graduate.

Twelve countries sought his extradition when he was arrested in 1969. He pretended to be an undercover inspector while in prison, which earned him preferential treatment.

He served as the inspiration for the film “Catch Me If You Can.”

Pablo Escobar

Escobar was born in Colombia’s Antioquia region in 1949. Pablo had aspirations of becoming wealthy by 22, and he often boasted about this to his friends. By the 1980s, Escobar was in charge of 80 percent of the cocaine entering the US. Every month, the gang imported 70 to 80 tons of cocaine. 

Pablo Escobar earned over $420 million per week at his peak. For his money, he spent about $2,500 per month on rubber bands. Escobar appeared on the Forbes list of world millionaires from 1987 to 1993. He was the seventh-richest person in the world in 1989.

Victor Lustig

Photo: Pinterest

Victor twice sold the Eiffel tower. It’s the biggest fraud ever perpetrated by a con artist. Victor Lustig’s life inspired the book “Handsome Devil.” He was regarded as the boldest and most flamboyant con artist.

Victor Lustig was reading a newspaper article about the Eiffel Tower and how the government had trouble raising money for its upkeep in 1925 as he sat in his hotel room in Paris. Victor decided to sell it from this point on. He did so twice.

El Chapo 

Photo: Pinterest

El Chapo’s real name – Joaquin Archivaldo Guzmán Loera- successfully escaped prison twice. He was detained in a Mexican jail for 20 years in 1993 on charges of murder, kidnapping, and drug trafficking.

Due to the success of his cartel, he became extremely wealthy. On January 19, 2001, he paid the prison guards roughly 2.5 million and made a quick getaway.

On February 22, 1944, he was taken into custody once more. He was, this time, imprisoned in a highly remote prison with no privileges.

To escape this time, his men purchased land about 0.7 miles from the prison and began building a tunnel to El Chapo’s bath area. El Chapo was last seen leaving the bath area at 9 p.m. on July 11, 2015.

Emmanuel Nwude

Former Union Bank of Nigeria director Emmanuel Nwude conned Mr Nelson Sakaguchi, a director at Sao Paulo-based Banco Noroeste in Brazil, out of $242 million by selling a fictitious airport. 

Mr Nwude persuaded Mr Sakaguchi to invest in a new airport in the nation’s capital, Abuja, in exchange for a 10 million commission by posing as Paul Ogwuma, the then Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria. The crime was committed in 1995 but was found out in 1998.

Bernie Madoff

Bernie, a fraudster and financier from the United States, created the greatest Ponzi scheme in history, which netted roughly $64.8 billion. Over nearly 20 years, Madoff’s investors lost more than $50 billion until the FBI discovered the fraud in 2008.

Mark Defriest 

Mark is the most talented jailbreak expert in recorded history. At 19, he was sentenced to prison and became a nightmare for every American prison guard. He was bullied by inmates and abused by guards during his 35 years in prison. In 13 attempts, he managed to get away seven times. His initial sentence was four years, which is the most unbelievable thing. But because he frequently broke out of jail, the final term was raised to 105 years.

Natwarlal

Mithilesh Kumar Srivastava was a lawyer who turned into the ‘great Indian con man. He effortlessly sold prized Indian monuments and duped big-shot industrialists. By posing as a government official, he sold the Taj Mahal three times and the Parliament House of India (along with its 545 sitting members) to gullible foreigners. He was arrested nine times, but each time he managed to escape. He even pretended to die twice.


Disclaimer

The information in this article was curated from online sources. NewsWireNGR or its editorial team cannot independently verify all details.

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for Live and Entertaining Updates.

Always visit NewsWireNGR for the latest Naija news and updated Naija breaking news.

NewsWireNGRLatest News in Nigeria

Send Us A Press Statement/News Tips on 9ja Happenings: [email protected].

Advertise With Us: [email protected]

Contact Us

LISTEN to NewsWireNGR PODCASTS

- A word from our sponsors -

spot_img

Most Popular

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

More from Author

Why Mobile Gaming Is Growing Faster Than Ever in Africa

Meta Title: Mobile Gaming In Africa – Why It's Growing Fast Meta Description: Mobile...

Toyin Akinniyi: Building blocks of the Future, education financing for sustainable outcomes

Opening Remarks by Ms. Toyin Akinniyi, Regional Portfolio Director, Luminate at...

Cheta Nwanze: The acquittal of Nigeria’s former petroleum minister Diezani Alison-Madueke

Cheta Nwanze The acquittal of Nigeria’s former petroleum minister Diezani Alison-Madueke at...

Lazarus Angbazo: Building Nigeria’s Infrastructure Economy

BUILDING NIGERIA'S INFRASTRUCTURE ECONOMY Mobilizing Private Capital to Build the Foundation of...

- A word from our sponsors -

spot_img

Read Now

Why Mobile Gaming Is Growing Faster Than Ever in Africa

Meta Title: Mobile Gaming In Africa – Why It's Growing Fast Meta Description: Mobile gaming in Africa is growing faster than any other digital sector: affordable smartphones, mobile payments, local content and what the data shows for 2026. Why Mobile Gaming Is Growing Faster Than Ever in Africa Few industries are expanding...

Toyin Akinniyi: Building blocks of the Future, education financing for sustainable outcomes

Opening Remarks by Ms. Toyin Akinniyi, Regional Portfolio Director, Luminate at the Bold Action Session on Education: "Building Blocks of the Future: Education Financing for Sustainable Outcomes"  (A Day Zero event of the 2026 Africa Social Impact Summit) on 21 July 2026. Protocols. Good morning distinguished guests, the board and CEO...

Cheta Nwanze: The acquittal of Nigeria’s former petroleum minister Diezani Alison-Madueke

Cheta Nwanze The acquittal of Nigeria’s former petroleum minister Diezani Alison-Madueke at Southwark Crown Court, London, on 17 June 2026 has brought up an uncomfortable question that has long shadowed international anti-corruption efforts: is justice truly universal, or is it reserved for the powerless? After a nearly six-month trial...

Lazarus Angbazo: Building Nigeria’s Infrastructure Economy

BUILDING NIGERIA'S INFRASTRUCTURE ECONOMY Mobilizing Private Capital to Build the Foundation of National Prosperity Keynote Address by Dr. Lazarus AngbazoChief Executive Officer, InfraCorpNACCIMA Infrastructure Conference (INFRACON) — July 14, 2026 Your Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. Please permit me to stand on established protocol. Let me begin with a simple observation. Every...

Lazarus Angbazo: Beyond Roads and Power, Who Will Finance Human Capital Infrastructure for Africa’s Workforce?

By Lazarus Angbazo |  [email protected] Africa is entering one of the most ambitious periods of infrastructure and industrial investment in its history. Governments are expanding power generation, transport networks, ports, industrial parks, and digital infrastructure, while African private sector leaders are making unprecedented long-term commitments to manufacturing and industrial...

Residents: Key Factors to Consider When Choosing a Self Storage Facility in Philadelphia

Finding the ideal self-storage unit can be challenging, especially in Philadelphia, where options abound. Many residents seek facilities that not only safeguard their belongings but also provide value and convenience. In this article, you'll learn the key factors to consider when selecting a self-storage facility in the...

“No Victor, No Vanquished” — Angbazo calls for unity after Nasarawa ADC Governorship Primary win

LAFIA — Retired General Nuhu Angbazo has emerged victorious from the Africa Democratic Congress, ADC, governorship primaries in Nasarawa State, calling on all party faithful to sheathe their swords and rally behind a common vision for the state's development. In a press statement issued shortly after his victory...

Lazarus Angbazo: The Countries that will lead the AI Economy are being decided right Now — By Their PowerGrids

Nigeria has enough installed generation to power a mid-sized country. The grid delivers less than half of it. Around the world, the race to build AI-ready power infrastructure is already underway — and the decisions African governments and investors make in the next eighteen months will determine...

Cheta Nwanze: Failed visa Marriages

by Cheta Nwanze The 1990 film Green Card told a relatively innocent story: a French immigrant and an American woman enter a marriage of convenience so he can stay in the US. They barely know each other. They hope never to see each other again after the deal...

Digital Marketing for Attorneys

In the competitive landscape of legal services, personal injury and medical malpractice attorneys are finding themselves overshadowed by competitors who dominate online visibility. The root of this issue lies in the digital presence that many firms lack. While traditional word-of-mouth referrals still hold value, the digital age...

Lazarus Angbazo: The global power industry is leaving Africa behind

 Dr. Lazarus AngbazoThe nascent AI revolution is not just driving electricity consumption and massive demand for additional capacity—it is reshaping how power is built, maintained, and delivered. For Africa, the real risk is no longer just insufficient capacity—it is also losing control and ability to manage the capacity it...

Bunmi Onabanjo-Kuku: The first thing you feel when you land in Nigeria

By Bunmi Onabanjo-Kuku The first thing you feel when you land in a country is not its culture, not its cuisine, not its people. It is its airport. That threshold, the space between the jet bridge and the city beyond, tells you everything a nation believes about itself...