13. Artur Virgilio Alves Reis
Reis used forged documents to print real Portuguese currency and infiltrated the central bank without suspicion. His scheme destabilized the country’s economy in the 1920s and remains one of the largest banking frauds in history. To this day, not all of his accomplices are known.
Unknown authorUnknown author on Wikimedia
14. Bahar Mustafa
While working as a university diversity officer, Mustafa organized exclusionary events and portrayed herself as a marginalized activist. She blamed the backlash on systemic oppression but was later revealed to have distorted her background. Her actions triggered widespread criticism and intense public debate.
Bahar Mustafa - Racist bigot by MrSonicAdvance
15. George Psalmanazar
In the 1700s, Psalmanazar amazed British intellectuals with lectures on a fabricated Formosan culture and language. He even ate raw meat in public to appear “authentic.” Years later, he admitted the lie and lived quietly, leaving behind one of Europe’s most bizarre hoaxes.
Unknown authorUnknown author on Wikimedia
16. William Chaloner
Chaloner counterfeited currency and tried to secure a position inside the Royal Mint. He publicly challenged Isaac Newton, the then Warden of the Mint. The deception ended with Chaloner’s conviction and execution for treason in 1699, thanks to Newton’s relentless pursuit.
Print made by:Richard Earlom on Wikimedia
17. Perkin Warbeck
Warbeck insisted he was Richard of Shrewsbury, one of the missing sons of Edward IV. With backing from foreign monarchs, he staged a bold attempt to claim England’s throne. After an invasion and temporary coronation in Ireland, he was captured and executed in 1499.
Unknown authorUnknown author on Wikimedia
18. Steve Comisar
Under the alias Brett Champion, Comisar appeared on national television as a fraud-prevention expert. Ironically, he was a career conman who once posed as a DEA agent. He served multiple prison terms and also published safety advice while actively deceiving the public.
19. Loreta Janeta Velazquez
Velazquez took on the identity of Lieutenant Harry Buford to fight for the Confederacy. She saw combat, authored a memoir about her experiences, and kept her true identity secret. Velazquez is one of the earliest recorded gender imposters in U.S. history.
Marine 69-71, Nesnad, Quazgaa on Wikimedia Commons
20. Enric Marco
Marco claimed he was a Holocaust survivor held at Flossenburg, speaking at events and leading a Spanish survivors’ group. His elaborate lie earned him honors—until researchers exposed the truth in 2005. The revelation deeply shook Spain’s historical memory movement.
FALSE HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR / ENRIC MARCO CASE by Mente Humana
