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“Fraud” is a word with a negative connotation, it’s hard to even imagine that for someone, deceit and adventures can be a way of life, and not just a fleeting trick.
There are people who are able to change their voice, appearance and even their own biography. No, they are not wizards, but simply masters of disguise. And thanks to their talent, they deceived entire corporations and state rulers, deceivingly achieving their goals.
In our top, we will talk about 10 personalities who glorified their name thanks to their unsurpassed ability to deceive others.
10 Mata Hari
In her youth, Mata Hari dreamed of working as a kindergarten teacher, but her life turned so that the whole world knows the girl as a seductive spy.
Mata’s childhood was cloudless for some time: a large family, loving parents, a father who became rich thanks to successful investments.
The children of the Zelli family went to a school for rich children and had no need for anything. However, the father of the family went bankrupt, after which he divorced his wife, and she died two years later. Mata was sent to live with her godfather when she was still a very young girl.
At the age of 18, Hari married a 39-year-old man, to whom she subsequently gave birth to two children. The marriage was unhappy, and Mata soon ran away from her husband, joining a dance troupe. It was then that the girl took a pseudonym by which the whole world would know her.
After the divorce, the girl will go deeper into the study of dance, by the beginning of the 20th century she will consolidate the image of a courtesan, having connections with many politicians and the military of that time. During the First World War, Mata was convicted of double espionage, which was the reason for her execution.
9. Balthazar Kossa
In the XIV century, money could be earned by piracy, and therefore Balthazar, from his youth, began to walk under a pirate flag. After completing his maritime “career”, Balthazar entered the university, where he gained fame as a fairly capable student, but causing trouble to fellow students and their girls.
Balthazar’s walking lifestyle was legendary, losing count of how many girls he dishonored and how many married ladies he seduced. Another affair with someone else’s wife almost led to the execution of Balthazar, but the former “colleagues” ransomed the man, so Kossa again began to walk under a pirate flag.
Once caught in a sea storm, Balthazar gave his word that if he survived after the crash, he would devote the rest of his life to the priesthood. The pirate survived, but on the shore he was taken prisoner by the detachments of Pope Urban VI. Balthazar became the pope’s right hand, rose to the rank of cardinal, and then he himself took his father’s place and during his “reign” an atmosphere of debauchery, incest and violence reigned in Rome.
8. Princess Elizabeth Tarakanova
When Catherine II came to power after the death of Peter I, the politics and economy of the Russian Empire leveled off and began to flourish. Catherine II was a fair and wise ruler, but the woman had no blood ties with the Romanov family, and therefore the very first heir to the imperial family could remove Catherine II from the throne.
In the early 70s, a girl arrived in Paris, whose real name was not known to anyone, because in different societies she was represented by a new surname. As a result, Princess Tarakanova became the one who claimed the Russian throne, introducing herself as the daughter of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna.
7. Moritz August Beniowski
The whole identity of Moritz is shrouded in mystery, historians cannot even determine the real name of the soldier. Until adolescence, he lived in Vienna, but then entered the military service.
In his memoirs, Benovsky will list the battles in which he took part as a soldier, but historians agree that Moritz did not shy away from lying when writing his autobiography. Having found out the soldier’s year of birth, it becomes clear that Benyovsky could not participate in any of the battles listed in the memoirs.
But it is true that the character of Moritz was rebellious, he became famous for violent revels and duels. All his life, Beniovsky was haunted by lies, which he masterfully learned during his conscious life. Even the rank of Colonel Moritz tried to achieve by lying, exaggerating his military merits and successful operations to his superiors.
Beniovsky traveled to many parts of the world, leaving partners and friends, establishing new business connections and achieving his goals in not the most honest ways. Moritz finished his adventurous life with the rank of King of Madagascar.
6. Jeanne de la Motte
The beautiful appearance of the girl allowed her to successfully marry. Thanks to her marriage, Jeanne, born into a poor family, established herself in high society, becoming the mistress of a wealthy cardinal. Motte supported the rumor that she was a close friend of Queen Marie Antoinette, which helped her and her lover achieve their goals.
Jeanne de La Motte was widely known for the Queen’s Necklace case. The fact is that famous jewelers of that time had an expensive diamond necklace on their hands, which was made by order of Louis XV. Unfortunately, by the time the work on the necklace was completed, the king had died, and now there was no one to redeem the jewelry, and it seemed impossible to find a new buyer for such an expensive item.
Until Jeanne de La Motte, close to Marie Antoinette, looked into the jewelers’ shop. Mott convinced the owners that the queen was going to buy the necklace, however, she would buy it in parts. After signing the papers, Mott took the jewelry and disappeared, and at the time of the first deposit of money, it turned out that Marie Antoinette did not know anything about buying the jewelry.
5. Charles-Genevieve d’Eon de Beaumont
Beaumont’s life is the story of how a man dressed as a woman played a significant role in the agreement between Russia and France. The man lived for 82 years, but 34 of them he was in the form of a woman. D’Eon de Beaumont was an excellent diplomat, fighter and secret agent of Louis XV.
That during the life of an adventurer, that now there is talk and controversy about the personality and tricks of Beaumont, because it is not often possible to meet such a skillful liar and a born actor.
4. Lola Montez, Countess von Landsfeld
Lola Montes was the favorite of King Louis I, and for the first time she walked through the doors of the royal palace as a dancer, presenting herself as Maria Dolores Poris y Montes.
Possessing an incredibly attractive appearance, Montes could live a calm and happy life in the East, captivating any noble man with her charm. But the character of Montes required adventures and adventures, so the girl left India and went to Europe. In uncharted lands, Montes decided to change her nationality, introducing herself as a Spaniard.
3. Giovanni Giacomo Casanova
Giacomo became so famous for his love affairs that his surname became a household name. This is where the word “Casanova”, known to all of us, originates.
Giacomo stood out from the crowd with his attractive appearance and fine clothes. He was an active person who changed more than one profession in the hope of finding something that would bring him pleasure and a decent salary.
He led a hectic and noisy life, until one day his medical knowledge helped him in providing first aid to a local official. The official appointed him as his assistant, but Giacomo could not say goodbye to his wild lifestyle, which eventually brought the young man to prison arrest.
Giovanni flees from the law to Parma, from there to Spain, then to France, more and more glorifying his name as a successful man in love affairs.
By the way, Giacomo’s first sexual experience happened at the age of 11 years. All his life, the man was careful in choosing partners and strictly used contraception, since Casanova did not want illegitimate children. When he lost interest in his mistress, before leaving her, he would find a rich man for the girl or even marry her off.
2. Giuseppe Balsamo, Count of Cagliostro
Cagliostro is rightfully recognized as the king of all adventurers and deceivers known to the world. Parents gave the boy to be raised by monks, and Giuseppe will admit in his memoirs that serving God benefited him. Because within the walls of the temple he learned medicine and astronomy, after which he more easily rubbed himself into the confidence of people in order to deceive them.
At the beginning of his “career” Giuseppe was engaged in forging documents and passports, and then decided to change his name and reward himself with the title of count in order to do larger frauds.
1. Count Saint-Germain
Comte Saint-Germain is still considered the most mysterious person in the history of mankind. Even within the same city, there were different rumors about the count: some claimed that Saint-Germain was a Jew, others that he was the illegitimate son of the king, and others that the adventurer belonged to a noble family. And everyone was sure that he was right, although the count did not confirm any of the rumors, continuing to remain a mysterious person.
The count traveled around Europe, speaking perfectly in all European languages and captivating listeners with his charisma. He set up alchemical experiments at the court of Louis XV, then was a member of the Masonic Lodge and even visited Russia during the era of the revolution.