Famous Counterfeits

Stories of notorious counterfeiters throughout history and their methods. These articles examine famous forgery cases from art fraud to fake diaries.

Anatasios Arnaouti and the Counterfeit Money

An ex-con living a lavish lifestyle sparked an investigation that uncovered a major counterfeit currency operation.

Catch Me if You Can: Frank Abagnale

Frank Abagnale went from master con artist to security consultant, teaching banks how to catch criminals like himself.

Han Van Meegeren: Famous Art Forger

Dutch painter Han Van Meegeren turned to forging old masters after critics rejected his own work, seeking respect and fortune through elaborate deception.

Morrall Magoon: Canadian Counterfeiter

Canadian forger Morrall Magoon was caught and convicted three times in four years for counterfeiting banknotes in the early 1800s.

Stephen Jory: Britain's Greatest Counterfeiter?

Stephen Jory flooded Britain with counterfeit perfumes and fake notes so convincing the Bank of England redesigned the £20.

The Bolton Forgers

A family in Bolton ran a £10 million art forgery operation for 17 years, fooling museums and experts from a garden shed.

The Hitler Diaries

A major 1983 magazine fell for fake Hitler diaries in one of history's biggest forgery scandals involving millions of marks.

The Ultimate Price for Fake Money

Counterfeiting used to mean death: coin clippers faced execution or burning at the stake for attacking the realm's currency.

Which Counterfeits Hit the Market Before the Real Thing?

Fake versions of some products hit stores before the real ones, especially electronics with high demand and anticipated release dates.