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Tag: Dirty Money

  • American Scandal: Alexander Hamilton's Great Grandson Falls Prey to a Courtesan Con Artist | Entrepreneur

    American Scandal: Alexander Hamilton's Great Grandson Falls Prey to a Courtesan Con Artist | Entrepreneur

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    You’ve heard of Alexander Hamilton, the infamous American Founding Father whose face graces the $10 bill. More recently, he was the subject of a hit Broadway musical, thanks to actor/producer Lin Manuel-Miranda.

    But you may not be familiar with Alexander’s great-grandson, Robert Ray Hamilton, who was involved in a tabloid scandal that shocked the world during the Gilded Age.

    On the latest episode of Dirty Money, hosts Dan Bova and Jon Small talk to writer Bill Shaffer about his book “The Scandalous Hamiltons,” which tells the mostly forgotten tale of how Ray was tricked by a sex worker named Evangeline Steele into thinking he got her pregnant.

    Related: From Rags to Riches to Ruin: Inside the Twisted World of Con Man “Clark Rockefeller”

    The two met in a Manhattan brothel in 1885 and had a relationship for a few years. The conniving Steele purchased a baby at a so-called “Baby Farm,” where unwanted kids were brought to be adopted. Then she convinced Hamilton that the kid was his.

    Reluctantly, he agreed to marry her, bringing her into his wealthy family. It would seem that Steele had achieved the ultimate fairy tale. But this story is no real-life Pretty Woman.

    Listen to the podcast to find out what happened.

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    Entrepreneur Staff

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  • The Twins Who Brought Down Drug Lord El Chapo | Entrepreneur

    The Twins Who Brought Down Drug Lord El Chapo | Entrepreneur

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    Joaquín Guzmán, better known as El Chapo (which translates to “Shorty”), was head of the Sinaloa drug cartel, one of the most powerful criminal organizations in Mexico. He lorded over a violent empire that was estimated to be worth $2 billion until he was captured in 2016 and eventually sentenced to life in prison.

    On this episode of Dirty Money, we speak with Charlie Webster, an investigative journalist, and co-host (with none other than 50 Cent) of the podcast Surviving El Chapo. Their show revolves around identical twins Jay and Pete Flores, who were instrumental in putting El Chapo behind bars.

    From the Projects to Power

    The brothers, who were raised in the projects of Chicago, ran a multi-million-dollar drug empire. Their connections with Mexican cartels put them in direct contact with the most famous drug lord, the aforementioned El Chapo. But when the brothers were arrested by the Feds, they went from selling drugs on the streets to dealing priceless information to the government.

    Webster explains the brothers’ rise to power and the aftermath of their decision to cooperate to land El Chapo in the clink — what it was like to come face-to-face with the powerful drug lord in court and what their lives have been like ever since.

    Related: Why Do We Let Ourselves Get Scammed?

    Thanks for listening, and remember: just say no to dealing drugs on behalf of psychotic drug lords who kill people for fun.

    Subscribe to Dirty Money on Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play

    About Dirty Money

    Dirty Money is a new podcast series from Entrepreneur Media telling the tales of legendary scammers, con artists, and barely-legal lowlifes who stop at nothing to bilk their marks of millions. Hosted by Entrepreneur editors Dan Bova and Jon Small, the podcast takes a deep dive into the deviants behind the deeds.

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    Dan Bova

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  • Gold Coin Business Run by Married Couple Turns Deadly | Entrepreneur

    Gold Coin Business Run by Married Couple Turns Deadly | Entrepreneur

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    Jim and Pamela Fayed seemed to have it all—two beautiful daughters, a sprawling horse ranch in California, and a gold exchange business that raked in millions every year. But all that glitters is not gold. The Fayeds also harbored a deep secret that would destroy both their lives.

    Related: The Art Thief Who Fell in Love With His Biggest Score

    Their businesses, Goldfinger Coin & Bullion Inc. and E-Bullion, reportedly pulled in $160 million in revenue. But when investigators started poking around about accusations of money laundering for Ponzi schemes, love and loyalty fell apart resulting in a crime that shocked their affluent community.

    Listen to this sordid tale, and please leave us a review, rating and remember to subscribe to us on your favorite platform.

    Subscribe to Dirty Money on Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play

    About Dirty Money

    Dirty Money is a new podcast series from Entrepreneur Media telling the tales of legendary scammers, con artists, and barely-legal lowlifes who stop at nothing to bilk their marks of millions. Hosted by Entrepreneur editors Dan Bova and Jon Small, the podcast takes a deep dive into the deviants behind the deeds.

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    Dan Bova

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  • She Was Scammed By a Crypto Cult. Now She’s Fighting Back. | Entrepreneur

    She Was Scammed By a Crypto Cult. Now She’s Fighting Back. | Entrepreneur

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    “If you don’t understand the intricacies of how cryptocurrency works, I beg you not to invest in it.”

    So says Jen McAdam, a Scottish coal miner’s daughter, who was one of the countless victims of the insidious OneCoin global cryptocurrency scam. As Jen explains in this week’s episode of Dirty Money, she invested her entire inheritance only to watch it disappear.

    But rather than staying silent out of embarrassment, Jen decided to fight back and successfully mustered thousands of victims from around the world to join her. She’s written a book on the experience called DEVIL’S COIN: My Battle to Take Down the Notorious OneCoin Cryptoqueen, and she works full-time through her online Victims’ Support Group to fight for retribution.

    Despite terrifying threats against her and members of her growing support groups, Jen says she will never give up the fight to help the millions who lost everything, in some cases even their lives. Jen’s story is heartbreaking, but her willingness to be open about her financial and emotional struggles, as well as her ceaseless desire to prevent others from falling victim to crypto schemes is truly inspiring.

    Thanks as always for listening. Please leave a review, rating and remember to subscribe to us on your favorite platform.

    Subscribe to Dirty Money on Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play

    About Dirty Money

    Dirty Money is a new podcast series from Entrepreneur Media telling the tales of legendary scammers, con artists, and barely-legal lowlifes who stop at nothing to bilk their marks of millions. Hosted by Entrepreneur editors Dan Bova and Jon Small, the podcast takes a deep dive into the deviants behind the deeds.

    Related: ‘The Most Hated Man in America’ Where Is Pharma Bro Martin Shkreli Now?

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    Dan Bova

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  • The Art Thief Who Fell in Love With His Biggest Score | Entrepreneur

    The Art Thief Who Fell in Love With His Biggest Score | Entrepreneur

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    Adam Worth was the Victorian Era’s most infamous thief. He was so sneaky, so devious and so damn good at his job that he became author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s inspiration for Dr. Moriarity, arch-nemesis of Sherlock Holmes.

    Worth’s exploits earned him the nickname “The Napoleon of Crime,” a nod to his ceaseless drive to steal anything that wasn’t nailed to the floor. (And even if it was, he’d steal it anyway.) Worth and an array of ne’er-do-wells were as innovative as they were crooked, tunneling their way into bank vaults from adjacent building basements, setting up shape-shifting illegal gambling dens and slipping into new countries and identities when things got too hot.

    Subscribe to Dirty Money on Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play

    Worth was pursued across multiple continents by the Pinkerton detective agency (which would one day become the Secret Service) and he cemented his status as one of the greatest thieves in history when he stole the incredibly famous portrait of Georgiana Cavendish, The Duchess of Devonshire, right off the wall of a London gallery.

    Worth held onto the pilfered portrait for years, chauffeuring it around the world in the false bottom of a luggage trunk. Some say he was waiting for the right moment to sell it, others believe he fell in love with the Duchess’s beguiling image and didn’t want to let go.

    So what became of the art thief and his prized score? Listen to the episode (embedded above) and please leave our little show a big fat five-star rating and a review. Your comments might be featured in a future episode.

    Thanks as always for listening!

    About Dirty Money

    Dirty Money is a new podcast series from Entrepreneur Media telling the tales of legendary scammers, con artists, and barely-legal lowlifes who stop at nothing to bilk their marks of millions. Hosted by Entrepreneur editors Dan Bova and Jon Small, the podcast takes a deep dive into the deviants behind the deeds.

    Related: The Fake Heiress Who Scammed One of the Richest Men in America

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    Dan Bova

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  • Fake Heiress Tries to Scam One of the Richest Men in America | Entrepreneur

    Fake Heiress Tries to Scam One of the Richest Men in America | Entrepreneur

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    Take a whimsical journey with us back in time to the late 1800s and meet Elizabeth “Betty” Bigley, a con woman who stole millions of dollars from people, banks and anyone else she could sink her teeth into. As you will hear, Betty (who had more than one alias) was absolutely tireless and fearless in her thievery. Her brazen attempt to bilk money from her “dad” Andrew Carnegie is truly one for the record books. (Spoiler alert: He was not her dad and it did not work.)

    Related: Doctor Makes Millions Performing Bizarre Implant Surgery

    Speaking of books, on this episode we’re joined by true crime writer Railey Jane Savage, who details the misadventures of Bigley and many other huxters in her wonderful book A Century of Swindles: Ponzi Schemes, Con Men & Fraudsters.

    Thanks for listening and please do not commit the crime of not leaving us a review. The true-crime podcast police are watching!

    Subscribe to Dirty Money on Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play

    About Dirty Money

    Dirty Money is a new podcast series from Entrepreneur Media telling the tales of legendary scammers, con artists, and barely-legal lowlifes who stop at nothing to bilk their marks of millions. Hosted by Entrepreneur editors Dan Bova and Jon Small, the podcast takes a deep dive into the deviants behind the deeds.

    Related: Did the FBI Bust or Botch a Massive Chicago Stock Scam?

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    Dan Bova

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  • How American Quack John R. Brinkley Made Millions | Entrepreneur

    How American Quack John R. Brinkley Made Millions | Entrepreneur

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    In the early 1900s, a “doctor” named John Romulus Brinkley became rich and famous by offering a unique cure to men who suffered from ED and an array of other maladies: he implanted goat testicles in them.

    Now, you might guess that not too many guys would be willing to go under the knife for that, but you’d be wrong. For decades Brinkley was backing up the money truck to his clinics that operated all around the country. People desperately wanted his treatment to work and for a long time, were too embarrassed to admit when it didn’t.

    But the goat ball empire eventually imploded. Scrutiny from the medical community and a mountain of malpractice lawsuits left the millionaire discredited and running to Mexico, where he pioneered a new form of scamming at scale via a hugely popular radio show.

    It’s all incredibly bizarre, which is why we were so delighted to learn every strange twist and turn of this man’s life on this episode of Dirty Money. Our guest Pope Brock tells us all about the crazy dealings, which he wrote about in his terrific book Charlatan: America’s Most Dangerous Huckster, the Man Who Pursued Him, and the Age of Flimflam. Truth is stranger than fiction is a bit of a cliche, but damn if it isn’t appropriate in this case.

    Thanks, as always, for listening. Please subscribe and leave us a review. It’ll make you feel much better than a visit with Doc Brinkley, trust us!

    Subscribe to Dirty Money on Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play

    About Dirty Money

    Dirty Money is a new podcast series from Entrepreneur Media telling the tales of legendary scammers, con artists, and barely-legal lowlifes who stop at nothing to bilk their marks of millions. Hosted by Entrepreneur editors Dan Bova and Jon Small, the podcast takes a deep dive into the deviants behind the deeds.

    Related: Did the FBI Bust or Botch a Massive Chicago Stock Scam?

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    Dan Bova

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  • Dirty Money Breakdown: Who Is Sam Bankman-Fried? | Entrepreneur

    Dirty Money Breakdown: Who Is Sam Bankman-Fried? | Entrepreneur

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    Sam Bankman-Fried was the boy-wonder face of crypto: a 30-year-old who founded one of the biggest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world, a celebrated philanthropist worth an estimated $16 billion.

    But earlier this year, SBF was arrested in the Bahamas and charged with wire fraud, securities fraud, and money laundering, among other things. He was then extradited to the US and released from jail on a $250 million bond. Then, like a lot of people who are down on their luck, he moved back in with his parents.

    SBF’s trial is set for Oct. 2. While we await his fate in court, Dirty Money co-hosts Jon Small and Dan Bova spoke with Entepreneur.com editor Samantha Silverman to get all the dirty details on SBF’s rise and spectacular fall.

    If you ever wanted to know who SBF really is, we encourage you to invest your time in watching the above video. Don’t worry. We’d never ask you to invest in something that wasn’t actually going to make you smarter and richer, we swear!

    About Dirty Money

    Dirty Money is a new podcast series from Entrepreneur Media telling the tales of legendary scammers, con artists, and barely-legal lowlifes who stop at nothing to bilk their marks of millions. Hosted by Entrepreneur editors Dan Bova and Jon Small, the podcast takes a deep dive into the deviants behind the deeds

    Related: The Very Crazy Story of Crazy Eddie, the Electronics and Scamming Giant

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    Dan Bova

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  • Psychic Suckered $17 Million Out of Heartbroken Clients | Entrepreneur

    Psychic Suckered $17 Million Out of Heartbroken Clients | Entrepreneur

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    Here’s something Florida-based psychic Rose Marks perhaps didn’t see in her future: a ten-year prison sentence.

    But maybe she should have. She was, after all, stealing a lot of money from unsuspecting clients. Rose Marks and eight members of her family were accused and convicted of bilking approximately $25 million out of her customers over the course of several years. The scam was as simple as it was wicked. Mentally manipulate vulnerable people, and convince them that the “temporary” surrender of large amounts of cash and jewels would serve as a sacrifice that would appease evil spirits and make them go away. Once the bad luck vanished, the cash and jewels would be returned.

    That is, of course, unless you happen to “misplace” the sacrifices and never give anything back.

    On this episode of Dirty Money, co-hosts Jon Small and Dan Bova speak with author Tori Tefler, who chronicled Marks’ crimes and the dastardly deeds of other female criminals in her book Confident Women. Tefler breaks down Marks’ scheme, explaining how and why she was able to convince so many people that she was the answer to their prayers rather than the beginning of their worst nightmares.

    We just looked into our crystal ball…and see you really loving this episode. Thanks for listening!

    Related: The Very Crazy Story of Crazy Eddie, the Electronics and Scamming Giant

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    Dan Bova

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