23 Items Tagged

Fraud

In a small village in southern Norway, a church wall is filled with thousands of tiny demons—and that's not the oddest thing about the mural.

The Curious Case of Norway’s Disturbing Demon Wall

A respected conservator restoring a centuries-old church mural saw the devil in the details—and created a wholly imagined, diabolical scene.

Gemma Tarlach October 13, 2021

The Comtesse de Monteil, born Amélie Condemine, in an undated photo published shortly after her arrest in 1908.

How the 'Queen of Thieves' Conned French Riviera Wealthy

The cat burglar and fake countess swindled and stole her way through La Belle Époque.

Caroline Elenowitz-Hess May 4, 2021

Eleanor Roosevelt voting in 1936.

Voting Booths Were a Radical 19th-Century Reform to Stop Election Fraud

An idea imported from Australia, they helped enable the "secret" part of secret ballots.

Sarah Laskow November 5, 2018

Salesmen promised that tomato pills could cure headaches, diarrhea, and cholera.

The Tomato Pill Craze

How a war over cure-all pills convinced Americans to eat tomatoes.

Adee Braun October 16, 2017

George Lucas with Steven Spielberg, who did uncredited work on <i>Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith</i>.

'Scientific' Journals Caught in 'Star Wars' Sting Operation

Dr. Lucas McGeorge and Dr. Annette Kin are now published scientists.

Erik Shilling July 25, 2017

The envelope of the Morey letter.

The Enduring Mystery of James A. Garfield's Immigration Scandal

Instead of emails, there was the Morey letter.

Sarah Laskow March 13, 2017

Deadwood's 1883 Racketeer Nickel.

In Deadwood, Men Wore Fake Five Dollar Coins on Their Wrists to Show Off

Gold-plated nickels were all the rage.

Sarah Laskow November 2, 2016

31 days of halloween

In 1926, Houdini Spent 4 Days Shaming Congress for Being in Thrall to Fortune-Tellers

The congressional hearings on the supernatural were very theatrical.

Atlas Obscura October 11, 2016

Human Eyes Might Not Notice a Good Forgery, But Computers Could

Artificial intelligence might thwart art forgers once and for all.

Natalie Zarrelli October 5, 2016

Election Fraud in the 1800s Involved Kidnapping and Forced Drinking

How roving "cooping" gangs got voters drunk and disturbed the democratic process.

Natalie Zarrelli September 7, 2016

Charges Filed After Horsemeat Was Sold in Britain as Ground Beef

Three men will be held to account for the crime of mystery meat.

Erik Shilling August 26, 2016

Soccer's Ultimate Con Man Was a Superstar Who Couldn't Play the Game

How does an athlete without athletic prowess maintain a 20-year career?

Tucker Leighty-Phillips August 19, 2016

The 9 Lives of the Spanish Prisoner, the Treasure-Dangling Scam That Won't Die

It's been around for centuries.

Erik Shilling August 3, 2016

An illustration from one of Rose Mackenburg's articles for the <em>Winnipeg Tribune.</em>

The Female Ghost Buster Who Rooted Out Spiritual Fraud for Houdini

How Rose Mackenberg took on phantoms and fakes.

Tony Wolf May 5, 2016

Audubon Made Up at Least 28 Fake Species to Prank a Rival

The prank's full extent—11 fake fish, 3 fake snails, 2 fake birds, 1 fake mollusk, 2 fake plants, and 9 fake rats—is only now clear.

Sarah Laskow April 22, 2016

Oklahoma's Greatest Ponzi Scheme Bred Hoards of Unwanted Worms

Never trust a man who says he'll triple your investment in composting worms.

Sarah Laskow March 15, 2016

China’s Reincarnation Database Has Verified The Existence of 870 Living Buddhas. But How?

Tao Tao Holmes February 17, 2016

Enter Sandia Man: Revisiting the Site of a 20th Century Archeological Scandal

Ty Bannerman February 17, 2016