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The fraudsters who made a fortune pretending to be someone else

Meet the people who made millions from faking their identities
Anna Sorokin posed as heiress Anna Delvey
Anna Sorokin posed as heiress Anna Delvey
Anna Sorokin posed as heiress Anna Delvey
Jeanne de Valois-Saint-Rémy posed as Queen Marie Antoinette
Jeanne de Valois-Saint-Rémy posed as Queen Marie Antoinette
Jeanne de Valois-Saint-Rémy posed as Queen Marie Antoinette
Arthur Orton claimed to be Sir Roger Tichborne
Arthur Orton claimed to be Sir Roger Tichborne
Arthur Orton claimed to be Sir Roger Tichborne
Cassie Chadwick claimed to be the daughter of Andrew Carnegie
Cassie Chadwick claimed to be the daughter of Andrew Carnegie
Cassie Chadwick claimed to be the daughter of Andrew Carnegie
Anna Anderson claimed to be Grand Duchess Anastasia
Anna Anderson claimed to be Grand Duchess Anastasia
Anna Anderson claimed to be Grand Duchess Anastasia
Marga Boodts claimed she was the Grand Duchess Olga
Marga Boodts claimed she was the Grand Duchess Olga
Marga Boodts claimed she was the Grand Duchess Olga
Frank William Abagnale Jr. posed as a Pan American pilot
Frank William Abagnale Jr. posed as a Pan American pilot
Frank William Abagnale Jr. posed as a Pan American pilot
David Hampton posed as the son of Sidney Poitier
David Hampton posed as the son of Sidney Poitier
David Hampton posed as the son of Sidney Poitier
Christophe Rocancourt claimed to be the son of Sophia Loren and a member of the Rockefeller family
Christophe Rocancourt claimed to be the son of Sophia Loren and a member of the Rockefeller family
Christophe Rocancourt claimed to be the son of Sophia Loren and a member of the Rockefeller family
Alan Conway claimed to be Stanley Kubrick
Alan Conway claimed to be Stanley Kubrick
Alan Conway claimed to be Stanley Kubrick
Robert Hendy-Freegard posed as an MI5 agent
Robert Hendy-Freegard posed as an MI5 agent
Robert Hendy-Freegard posed as an MI5 agent
Emma Charlton claimed she was the editor of Vogue
Emma Charlton claimed she was the editor of Vogue
Emma Charlton claimed she was the editor of Vogue
Gilbert Chikli and Anthony Lasarevitsch posed as French politician Jean-Yves Le Drian
Gilbert Chikli and Anthony Lasarevitsch posed as French politician Jean-Yves Le Drian
Gilbert Chikli and Anthony Lasarevitsch posed as French politician Jean-Yves Le Drian
Shimon Hayut claimed to be the son of diamond mogul Lev Leviev
Shimon Hayut claimed to be the son of diamond mogul Lev Leviev
Shimon Hayut claimed to be the son of diamond mogul Lev Leviev
Anthony Gignac posed as a Saudi prince
Anthony Gignac posed as a Saudi prince
Anthony Gignac posed as a Saudi prince
J. Nicholas Bryant claimed to be the son of wealthy oil investors
J. Nicholas Bryant claimed to be the son of wealthy oil investors
J. Nicholas Bryant claimed to be the son of wealthy oil investors
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Mike Coppola/AD/Getty Images for ABA

Meet the people who made millions from faking their identities

We're often told to fake it 'til we make it. These fraudsters went one step further, reinventing themselves for fame and fortune, with catastrophic results.

Read on to find out what the infamous 'fake heiress' Anna Sorokin (pictured) is doing now, and meet some of history's most infamous impersonators.

All dollar amounts in US dollars.

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Danielle McAdam

08 June 2023

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