Even in death, Lustig continued to fascinate America. A historian tried to track down his real life in Austria but could not find a single shred of evidence. It was as if he had never existed.

He died almost penniless despite the millions he’d scammed. But he left a non-financial legacy: a salutary lesson to law enforcement on the need to adopt more sophisticated techniques against fraud. To his fellow grifters, he even penned some rules for success. They include “always be a patient listener”; “never get drunk”; “agree with your target’s religious and political views” and “never boast”.

His cunning and agility mark him out as one of the 20^th Century’s most interesting criminals. And though his misdeeds often ruined victims, it’s possible to admire him as an enterprising rogue. But he was still a rogue. Ironically, had he applied the same level of ingenuity to an honest life, he might have enjoyed an equally affluent and perhaps much longer life.

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The notorious fraudster who sold the Eiffel Tower... twice