Victor Lustig

Imagine being a banker in a small town in Missouri. You have been trying to sell a broken down farm that the bank repossessed a couple of years ago but you haven't had any luck. One day a man approaches you and offers you $22,000 in Liberty bonds for the almost worthless farm. He claims that he is from Austria and after the First World War he felt the need to leave and start a new life in America. In your eyes it doesn't matter what the reason is your just happy to finally get rid of the farm. You accept the $22,000 and he asks for a $10,000 in cash for $10,000 in bonds. …