These 11 biggest get rich quick schemes of all time have made a few rich and left many poor. It’s surprising how a lot of people still fall for get rich quick schemes today. Many have to learn the hard way when it comes to keeping and earning money. Often, when we get the idea that it’s too good to be true, it usually is. This is especially true when it comes to money. The schemes listed here have known to swindle money from a lot of people and some even reaching into the pockets of wealthy corporations.
Even in today’s times, get rich quick schemes try to weasel their way through different forms of media. Even the online world has had their fair share of scams and schemes. You’ll find them in your emails, social media and even in Kickstarter. The scams in Kickstarter are evident in this list of The 5 Biggest Kickstarter Scams that Swindled Backers Donations. These schemes try to appeal to man’s nature. They try to convince a lot of people that you need to invest in them so you get money and get the things that you want. Often times these types of people and companies have learned to smooth talk their way into convincing others.
Have you encountered a scheme like this in your life? If so, you’re probably not alone. As it’s estimated that a person will experience at least one type of false scheme once in their lives. Let’s find out what the biggest schemes are as we go through this list:
11. John Beck’s Real Estate System
John Beck got featured a lot on TV and online because he claimed to have the secret of buying homes just for a few hundred dollars. He released a series of books and DVDs for $40 claiming that other people can learn the secret too. Many of those who bought his product claimed it was a rip-off and filed numerous complaints. Many claimed that the books and DVDs just repeated stuff over and over again.
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10. The Ponzi
One of the more popular schemes in history, Charles Ponzi learned how to abuse the wealthy through the use of email. He convinced a lot of people to invest in his business proposal which would have a 50% return on investment in a very short time. What he did was use other people’s money to pay for other people’s return on investment. It was eventually discovered and this led him to jail.
9. The Pudding Scheme
This was one story that didn’t end in a jail cell. David Philips discovered that a mail-in rebate was better than the price paid for buying Healthy Choice pudding snacks. He soon bought over 12,000 cups of pudding claiming he was stocking up for Y2K. Eventually, this has earned him over a million frequent flier miles on American Airlines.
8. Catch Me If You Can
Now a popular movie and Broadway musical, the story tells of Frank Abagnale Jr, star of one of the largest check fraud scandals in history. He successfully posed as a professor, pilot, doctor, and an attorney. He got away with over 2.5 million dollars in fraudulent checks. He did this in every US state along with 26 other countries. He’s now one of the respected authorities on check fraud and has a clean record.
7. A Million Little Pieces
James Frey wrote about formerly being a criminal and his struggles with drug addiction. The book entitled A Million Little Pieces got so popular that it sold millions and made the author rich. The catch, he wasn’t really a criminal nor a drug addict.
6. Stella Lieback Sues McDonalds
The 79 year old Stella Lieback accidentally spilled McDonald’s coffee on her one morning and received third -degree burns because of it. She sued McDonalds and didn’t settle for just the cost of her medical bills. She was soon awarded over a million dollars for something she accidentally did on herself.
The biggest schemes are yet to be mentioned. Let’s continue the list of 11 biggest get rich quick schemes of all time.
5. The Fox Sisters
The Fox Sisters had a knack for communicating with the dead. They convinced their parents and later on the entire world into believing their abilities. They eventually admitted it was a scheme and had lost all their money.
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4. Fake Illness Scheme
Lori Stilly pretended to have stage IV bladder cancer. This act helped rake her to collect thousands of donations from friends, family and other people that discovered her “illness”. She even wrote an e-book about having cancer.
3. Selling the Eiffel Tower
Victor Lustig was one of the most famous conmen of his time. He read that the Eiffel Tower was in bad condition and posed as a government official selling the tower for scrap metal to numerous metal dealers. He ended up getting a lot of money for fake deals.
2. Sell New York Landmarks
Another famous conman of the past, George Parker had the idea of selling New York landmarks to unsuspecting tourists. He was able to sell every New York attraction you can think of, even the Brooklyn Bridge. He was able to sell the bridge twice a week in a span of years.
1. The Island Nation of Poyais
Gregor MacGregor, a Scottish adventurer and soldier returned to England and pretended to be from Poyais. This island nation near Honduras was not real, but he made a good job of detailing all the land and its natural resources. He sold portions of land and information to hundreds of colonists. He even got away with it since the colonists would have to travel before discovering that the island did not exist.
There you have it the 11 biggest get rich quick schemes of all time. It’s amazing what the human mind can think of to get money.
