Introduction

• In 1898, on the brink of bankruptcy, Girard, a French banker, tried contacting the woman with whom he had invested his fortune, pleading for some of the money he was owed.

• Thérèse Humbert, a wealthy socialite, declined, and in desperation Girard put a gun to his head and fired.

• The suicide of Girard marked the beginning of Humbert's 20-year career of defrauding the French aristocracy of nearly 100 million francs.

Fake Inheritance

• Thérèse Daurignac born in France, she grew up a poor peasant.

  • Thérèse was charming and skilled at lying and manipulation despite her lack of wealth and education.

  • She pretended to be of noble blood and persuaded her first cousin, Frédéric Humbert, son of a prominent French mayor, to marry her.

  • Thérèse and her husband then relocated to Paris, where her father-in-law's connections helped her gain fame and influence in French society.

• In 1879, Thérèse told a story about an unusual inheritance, claiming she rescued the life of American millionaire, Robert Crawford on a train ride.

  • Crawford allegedly made Thérèse the beneficiary of his will, with the provision that the fortune be maintained in a safe until her younger sister reached the age of marriage with one of Crawford's nephews.

  • However, neither Robert Crawford nor the inheritance existed.

• Thérèse began borrowing money from wealthy friends, using the fictitious inheritance as collateral.

  • While her husband was initially a dupe, he eventually became her accomplice, and the couple lived lavishly on borrowed funds.

  • The Humberts went on spending binges, purchasing country estates, a steam yacht, and high-end clothing.

  • They borrowed a total of 50 million francs (£215 million) on the promise of their mysterious fortune.

• In 1893, Thérèse started a fictitious insurance company called Rent Viagere after becoming dissatisfied with the sizeable sums she had stolen.

  • The business promised small business owners high returns on modest investments.

  • Later, Thérèse and Frédéric wasted more than 40 million francs (£174 million), paying off previous investors with the money from fresh victims.

Borrowed Time

• French investigators started looking into the Humberts' financial affairs after Girard committed suicide. In the end, it was her creditors who eventually uncovered the fraud.

• By the late 1890s, many of the individuals she had borrowed from banded together and determined that even her sizable "inheritance" would not be enough to pay back all of her extensive loans.

• Her schemes came to an end in 1901, when one of her creditors filed a lawsuit against her. The safe was opened by a Parisian court judge, revealing nothing but a concrete block and an English halfpenny.

• Thérèse and her husband had left the country by that point. The couple was caught in Madrid in December 1902 and deported back to Paris.

• Thérèse and Frédéric were each given a five-year sentence of hard labor. Thérèse immigrated to the US and passed away in Chicago, Illinois, in 1918, having no money.

The Power of Persuasion

• Con artists manipulate their victims through persuasion.

• After selecting a target, a fraudster will research that person's behavior and speak with them to ascertain their weak points.

• After gaining their trust and confidence, the con artist will lead the target toward their con by appealing to their fears, flattery, or the promise of wealth.

• Usually, the lies contain just enough truth to divert the target and enhance the plausibility of the conversation. If the victim objects, the con artist may exploit their feelings to win their sympathy.

• The objective is to deceive others by making false promises and lying to them. The "Dark Triad," which includes psychopathy, narcissism, and Machiavellianism, is exhibited by many successful con artists.

  • Because of these traits, con artists can defraud people of their money without the perpetrators feeling guilty or remorseful.

Related Crimes

• In 1821–1837, General Gregor MacGregor, a con artist from Scotland, steals money from British and French businessmen who want to establish themselves in a fictitious Central American province.

• In 1880s, Bertha Heyman, an American con artist also known as "Big Bertha," convinces a number of wealthy men to lend her money on the basis that she will repay them with the proceeds of a fictitious inheritance.

• In 1897–1904, Cassie L. Chadwick, a Canadian forger and con artist, defrauds banks of millions of dollars while claiming to be the illegitimate child and heiress of steel magnate Andrew Carnegie.