Real Facts About Fake People Trivia Quiz

Answer: Joan of Arc

While there were several imposters who claimed to be Saint Joan of Arc, the most successful of these was Claude des Armoises. With the support of Joan of Arc's brothers she carried on the charade from 1436 until 1440. She asserted that an unknown female was burned at the stake while she was smuggled away from the scene. She fooled much of the nobility, and the ruse brought her a good marriage, gifts, and other subsidies. Even after she confessed to Charles VII of her deception, there were many who did not believe her.

Answer: The Eiffel Tower

One of the most talented of conmen might be Victor Lustig (1890-1947) who managed to sell the Eiffel Tower for scrap on two separate occasions, without ever getting caught. He managed to sell a 'money box' to naïve buyers whom he convinced that the box would print perfect 100$ bills.

He is rumored to have conned numerous high powered people, such as Al Capone. Because of their public standing, his victims did not press charges for fear of public humiliation. In May of 1935 his past caught up with him when he was caught by federal agents on charges of counterfeiting. Lustig died in a Missouri prison while awaiting his transfer to Alcatraz to serve a twenty year sentence.

Answer: Baron of Arizona

James Reavis (1843-1914) was a master forger who fraudulently managed to almost gain complete control and ownership of most of the American state of Arizona. Using a pair of fraudulent land claims, Reavis attempted to claim ownership of 18,000 sq. miles of land.

He also manage to collect, scam, and possibly forge over five million dollars in cash and promissory notes. At that time this was a mammoth amount of money. He managed to covertly insert his fraudulent paperwork in a variety of government records archives. Reavis was caught only after he had the audacity to sue the U.S. government for 11 million dollars in a land dispute.

This caused the government to get involved in an intricate investigation of Reavis and his actions. He died penniless in 1914 and was buried in Denver, Colorado's potter's field.

Answer: Dean of Admissions to MIT

Marilee Jones was a high school graduate who managed, through fraud and deceit, to become the Dean of Admissions to the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She was also a best-selling author who was featured in/on "The New York Times", "The Wall Street Journal", and "USA Today".

After her scam had been uncovered and she was fired, she continued to speak publicly about the college application process. She has never publicly admitted her guilt but has claimed on several occasions that she did not recall any of her fraudulent activity.

Answer: Anastasia Romanov

Anna Anderson is probably the most well known entry on this list. In 1920, Anderson turned up at a mental hospital in Germany as a "Jane Doe". She refused to reveal her identity at first, but two years later she began claiming to be the Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov, who was believed (though not by all) to have been executed with the rest of the Russian Royal family four years earlier. Anderson was the best known woman claiming to be Anastasia, and she continued to uphold the claim until her death, in 1984. During her lifetime she was visited by many members of the Russian Royal family - some of whom supported her claim and while others dismissed her as an impostor.

Her claim made her famous around the world, and a number of films and books were written about her.

In 2007, the body of Anastasia Romanov was discovered in Russia, finally putting the tale to rest. DNA testing on Anna's hair proved her to be a missing Polish factory worker, Franziska Schanzkowska.

Answer: Catch Me if You Can

Between the ages of 15-21, American confidence man Frank Abagnale pulled off some scams so amazing that he inspired the film "Catch Me if You Can" (2002). While a teenager he forged his own pilot's ID as well as an FAA license. After scamming a major airline by telling them, over the phone, that he had lost his uniform they told him where to go to pick up a new one.

He is believed to have flown all over the world using this scam and is thought to have actually piloted a jumbo jet while in flight. For a while, he impersonated a pediatrician at a Georgia hospital.

There are many more examples of his activities, but it should be noted that neither all his claims nor accusations by others have been verified. The actual truth will probably never fully be known.

Answer: A member of the Rockefeller family

Christophe Rocancourt is a famous thief, imposter and confidence man who claimed to be a member of the immensely wealthy Rockefeller family. He also claimed to be the son of actress Sophia Loren, and the nephew of Oscar de la Renta. He traveled both Europe and North American conning members of the upper class.

He lived with a Playboy model who believed he was a member of French nobility. His scams included faking a deed to property in France that he did not own and selling it for over a million dollars.

Answer: True

The story of Ferdinand Demara reads like a work of fiction. He posed as a trauma surgeon on a Canadian Navy destroyer during the Korean War where he performed an unknown number of surgeries. He posed as a monk, cancer researcher, assistant prison warden, and as a lawyer.

His story was made into a 1960 book by Robert Crichton named "The Great Imposter". This was followed, in 1961, by a movie of the same name, where he was portrayed by actor Tony Curtis. He made many influential friends, including Steve McQueen, for whom he performed last rites when the actor died.

Answer: Sir Roger Tichborne

In 1854 Sir Roger Tichborne, the heir to the Tichborne baronetcy, was lost at sea and presumed dead. Not long after, his inconsolable mother sent out inquiries all over the world asking if anyone knew where her son was. She simply refused to believe that he was deceased. Conman Arthur Orton managed easily to convince the grieving mother that he was her son, despite the fact that he looked very little like her son and did not speak fluent French, like her son did. Orton was, in fact, an Australian butcher from Wagga Wagga.

While the rest of the family knew this was not the real Sir Roger Tichborne, the mother could not be convinced and until her death supported the conman with a yearly stipend. It was not until her death that the family took Orton to court to keep him from inheriting the baronetcy as well as most of the family property and heirlooms.

In court, Orton was declared a conman, and charged with perjury. Once he was found guilty he was sentenced to 14 years of hard labor in prison.

There is still some debate as to his actual identity, but it is accepted that he was definitely not Sir Roger Tichborne.

Answer: Six Degrees of Separation

The 1993 film "Six degrees of Separation" was based on the exploits of conman David Hampton. Famous for claiming to be the son of actor Sidney Poitier, Hampton also adopted many other famous personas. After serving time for this ruse, Hampton continued to adopt various identities in order to obtain food, shelter, and entrance into upper crust society.

He died alone in a New York hospital at the age of 39.