Con artists, hoaxsters, racketeers, thieves: since the beginning of time, there have always been schemers eager to make sure a fool and his money will soon be parted. Masters of the Swindle tells 40 irresistible tales of deceit, from the late nineteenth century to today. Read all about “The Great Diamond Hoax” of San Francisco, when two men made fake diamonds good enough to fool Tiffany and Rothschild; the woman who stole a $2 million promissory note from Andrew Carnegie and then claimed to be his daughter; Rasputin, the “mysterious mystic” who deceived a Tsarina; the swindler who “sold” Big Ben to American tourists; the man who created the Ponzi scheme; the always e-mailing "Nigerian princes”; and Frank Abagnale, Jr., who committed fraud in 26 countries . . . and inspired a Steven Spielberg movie. These are the geniuses of deception: their tales are incredible and extraordinary.