Victor Lustig
Victor Lustig (1890-1947) was undoubtedly the most confident trickster in history. He is also known as the 'Man who sold the Eiffel Tower, twice.' His first serious scam involved a money printing machine. He got his victims to pay $30,000 for a machine that could print only three $100 dollar bills in six-hour intervals.
By the time they realised their machine's abilities, Lustig was long gone. In 1925, he made use of a public outcry for the demolition of the Eiffel Tower and struck a deal with scrap metal dealers, selling off the structure to them for over $40,000. Even though this trick made it to the headlines, he managed to perform it successfully a second time.
The Leonardo DiCaprio starrer Catch Me If You Can is said to be inspired by the infamous exploits of this con artist.
