A Story of Ambition in 50 Hoaxes: From the Trojan Horse to Fake Tech Support

Deception is considered a vice, but the mind is titillated to puzzle out the discordant information so cunningly initiated in these temporarily successful frauds. Presented here are fifty hoaxes, the stories of some may tickle the senses, others appear mischievous, and many have played cruel tricks on their targets. All of these hoaxes are examined and in most cases resolved. Taking a historical course, the series starts off with the classic ruse of the Trojan Horse. The stories continue to relate the fabrications of Houdini, the political ploys of Benjamin Franklin, and the manipulations of P. T. Barnum and relates how J. Conan Doyle was persuaded to believe in fairies. Each deception is skillfully described in two to three pages, and each story contains beguiling illustrations to further clarify the hoax. Some of the incidents are familiar such as the Ponzi scheme and the Madoff affair, or the fake books by Howard Hughes or the notorious Hitler diaries. Each of the cases makes a compelling read, and the pieces will recall history and other instances of hoaxes that have occurred within the reader’s experience. These vignettes will provoke smiles, sighs, and even perhaps a bit of angst while viewing the degrees of deviousness that can and has been practiced.