A con man who posed as a Dominican Republic diplomat to get cash for a fake charity, ripping off real charities along the way, was caught in his web of lies thanks to suspicious Manhattan state Sen. Adriano Espaillat. Was Espaillat tipped off when he heard the name of the charity was "The Human Fund?" more ›

Last week, it was reported that a gun which had been stolen from the 105th precinct in Jamaica, Queens had been sold back to the NYPD by a man who then willingly and nonchalantly turned himself into police. It seems that the rabbit hole runs especially deep for the man who returned the gun—police believe he is a career criminal who has made a living out impersonating law enforcement. "He's like the guy from the movie 'Catch Me If You Can,.' This guy has been caught on several occasions, but he keeps being able to dupe people. For one reason or another, they seem to fall for it," said an "exasperated" FDNY official. more ›

One of our favorite classic scams is the "You broke my glasses" scheme, where someone tells an unsuspecting mark that he/she has broken a pair of glasses and must pay. Variations include "You broke my bottle" routine and "you made me drop my insulin shot." Now someone is going to prison for trying to con clueless rubes—according to the Daily News, Naim Jabbar was sentenced to seven years for getting caught last year. more ›

New York City residents are among the least likely Americans to fall victim to scams and swindles, but that doesn't stop con artists from trying to outwit New Yorkers. Hustlers use a number of different strategies to try to cheat their victims, from well-known shakedowns like the "broken glasses scam" to more obscure hoaxes like the "pigeon drop," the Daily News reports. more ›

A thief unsuccessfully attempted to extort a Swedish military official and his elderly father for $40 using a widely known scam, Lt. Cmdr. Peter Palm testified in court yesterday. According to the Swedish intelligence commander, career criminal Louis Parson tried to pull a "broken bottle scam"—which closely resembles a "broken glasses scam"—on him and his father in a Midtown hotel. more ›

Raffaello Follieri, the Italian playboy-con man, pleaded guilty to wire fraud, money laundering and conspiracy yesterday, in a plea deal that will land him a minimum of five years and three months in prison. Follieri, who claimed to be a representative of the Vatican, would take investors' money and spend it on his extravagant lifestyle, which included a Trump Tower apartment and squiring his girlfriend, actress Anne Hathaway. The new news is how he agreed to surrender claim to jewelry "recovered" from Hathaway (here's a list) as well as "precious metals and jewelry" found in his Bronx storage unit. Also found among his belongings: A letter from a former Vatican secretary of state telling him to stop pretending to be affiliated with the Vatican. The Post described him as looking pale while the Times said he needed a haircut. more ›