Know who you're dealing with online.

Bernie Madoff

Bernard "Bernie" Madoff ran the largest Ponzi scheme in history through his investment firm, Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, paying supposed investment "returns" to earlier clients using money from new investors rather than any real trading profit. Account statements showing a combined value of roughly $65 billion were fabricated; the actual principal losses to real investors are estimated at around $17.5 billion. Madoff pleaded guilty to securities fraud and related charges in March 2009 and was sentenced that June to 150 years in federal prison. He died in prison in 2021. A court-appointed trustee has since recovered and distributed over $4 billion to victims.

Anna Sorokin

Anna Sorokin, using the alias "Anna Delvey" and posing as a wealthy German heiress, deceived banks, hotels, and acquaintances in New York City into extending credit, waiving bills, and covering expenses she never intended to pay — total losses of roughly $275,000. A Manhattan jury convicted her in 2019 of grand larceny and theft of services, and she was sentenced to 4 to 12 years in state prison. Her story was later dramatized in the Netflix series "Inventing Anna."

Billy McFarland

Billy McFarland promoted the 2017 Fyre Festival as a luxury music festival on a private Bahamian island; attendees who paid thousands of dollars arrived to find unfinished tents, no real performances, and inadequate food and security. McFarland had raised the event's funding by defrauding investors of roughly $26 million using falsified financial documents. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud in 2018 and was sentenced that October to 6 years in federal prison; he was later charged again for running a fraudulent ticket resale scheme while out on bail.

Elizabeth Holmes

Elizabeth Holmes founded Theranos, a blood-testing startup, and raised hundreds of millions of dollars from investors by falsely claiming its technology could run comprehensive lab tests from a few drops of blood. In practice, the devices produced unreliable results and the company secretly relied on standard commercial lab equipment. Holmes was convicted by a federal jury in January 2022 on multiple counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud against investors, and was sentenced in November 2022 to more than 11 years in federal prison.

Sam Bankman-Fried

Sam Bankman-Fried founded the cryptocurrency exchange FTX and the trading firm Alameda Research, and secretly funneled roughly $8 billion in FTX customers' deposits to Alameda to cover its losses, fund risky investments, and support a lavish lifestyle, while telling customers and investors their funds were safe. FTX collapsed into bankruptcy in November 2022. A federal jury convicted Bankman-Fried in November 2023 on seven counts including wire fraud and conspiracy, and he was sentenced in March 2024 to 25 years in federal prison.

Bernie Madoff

Bernard "Bernie" Madoff ran the largest Ponzi scheme in history through his investment firm, Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, paying supposed investment "returns" to earlier clients using money from new investors rather than any real trading profit. Account statements showing a combined value of roughly $65 billion were fabricated; the actual principal losses to real investors are estimated at around $17.5 billion. Madoff pleaded guilty to securities fraud and related charges in March 2009 and was sentenced that June to 150 years in federal prison. He died in prison in 2021. A court-appointed trustee has since recovered and distributed over $4 billion to victims.

Anna Sorokin

Anna Sorokin, using the alias "Anna Delvey" and posing as a wealthy German heiress, deceived banks, hotels, and acquaintances in New York City into extending credit, waiving bills, and covering expenses she never intended to pay — total losses of roughly $275,000. A Manhattan jury convicted her in 2019 of grand larceny and theft of services, and she was sentenced to 4 to 12 years in state prison. Her story was later dramatized in the Netflix series "Inventing Anna."

Billy McFarland

Billy McFarland promoted the 2017 Fyre Festival as a luxury music festival on a private Bahamian island; attendees who paid thousands of dollars arrived to find unfinished tents, no real performances, and inadequate food and security. McFarland had raised the event's funding by defrauding investors of roughly $26 million using falsified financial documents. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud in 2018 and was sentenced that October to 6 years in federal prison; he was later charged again for running a fraudulent ticket resale scheme while out on bail.

Elizabeth Holmes

Elizabeth Holmes founded Theranos, a blood-testing startup, and raised hundreds of millions of dollars from investors by falsely claiming its technology could run comprehensive lab tests from a few drops of blood. In practice, the devices produced unreliable results and the company secretly relied on standard commercial lab equipment. Holmes was convicted by a federal jury in January 2022 on multiple counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud against investors, and was sentenced in November 2022 to more than 11 years in federal prison.

Sam Bankman-Fried

Sam Bankman-Fried founded the cryptocurrency exchange FTX and the trading firm Alameda Research, and secretly funneled roughly $8 billion in FTX customers' deposits to Alameda to cover its losses, fund risky investments, and support a lavish lifestyle, while telling customers and investors their funds were safe. FTX collapsed into bankruptcy in November 2022. A federal jury convicted Bankman-Fried in November 2023 on seven counts including wire fraud and conspiracy, and he was sentenced in March 2024 to 25 years in federal prison.

Bernie Madoff

Bernard "Bernie" Madoff ran the largest Ponzi scheme in history through his investment firm, Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, paying supposed investment "returns" to earlier clients using money from new investors rather than any real trading profit. Account statements showing a combined value of roughly $65 billion were fabricated; the actual principal losses to real investors are estimated at around $17.5 billion. Madoff pleaded guilty to securities fraud and related charges in March 2009 and was sentenced that June to 150 years in federal prison. He died in prison in 2021. A court-appointed trustee has since recovered and distributed over $4 billion to victims.

Anna Sorokin

Anna Sorokin, using the alias "Anna Delvey" and posing as a wealthy German heiress, deceived banks, hotels, and acquaintances in New York City into extending credit, waiving bills, and covering expenses she never intended to pay — total losses of roughly $275,000. A Manhattan jury convicted her in 2019 of grand larceny and theft of services, and she was sentenced to 4 to 12 years in state prison. Her story was later dramatized in the Netflix series "Inventing Anna."

Billy McFarland

Billy McFarland promoted the 2017 Fyre Festival as a luxury music festival on a private Bahamian island; attendees who paid thousands of dollars arrived to find unfinished tents, no real performances, and inadequate food and security. McFarland had raised the event's funding by defrauding investors of roughly $26 million using falsified financial documents. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud in 2018 and was sentenced that October to 6 years in federal prison; he was later charged again for running a fraudulent ticket resale scheme while out on bail.

Elizabeth Holmes

Elizabeth Holmes founded Theranos, a blood-testing startup, and raised hundreds of millions of dollars from investors by falsely claiming its technology could run comprehensive lab tests from a few drops of blood. In practice, the devices produced unreliable results and the company secretly relied on standard commercial lab equipment. Holmes was convicted by a federal jury in January 2022 on multiple counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud against investors, and was sentenced in November 2022 to more than 11 years in federal prison.

Sam Bankman-Fried

Sam Bankman-Fried founded the cryptocurrency exchange FTX and the trading firm Alameda Research, and secretly funneled roughly $8 billion in FTX customers' deposits to Alameda to cover its losses, fund risky investments, and support a lavish lifestyle, while telling customers and investors their funds were safe. FTX collapsed into bankruptcy in November 2022. A federal jury convicted Bankman-Fried in November 2023 on seven counts including wire fraud and conspiracy, and he was sentenced in March 2024 to 25 years in federal prison.

Bernie Madoff

Bernard "Bernie" Madoff ran the largest Ponzi scheme in history through his investment firm, Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, paying supposed investment "returns" to earlier clients using money from new investors rather than any real trading profit. Account statements showing a combined value of roughly $65 billion were fabricated; the actual principal losses to real investors are estimated at around $17.5 billion. Madoff pleaded guilty to securities fraud and related charges in March 2009 and was sentenced that June to 150 years in federal prison. He died in prison in 2021. A court-appointed trustee has since recovered and distributed over $4 billion to victims.

Anna Sorokin

Anna Sorokin, using the alias "Anna Delvey" and posing as a wealthy German heiress, deceived banks, hotels, and acquaintances in New York City into extending credit, waiving bills, and covering expenses she never intended to pay — total losses of roughly $275,000. A Manhattan jury convicted her in 2019 of grand larceny and theft of services, and she was sentenced to 4 to 12 years in state prison. Her story was later dramatized in the Netflix series "Inventing Anna."

Billy McFarland

Billy McFarland promoted the 2017 Fyre Festival as a luxury music festival on a private Bahamian island; attendees who paid thousands of dollars arrived to find unfinished tents, no real performances, and inadequate food and security. McFarland had raised the event's funding by defrauding investors of roughly $26 million using falsified financial documents. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud in 2018 and was sentenced that October to 6 years in federal prison; he was later charged again for running a fraudulent ticket resale scheme while out on bail.

Elizabeth Holmes

Elizabeth Holmes founded Theranos, a blood-testing startup, and raised hundreds of millions of dollars from investors by falsely claiming its technology could run comprehensive lab tests from a few drops of blood. In practice, the devices produced unreliable results and the company secretly relied on standard commercial lab equipment. Holmes was convicted by a federal jury in January 2022 on multiple counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud against investors, and was sentenced in November 2022 to more than 11 years in federal prison.

Sam Bankman-Fried

Sam Bankman-Fried founded the cryptocurrency exchange FTX and the trading firm Alameda Research, and secretly funneled roughly $8 billion in FTX customers' deposits to Alameda to cover its losses, fund risky investments, and support a lavish lifestyle, while telling customers and investors their funds were safe. FTX collapsed into bankruptcy in November 2022. A federal jury convicted Bankman-Fried in November 2023 on seven counts including wire fraud and conspiracy, and he was sentenced in March 2024 to 25 years in federal prison.

Bernie Madoff

Bernard "Bernie" Madoff ran the largest Ponzi scheme in history through his investment firm, Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, paying supposed investment "returns" to earlier clients using money from new investors rather than any real trading profit. Account statements showing a combined value of roughly $65 billion were fabricated; the actual principal losses to real investors are estimated at around $17.5 billion. Madoff pleaded guilty to securities fraud and related charges in March 2009 and was sentenced that June to 150 years in federal prison. He died in prison in 2021. A court-appointed trustee has since recovered and distributed over $4 billion to victims.

Anna Sorokin

Anna Sorokin, using the alias "Anna Delvey" and posing as a wealthy German heiress, deceived banks, hotels, and acquaintances in New York City into extending credit, waiving bills, and covering expenses she never intended to pay — total losses of roughly $275,000. A Manhattan jury convicted her in 2019 of grand larceny and theft of services, and she was sentenced to 4 to 12 years in state prison. Her story was later dramatized in the Netflix series "Inventing Anna."

Billy McFarland

Billy McFarland promoted the 2017 Fyre Festival as a luxury music festival on a private Bahamian island; attendees who paid thousands of dollars arrived to find unfinished tents, no real performances, and inadequate food and security. McFarland had raised the event's funding by defrauding investors of roughly $26 million using falsified financial documents. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud in 2018 and was sentenced that October to 6 years in federal prison; he was later charged again for running a fraudulent ticket resale scheme while out on bail.

Elizabeth Holmes

Elizabeth Holmes founded Theranos, a blood-testing startup, and raised hundreds of millions of dollars from investors by falsely claiming its technology could run comprehensive lab tests from a few drops of blood. In practice, the devices produced unreliable results and the company secretly relied on standard commercial lab equipment. Holmes was convicted by a federal jury in January 2022 on multiple counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud against investors, and was sentenced in November 2022 to more than 11 years in federal prison.

Sam Bankman-Fried

Sam Bankman-Fried founded the cryptocurrency exchange FTX and the trading firm Alameda Research, and secretly funneled roughly $8 billion in FTX customers' deposits to Alameda to cover its losses, fund risky investments, and support a lavish lifestyle, while telling customers and investors their funds were safe. FTX collapsed into bankruptcy in November 2022. A federal jury convicted Bankman-Fried in November 2023 on seven counts including wire fraud and conspiracy, and he was sentenced in March 2024 to 25 years in federal prison.

Bernie Madoff

Bernard "Bernie" Madoff ran the largest Ponzi scheme in history through his investment firm, Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, paying supposed investment "returns" to earlier clients using money from new investors rather than any real trading profit. Account statements showing a combined value of roughly $65 billion were fabricated; the actual principal losses to real investors are estimated at around $17.5 billion. Madoff pleaded guilty to securities fraud and related charges in March 2009 and was sentenced that June to 150 years in federal prison. He died in prison in 2021. A court-appointed trustee has since recovered and distributed over $4 billion to victims.

Anna Sorokin

Anna Sorokin, using the alias "Anna Delvey" and posing as a wealthy German heiress, deceived banks, hotels, and acquaintances in New York City into extending credit, waiving bills, and covering expenses she never intended to pay — total losses of roughly $275,000. A Manhattan jury convicted her in 2019 of grand larceny and theft of services, and she was sentenced to 4 to 12 years in state prison. Her story was later dramatized in the Netflix series "Inventing Anna."

Billy McFarland

Billy McFarland promoted the 2017 Fyre Festival as a luxury music festival on a private Bahamian island; attendees who paid thousands of dollars arrived to find unfinished tents, no real performances, and inadequate food and security. McFarland had raised the event's funding by defrauding investors of roughly $26 million using falsified financial documents. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud in 2018 and was sentenced that October to 6 years in federal prison; he was later charged again for running a fraudulent ticket resale scheme while out on bail.

Elizabeth Holmes

Elizabeth Holmes founded Theranos, a blood-testing startup, and raised hundreds of millions of dollars from investors by falsely claiming its technology could run comprehensive lab tests from a few drops of blood. In practice, the devices produced unreliable results and the company secretly relied on standard commercial lab equipment. Holmes was convicted by a federal jury in January 2022 on multiple counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud against investors, and was sentenced in November 2022 to more than 11 years in federal prison.

Sam Bankman-Fried

Sam Bankman-Fried founded the cryptocurrency exchange FTX and the trading firm Alameda Research, and secretly funneled roughly $8 billion in FTX customers' deposits to Alameda to cover its losses, fund risky investments, and support a lavish lifestyle, while telling customers and investors their funds were safe. FTX collapsed into bankruptcy in November 2022. A federal jury convicted Bankman-Fried in November 2023 on seven counts including wire fraud and conspiracy, and he was sentenced in March 2024 to 25 years in federal prison.

Bernie Madoff

Bernard "Bernie" Madoff ran the largest Ponzi scheme in history through his investment firm, Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, paying supposed investment "returns" to earlier clients using money from new investors rather than any real trading profit. Account statements showing a combined value of roughly $65 billion were fabricated; the actual principal losses to real investors are estimated at around $17.5 billion. Madoff pleaded guilty to securities fraud and related charges in March 2009 and was sentenced that June to 150 years in federal prison. He died in prison in 2021. A court-appointed trustee has since recovered and distributed over $4 billion to victims.

Anna Sorokin

Anna Sorokin, using the alias "Anna Delvey" and posing as a wealthy German heiress, deceived banks, hotels, and acquaintances in New York City into extending credit, waiving bills, and covering expenses she never intended to pay — total losses of roughly $275,000. A Manhattan jury convicted her in 2019 of grand larceny and theft of services, and she was sentenced to 4 to 12 years in state prison. Her story was later dramatized in the Netflix series "Inventing Anna."

Billy McFarland

Billy McFarland promoted the 2017 Fyre Festival as a luxury music festival on a private Bahamian island; attendees who paid thousands of dollars arrived to find unfinished tents, no real performances, and inadequate food and security. McFarland had raised the event's funding by defrauding investors of roughly $26 million using falsified financial documents. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud in 2018 and was sentenced that October to 6 years in federal prison; he was later charged again for running a fraudulent ticket resale scheme while out on bail.

Elizabeth Holmes

Elizabeth Holmes founded Theranos, a blood-testing startup, and raised hundreds of millions of dollars from investors by falsely claiming its technology could run comprehensive lab tests from a few drops of blood. In practice, the devices produced unreliable results and the company secretly relied on standard commercial lab equipment. Holmes was convicted by a federal jury in January 2022 on multiple counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud against investors, and was sentenced in November 2022 to more than 11 years in federal prison.

Sam Bankman-Fried

Sam Bankman-Fried founded the cryptocurrency exchange FTX and the trading firm Alameda Research, and secretly funneled roughly $8 billion in FTX customers' deposits to Alameda to cover its losses, fund risky investments, and support a lavish lifestyle, while telling customers and investors their funds were safe. FTX collapsed into bankruptcy in November 2022. A federal jury convicted Bankman-Fried in November 2023 on seven counts including wire fraud and conspiracy, and he was sentenced in March 2024 to 25 years in federal prison.

Bernie Madoff

Bernard "Bernie" Madoff ran the largest Ponzi scheme in history through his investment firm, Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, paying supposed investment "returns" to earlier clients using money from new investors rather than any real trading profit. Account statements showing a combined value of roughly $65 billion were fabricated; the actual principal losses to real investors are estimated at around $17.5 billion. Madoff pleaded guilty to securities fraud and related charges in March 2009 and was sentenced that June to 150 years in federal prison. He died in prison in 2021. A court-appointed trustee has since recovered and distributed over $4 billion to victims.

Anna Sorokin

Anna Sorokin, using the alias "Anna Delvey" and posing as a wealthy German heiress, deceived banks, hotels, and acquaintances in New York City into extending credit, waiving bills, and covering expenses she never intended to pay — total losses of roughly $275,000. A Manhattan jury convicted her in 2019 of grand larceny and theft of services, and she was sentenced to 4 to 12 years in state prison. Her story was later dramatized in the Netflix series "Inventing Anna."

Billy McFarland

Billy McFarland promoted the 2017 Fyre Festival as a luxury music festival on a private Bahamian island; attendees who paid thousands of dollars arrived to find unfinished tents, no real performances, and inadequate food and security. McFarland had raised the event's funding by defrauding investors of roughly $26 million using falsified financial documents. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud in 2018 and was sentenced that October to 6 years in federal prison; he was later charged again for running a fraudulent ticket resale scheme while out on bail.

Elizabeth Holmes

Elizabeth Holmes founded Theranos, a blood-testing startup, and raised hundreds of millions of dollars from investors by falsely claiming its technology could run comprehensive lab tests from a few drops of blood. In practice, the devices produced unreliable results and the company secretly relied on standard commercial lab equipment. Holmes was convicted by a federal jury in January 2022 on multiple counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud against investors, and was sentenced in November 2022 to more than 11 years in federal prison.

Sam Bankman-Fried

Sam Bankman-Fried founded the cryptocurrency exchange FTX and the trading firm Alameda Research, and secretly funneled roughly $8 billion in FTX customers' deposits to Alameda to cover its losses, fund risky investments, and support a lavish lifestyle, while telling customers and investors their funds were safe. FTX collapsed into bankruptcy in November 2022. A federal jury convicted Bankman-Fried in November 2023 on seven counts including wire fraud and conspiracy, and he was sentenced in March 2024 to 25 years in federal prison.

Elizabeth Holmes

Elizabeth Holmes founded Theranos, a blood-testing startup, and raised hundreds of millions of dollars from investors by falsely claiming its technology could run comprehensive lab tests from a few drops of blood. In practice, the devices produced unreliable results and the company secretly relied on standard commercial lab equipment. Holmes was convicted by a federal jury in January 2022 on multiple counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud against investors, and was sentenced in November 2022 to more than 11 years in federal prison.

Anna Sorokin

Anna Sorokin, using the alias "Anna Delvey" and posing as a wealthy German heiress, deceived banks, hotels, and acquaintances in New York City into extending credit, waiving bills, and covering expenses she never intended to pay — total losses of roughly $275,000. A Manhattan jury convicted her in 2019 of grand larceny and theft of services, and she was sentenced to 4 to 12 years in state prison. Her story was later dramatized in the Netflix series "Inventing Anna."

Bernie Madoff

Bernard "Bernie" Madoff ran the largest Ponzi scheme in history through his investment firm, Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, paying supposed investment "returns" to earlier clients using money from new investors rather than any real trading profit. Account statements showing a combined value of roughly $65 billion were fabricated; the actual principal losses to real investors are estimated at around $17.5 billion. Madoff pleaded guilty to securities fraud and related charges in March 2009 and was sentenced that June to 150 years in federal prison. He died in prison in 2021. A court-appointed trustee has since recovered and distributed over $4 billion to victims.

Sam Bankman-Fried

Sam Bankman-Fried founded the cryptocurrency exchange FTX and the trading firm Alameda Research, and secretly funneled roughly $8 billion in FTX customers' deposits to Alameda to cover its losses, fund risky investments, and support a lavish lifestyle, while telling customers and investors their funds were safe. FTX collapsed into bankruptcy in November 2022. A federal jury convicted Bankman-Fried in November 2023 on seven counts including wire fraud and conspiracy, and he was sentenced in March 2024 to 25 years in federal prison.

Billy McFarland

Billy McFarland promoted the 2017 Fyre Festival as a luxury music festival on a private Bahamian island; attendees who paid thousands of dollars arrived to find unfinished tents, no real performances, and inadequate food and security. McFarland had raised the event's funding by defrauding investors of roughly $26 million using falsified financial documents. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud in 2018 and was sentenced that October to 6 years in federal prison; he was later charged again for running a fraudulent ticket resale scheme while out on bail.

Elizabeth Holmes

Elizabeth Holmes founded Theranos, a blood-testing startup, and raised hundreds of millions of dollars from investors by falsely claiming its technology could run comprehensive lab tests from a few drops of blood. In practice, the devices produced unreliable results and the company secretly relied on standard commercial lab equipment. Holmes was convicted by a federal jury in January 2022 on multiple counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud against investors, and was sentenced in November 2022 to more than 11 years in federal prison.

Anna Sorokin

Anna Sorokin, using the alias "Anna Delvey" and posing as a wealthy German heiress, deceived banks, hotels, and acquaintances in New York City into extending credit, waiving bills, and covering expenses she never intended to pay — total losses of roughly $275,000. A Manhattan jury convicted her in 2019 of grand larceny and theft of services, and she was sentenced to 4 to 12 years in state prison. Her story was later dramatized in the Netflix series "Inventing Anna."

Bernie Madoff

Bernard "Bernie" Madoff ran the largest Ponzi scheme in history through his investment firm, Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, paying supposed investment "returns" to earlier clients using money from new investors rather than any real trading profit. Account statements showing a combined value of roughly $65 billion were fabricated; the actual principal losses to real investors are estimated at around $17.5 billion. Madoff pleaded guilty to securities fraud and related charges in March 2009 and was sentenced that June to 150 years in federal prison. He died in prison in 2021. A court-appointed trustee has since recovered and distributed over $4 billion to victims.

Sam Bankman-Fried

Sam Bankman-Fried founded the cryptocurrency exchange FTX and the trading firm Alameda Research, and secretly funneled roughly $8 billion in FTX customers' deposits to Alameda to cover its losses, fund risky investments, and support a lavish lifestyle, while telling customers and investors their funds were safe. FTX collapsed into bankruptcy in November 2022. A federal jury convicted Bankman-Fried in November 2023 on seven counts including wire fraud and conspiracy, and he was sentenced in March 2024 to 25 years in federal prison.

Billy McFarland

Billy McFarland promoted the 2017 Fyre Festival as a luxury music festival on a private Bahamian island; attendees who paid thousands of dollars arrived to find unfinished tents, no real performances, and inadequate food and security. McFarland had raised the event's funding by defrauding investors of roughly $26 million using falsified financial documents. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud in 2018 and was sentenced that October to 6 years in federal prison; he was later charged again for running a fraudulent ticket resale scheme while out on bail.

Elizabeth Holmes

Elizabeth Holmes founded Theranos, a blood-testing startup, and raised hundreds of millions of dollars from investors by falsely claiming its technology could run comprehensive lab tests from a few drops of blood. In practice, the devices produced unreliable results and the company secretly relied on standard commercial lab equipment. Holmes was convicted by a federal jury in January 2022 on multiple counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud against investors, and was sentenced in November 2022 to more than 11 years in federal prison.

Anna Sorokin

Anna Sorokin, using the alias "Anna Delvey" and posing as a wealthy German heiress, deceived banks, hotels, and acquaintances in New York City into extending credit, waiving bills, and covering expenses she never intended to pay — total losses of roughly $275,000. A Manhattan jury convicted her in 2019 of grand larceny and theft of services, and she was sentenced to 4 to 12 years in state prison. Her story was later dramatized in the Netflix series "Inventing Anna."

Bernie Madoff

Bernard "Bernie" Madoff ran the largest Ponzi scheme in history through his investment firm, Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, paying supposed investment "returns" to earlier clients using money from new investors rather than any real trading profit. Account statements showing a combined value of roughly $65 billion were fabricated; the actual principal losses to real investors are estimated at around $17.5 billion. Madoff pleaded guilty to securities fraud and related charges in March 2009 and was sentenced that June to 150 years in federal prison. He died in prison in 2021. A court-appointed trustee has since recovered and distributed over $4 billion to victims.

Sam Bankman-Fried

Sam Bankman-Fried founded the cryptocurrency exchange FTX and the trading firm Alameda Research, and secretly funneled roughly $8 billion in FTX customers' deposits to Alameda to cover its losses, fund risky investments, and support a lavish lifestyle, while telling customers and investors their funds were safe. FTX collapsed into bankruptcy in November 2022. A federal jury convicted Bankman-Fried in November 2023 on seven counts including wire fraud and conspiracy, and he was sentenced in March 2024 to 25 years in federal prison.

Billy McFarland

Billy McFarland promoted the 2017 Fyre Festival as a luxury music festival on a private Bahamian island; attendees who paid thousands of dollars arrived to find unfinished tents, no real performances, and inadequate food and security. McFarland had raised the event's funding by defrauding investors of roughly $26 million using falsified financial documents. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud in 2018 and was sentenced that October to 6 years in federal prison; he was later charged again for running a fraudulent ticket resale scheme while out on bail.

Elizabeth Holmes

Elizabeth Holmes founded Theranos, a blood-testing startup, and raised hundreds of millions of dollars from investors by falsely claiming its technology could run comprehensive lab tests from a few drops of blood. In practice, the devices produced unreliable results and the company secretly relied on standard commercial lab equipment. Holmes was convicted by a federal jury in January 2022 on multiple counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud against investors, and was sentenced in November 2022 to more than 11 years in federal prison.

Anna Sorokin

Anna Sorokin, using the alias "Anna Delvey" and posing as a wealthy German heiress, deceived banks, hotels, and acquaintances in New York City into extending credit, waiving bills, and covering expenses she never intended to pay — total losses of roughly $275,000. A Manhattan jury convicted her in 2019 of grand larceny and theft of services, and she was sentenced to 4 to 12 years in state prison. Her story was later dramatized in the Netflix series "Inventing Anna."

Bernie Madoff

Bernard "Bernie" Madoff ran the largest Ponzi scheme in history through his investment firm, Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, paying supposed investment "returns" to earlier clients using money from new investors rather than any real trading profit. Account statements showing a combined value of roughly $65 billion were fabricated; the actual principal losses to real investors are estimated at around $17.5 billion. Madoff pleaded guilty to securities fraud and related charges in March 2009 and was sentenced that June to 150 years in federal prison. He died in prison in 2021. A court-appointed trustee has since recovered and distributed over $4 billion to victims.

Sam Bankman-Fried

Sam Bankman-Fried founded the cryptocurrency exchange FTX and the trading firm Alameda Research, and secretly funneled roughly $8 billion in FTX customers' deposits to Alameda to cover its losses, fund risky investments, and support a lavish lifestyle, while telling customers and investors their funds were safe. FTX collapsed into bankruptcy in November 2022. A federal jury convicted Bankman-Fried in November 2023 on seven counts including wire fraud and conspiracy, and he was sentenced in March 2024 to 25 years in federal prison.

Billy McFarland

Billy McFarland promoted the 2017 Fyre Festival as a luxury music festival on a private Bahamian island; attendees who paid thousands of dollars arrived to find unfinished tents, no real performances, and inadequate food and security. McFarland had raised the event's funding by defrauding investors of roughly $26 million using falsified financial documents. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud in 2018 and was sentenced that October to 6 years in federal prison; he was later charged again for running a fraudulent ticket resale scheme while out on bail.

Elizabeth Holmes

Elizabeth Holmes founded Theranos, a blood-testing startup, and raised hundreds of millions of dollars from investors by falsely claiming its technology could run comprehensive lab tests from a few drops of blood. In practice, the devices produced unreliable results and the company secretly relied on standard commercial lab equipment. Holmes was convicted by a federal jury in January 2022 on multiple counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud against investors, and was sentenced in November 2022 to more than 11 years in federal prison.

Anna Sorokin

Anna Sorokin, using the alias "Anna Delvey" and posing as a wealthy German heiress, deceived banks, hotels, and acquaintances in New York City into extending credit, waiving bills, and covering expenses she never intended to pay — total losses of roughly $275,000. A Manhattan jury convicted her in 2019 of grand larceny and theft of services, and she was sentenced to 4 to 12 years in state prison. Her story was later dramatized in the Netflix series "Inventing Anna."

Bernie Madoff

Bernard "Bernie" Madoff ran the largest Ponzi scheme in history through his investment firm, Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, paying supposed investment "returns" to earlier clients using money from new investors rather than any real trading profit. Account statements showing a combined value of roughly $65 billion were fabricated; the actual principal losses to real investors are estimated at around $17.5 billion. Madoff pleaded guilty to securities fraud and related charges in March 2009 and was sentenced that June to 150 years in federal prison. He died in prison in 2021. A court-appointed trustee has since recovered and distributed over $4 billion to victims.

Sam Bankman-Fried

Sam Bankman-Fried founded the cryptocurrency exchange FTX and the trading firm Alameda Research, and secretly funneled roughly $8 billion in FTX customers' deposits to Alameda to cover its losses, fund risky investments, and support a lavish lifestyle, while telling customers and investors their funds were safe. FTX collapsed into bankruptcy in November 2022. A federal jury convicted Bankman-Fried in November 2023 on seven counts including wire fraud and conspiracy, and he was sentenced in March 2024 to 25 years in federal prison.

Billy McFarland

Billy McFarland promoted the 2017 Fyre Festival as a luxury music festival on a private Bahamian island; attendees who paid thousands of dollars arrived to find unfinished tents, no real performances, and inadequate food and security. McFarland had raised the event's funding by defrauding investors of roughly $26 million using falsified financial documents. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud in 2018 and was sentenced that October to 6 years in federal prison; he was later charged again for running a fraudulent ticket resale scheme while out on bail.

Elizabeth Holmes

Elizabeth Holmes founded Theranos, a blood-testing startup, and raised hundreds of millions of dollars from investors by falsely claiming its technology could run comprehensive lab tests from a few drops of blood. In practice, the devices produced unreliable results and the company secretly relied on standard commercial lab equipment. Holmes was convicted by a federal jury in January 2022 on multiple counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud against investors, and was sentenced in November 2022 to more than 11 years in federal prison.

Anna Sorokin

Anna Sorokin, using the alias "Anna Delvey" and posing as a wealthy German heiress, deceived banks, hotels, and acquaintances in New York City into extending credit, waiving bills, and covering expenses she never intended to pay — total losses of roughly $275,000. A Manhattan jury convicted her in 2019 of grand larceny and theft of services, and she was sentenced to 4 to 12 years in state prison. Her story was later dramatized in the Netflix series "Inventing Anna."

Bernie Madoff

Bernard "Bernie" Madoff ran the largest Ponzi scheme in history through his investment firm, Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, paying supposed investment "returns" to earlier clients using money from new investors rather than any real trading profit. Account statements showing a combined value of roughly $65 billion were fabricated; the actual principal losses to real investors are estimated at around $17.5 billion. Madoff pleaded guilty to securities fraud and related charges in March 2009 and was sentenced that June to 150 years in federal prison. He died in prison in 2021. A court-appointed trustee has since recovered and distributed over $4 billion to victims.

Sam Bankman-Fried

Sam Bankman-Fried founded the cryptocurrency exchange FTX and the trading firm Alameda Research, and secretly funneled roughly $8 billion in FTX customers' deposits to Alameda to cover its losses, fund risky investments, and support a lavish lifestyle, while telling customers and investors their funds were safe. FTX collapsed into bankruptcy in November 2022. A federal jury convicted Bankman-Fried in November 2023 on seven counts including wire fraud and conspiracy, and he was sentenced in March 2024 to 25 years in federal prison.

Billy McFarland

Billy McFarland promoted the 2017 Fyre Festival as a luxury music festival on a private Bahamian island; attendees who paid thousands of dollars arrived to find unfinished tents, no real performances, and inadequate food and security. McFarland had raised the event's funding by defrauding investors of roughly $26 million using falsified financial documents. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud in 2018 and was sentenced that October to 6 years in federal prison; he was later charged again for running a fraudulent ticket resale scheme while out on bail.

Elizabeth Holmes

Elizabeth Holmes founded Theranos, a blood-testing startup, and raised hundreds of millions of dollars from investors by falsely claiming its technology could run comprehensive lab tests from a few drops of blood. In practice, the devices produced unreliable results and the company secretly relied on standard commercial lab equipment. Holmes was convicted by a federal jury in January 2022 on multiple counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud against investors, and was sentenced in November 2022 to more than 11 years in federal prison.

Anna Sorokin

Anna Sorokin, using the alias "Anna Delvey" and posing as a wealthy German heiress, deceived banks, hotels, and acquaintances in New York City into extending credit, waiving bills, and covering expenses she never intended to pay — total losses of roughly $275,000. A Manhattan jury convicted her in 2019 of grand larceny and theft of services, and she was sentenced to 4 to 12 years in state prison. Her story was later dramatized in the Netflix series "Inventing Anna."

Bernie Madoff

Bernard "Bernie" Madoff ran the largest Ponzi scheme in history through his investment firm, Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, paying supposed investment "returns" to earlier clients using money from new investors rather than any real trading profit. Account statements showing a combined value of roughly $65 billion were fabricated; the actual principal losses to real investors are estimated at around $17.5 billion. Madoff pleaded guilty to securities fraud and related charges in March 2009 and was sentenced that June to 150 years in federal prison. He died in prison in 2021. A court-appointed trustee has since recovered and distributed over $4 billion to victims.

Sam Bankman-Fried

Sam Bankman-Fried founded the cryptocurrency exchange FTX and the trading firm Alameda Research, and secretly funneled roughly $8 billion in FTX customers' deposits to Alameda to cover its losses, fund risky investments, and support a lavish lifestyle, while telling customers and investors their funds were safe. FTX collapsed into bankruptcy in November 2022. A federal jury convicted Bankman-Fried in November 2023 on seven counts including wire fraud and conspiracy, and he was sentenced in March 2024 to 25 years in federal prison.

Billy McFarland

Billy McFarland promoted the 2017 Fyre Festival as a luxury music festival on a private Bahamian island; attendees who paid thousands of dollars arrived to find unfinished tents, no real performances, and inadequate food and security. McFarland had raised the event's funding by defrauding investors of roughly $26 million using falsified financial documents. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud in 2018 and was sentenced that October to 6 years in federal prison; he was later charged again for running a fraudulent ticket resale scheme while out on bail.

Elizabeth Holmes

Elizabeth Holmes founded Theranos, a blood-testing startup, and raised hundreds of millions of dollars from investors by falsely claiming its technology could run comprehensive lab tests from a few drops of blood. In practice, the devices produced unreliable results and the company secretly relied on standard commercial lab equipment. Holmes was convicted by a federal jury in January 2022 on multiple counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud against investors, and was sentenced in November 2022 to more than 11 years in federal prison.

Anna Sorokin

Anna Sorokin, using the alias "Anna Delvey" and posing as a wealthy German heiress, deceived banks, hotels, and acquaintances in New York City into extending credit, waiving bills, and covering expenses she never intended to pay — total losses of roughly $275,000. A Manhattan jury convicted her in 2019 of grand larceny and theft of services, and she was sentenced to 4 to 12 years in state prison. Her story was later dramatized in the Netflix series "Inventing Anna."

Bernie Madoff

Bernard "Bernie" Madoff ran the largest Ponzi scheme in history through his investment firm, Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, paying supposed investment "returns" to earlier clients using money from new investors rather than any real trading profit. Account statements showing a combined value of roughly $65 billion were fabricated; the actual principal losses to real investors are estimated at around $17.5 billion. Madoff pleaded guilty to securities fraud and related charges in March 2009 and was sentenced that June to 150 years in federal prison. He died in prison in 2021. A court-appointed trustee has since recovered and distributed over $4 billion to victims.

Sam Bankman-Fried

Sam Bankman-Fried founded the cryptocurrency exchange FTX and the trading firm Alameda Research, and secretly funneled roughly $8 billion in FTX customers' deposits to Alameda to cover its losses, fund risky investments, and support a lavish lifestyle, while telling customers and investors their funds were safe. FTX collapsed into bankruptcy in November 2022. A federal jury convicted Bankman-Fried in November 2023 on seven counts including wire fraud and conspiracy, and he was sentenced in March 2024 to 25 years in federal prison.

Billy McFarland

Billy McFarland promoted the 2017 Fyre Festival as a luxury music festival on a private Bahamian island; attendees who paid thousands of dollars arrived to find unfinished tents, no real performances, and inadequate food and security. McFarland had raised the event's funding by defrauding investors of roughly $26 million using falsified financial documents. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud in 2018 and was sentenced that October to 6 years in federal prison; he was later charged again for running a fraudulent ticket resale scheme while out on bail.

Billy McFarland

Billy McFarland promoted the 2017 Fyre Festival as a luxury music festival on a private Bahamian island; attendees who paid thousands of dollars arrived to find unfinished tents, no real performances, and inadequate food and security. McFarland had raised the event's funding by defrauding investors of roughly $26 million using falsified financial documents. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud in 2018 and was sentenced that October to 6 years in federal prison; he was later charged again for running a fraudulent ticket resale scheme while out on bail.

Sam Bankman-Fried

Sam Bankman-Fried founded the cryptocurrency exchange FTX and the trading firm Alameda Research, and secretly funneled roughly $8 billion in FTX customers' deposits to Alameda to cover its losses, fund risky investments, and support a lavish lifestyle, while telling customers and investors their funds were safe. FTX collapsed into bankruptcy in November 2022. A federal jury convicted Bankman-Fried in November 2023 on seven counts including wire fraud and conspiracy, and he was sentenced in March 2024 to 25 years in federal prison.

Elizabeth Holmes

Elizabeth Holmes founded Theranos, a blood-testing startup, and raised hundreds of millions of dollars from investors by falsely claiming its technology could run comprehensive lab tests from a few drops of blood. In practice, the devices produced unreliable results and the company secretly relied on standard commercial lab equipment. Holmes was convicted by a federal jury in January 2022 on multiple counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud against investors, and was sentenced in November 2022 to more than 11 years in federal prison.

Anna Sorokin

Anna Sorokin, using the alias "Anna Delvey" and posing as a wealthy German heiress, deceived banks, hotels, and acquaintances in New York City into extending credit, waiving bills, and covering expenses she never intended to pay — total losses of roughly $275,000. A Manhattan jury convicted her in 2019 of grand larceny and theft of services, and she was sentenced to 4 to 12 years in state prison. Her story was later dramatized in the Netflix series "Inventing Anna."

Bernie Madoff

Bernard "Bernie" Madoff ran the largest Ponzi scheme in history through his investment firm, Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, paying supposed investment "returns" to earlier clients using money from new investors rather than any real trading profit. Account statements showing a combined value of roughly $65 billion were fabricated; the actual principal losses to real investors are estimated at around $17.5 billion. Madoff pleaded guilty to securities fraud and related charges in March 2009 and was sentenced that June to 150 years in federal prison. He died in prison in 2021. A court-appointed trustee has since recovered and distributed over $4 billion to victims.

Billy McFarland

Billy McFarland promoted the 2017 Fyre Festival as a luxury music festival on a private Bahamian island; attendees who paid thousands of dollars arrived to find unfinished tents, no real performances, and inadequate food and security. McFarland had raised the event's funding by defrauding investors of roughly $26 million using falsified financial documents. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud in 2018 and was sentenced that October to 6 years in federal prison; he was later charged again for running a fraudulent ticket resale scheme while out on bail.

Sam Bankman-Fried

Sam Bankman-Fried founded the cryptocurrency exchange FTX and the trading firm Alameda Research, and secretly funneled roughly $8 billion in FTX customers' deposits to Alameda to cover its losses, fund risky investments, and support a lavish lifestyle, while telling customers and investors their funds were safe. FTX collapsed into bankruptcy in November 2022. A federal jury convicted Bankman-Fried in November 2023 on seven counts including wire fraud and conspiracy, and he was sentenced in March 2024 to 25 years in federal prison.

Elizabeth Holmes

Elizabeth Holmes founded Theranos, a blood-testing startup, and raised hundreds of millions of dollars from investors by falsely claiming its technology could run comprehensive lab tests from a few drops of blood. In practice, the devices produced unreliable results and the company secretly relied on standard commercial lab equipment. Holmes was convicted by a federal jury in January 2022 on multiple counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud against investors, and was sentenced in November 2022 to more than 11 years in federal prison.

Anna Sorokin

Anna Sorokin, using the alias "Anna Delvey" and posing as a wealthy German heiress, deceived banks, hotels, and acquaintances in New York City into extending credit, waiving bills, and covering expenses she never intended to pay — total losses of roughly $275,000. A Manhattan jury convicted her in 2019 of grand larceny and theft of services, and she was sentenced to 4 to 12 years in state prison. Her story was later dramatized in the Netflix series "Inventing Anna."

Bernie Madoff

Bernard "Bernie" Madoff ran the largest Ponzi scheme in history through his investment firm, Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, paying supposed investment "returns" to earlier clients using money from new investors rather than any real trading profit. Account statements showing a combined value of roughly $65 billion were fabricated; the actual principal losses to real investors are estimated at around $17.5 billion. Madoff pleaded guilty to securities fraud and related charges in March 2009 and was sentenced that June to 150 years in federal prison. He died in prison in 2021. A court-appointed trustee has since recovered and distributed over $4 billion to victims.

Billy McFarland

Billy McFarland promoted the 2017 Fyre Festival as a luxury music festival on a private Bahamian island; attendees who paid thousands of dollars arrived to find unfinished tents, no real performances, and inadequate food and security. McFarland had raised the event's funding by defrauding investors of roughly $26 million using falsified financial documents. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud in 2018 and was sentenced that October to 6 years in federal prison; he was later charged again for running a fraudulent ticket resale scheme while out on bail.

Sam Bankman-Fried

Sam Bankman-Fried founded the cryptocurrency exchange FTX and the trading firm Alameda Research, and secretly funneled roughly $8 billion in FTX customers' deposits to Alameda to cover its losses, fund risky investments, and support a lavish lifestyle, while telling customers and investors their funds were safe. FTX collapsed into bankruptcy in November 2022. A federal jury convicted Bankman-Fried in November 2023 on seven counts including wire fraud and conspiracy, and he was sentenced in March 2024 to 25 years in federal prison.

Elizabeth Holmes

Elizabeth Holmes founded Theranos, a blood-testing startup, and raised hundreds of millions of dollars from investors by falsely claiming its technology could run comprehensive lab tests from a few drops of blood. In practice, the devices produced unreliable results and the company secretly relied on standard commercial lab equipment. Holmes was convicted by a federal jury in January 2022 on multiple counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud against investors, and was sentenced in November 2022 to more than 11 years in federal prison.

Anna Sorokin

Anna Sorokin, using the alias "Anna Delvey" and posing as a wealthy German heiress, deceived banks, hotels, and acquaintances in New York City into extending credit, waiving bills, and covering expenses she never intended to pay — total losses of roughly $275,000. A Manhattan jury convicted her in 2019 of grand larceny and theft of services, and she was sentenced to 4 to 12 years in state prison. Her story was later dramatized in the Netflix series "Inventing Anna."

Bernie Madoff

Bernard "Bernie" Madoff ran the largest Ponzi scheme in history through his investment firm, Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, paying supposed investment "returns" to earlier clients using money from new investors rather than any real trading profit. Account statements showing a combined value of roughly $65 billion were fabricated; the actual principal losses to real investors are estimated at around $17.5 billion. Madoff pleaded guilty to securities fraud and related charges in March 2009 and was sentenced that June to 150 years in federal prison. He died in prison in 2021. A court-appointed trustee has since recovered and distributed over $4 billion to victims.

Billy McFarland

Billy McFarland promoted the 2017 Fyre Festival as a luxury music festival on a private Bahamian island; attendees who paid thousands of dollars arrived to find unfinished tents, no real performances, and inadequate food and security. McFarland had raised the event's funding by defrauding investors of roughly $26 million using falsified financial documents. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud in 2018 and was sentenced that October to 6 years in federal prison; he was later charged again for running a fraudulent ticket resale scheme while out on bail.

Sam Bankman-Fried

Sam Bankman-Fried founded the cryptocurrency exchange FTX and the trading firm Alameda Research, and secretly funneled roughly $8 billion in FTX customers' deposits to Alameda to cover its losses, fund risky investments, and support a lavish lifestyle, while telling customers and investors their funds were safe. FTX collapsed into bankruptcy in November 2022. A federal jury convicted Bankman-Fried in November 2023 on seven counts including wire fraud and conspiracy, and he was sentenced in March 2024 to 25 years in federal prison.

Elizabeth Holmes

Elizabeth Holmes founded Theranos, a blood-testing startup, and raised hundreds of millions of dollars from investors by falsely claiming its technology could run comprehensive lab tests from a few drops of blood. In practice, the devices produced unreliable results and the company secretly relied on standard commercial lab equipment. Holmes was convicted by a federal jury in January 2022 on multiple counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud against investors, and was sentenced in November 2022 to more than 11 years in federal prison.

Anna Sorokin

Anna Sorokin, using the alias "Anna Delvey" and posing as a wealthy German heiress, deceived banks, hotels, and acquaintances in New York City into extending credit, waiving bills, and covering expenses she never intended to pay — total losses of roughly $275,000. A Manhattan jury convicted her in 2019 of grand larceny and theft of services, and she was sentenced to 4 to 12 years in state prison. Her story was later dramatized in the Netflix series "Inventing Anna."

Bernie Madoff

Bernard "Bernie" Madoff ran the largest Ponzi scheme in history through his investment firm, Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, paying supposed investment "returns" to earlier clients using money from new investors rather than any real trading profit. Account statements showing a combined value of roughly $65 billion were fabricated; the actual principal losses to real investors are estimated at around $17.5 billion. Madoff pleaded guilty to securities fraud and related charges in March 2009 and was sentenced that June to 150 years in federal prison. He died in prison in 2021. A court-appointed trustee has since recovered and distributed over $4 billion to victims.

Billy McFarland

Billy McFarland promoted the 2017 Fyre Festival as a luxury music festival on a private Bahamian island; attendees who paid thousands of dollars arrived to find unfinished tents, no real performances, and inadequate food and security. McFarland had raised the event's funding by defrauding investors of roughly $26 million using falsified financial documents. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud in 2018 and was sentenced that October to 6 years in federal prison; he was later charged again for running a fraudulent ticket resale scheme while out on bail.

Sam Bankman-Fried

Sam Bankman-Fried founded the cryptocurrency exchange FTX and the trading firm Alameda Research, and secretly funneled roughly $8 billion in FTX customers' deposits to Alameda to cover its losses, fund risky investments, and support a lavish lifestyle, while telling customers and investors their funds were safe. FTX collapsed into bankruptcy in November 2022. A federal jury convicted Bankman-Fried in November 2023 on seven counts including wire fraud and conspiracy, and he was sentenced in March 2024 to 25 years in federal prison.

Elizabeth Holmes

Elizabeth Holmes founded Theranos, a blood-testing startup, and raised hundreds of millions of dollars from investors by falsely claiming its technology could run comprehensive lab tests from a few drops of blood. In practice, the devices produced unreliable results and the company secretly relied on standard commercial lab equipment. Holmes was convicted by a federal jury in January 2022 on multiple counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud against investors, and was sentenced in November 2022 to more than 11 years in federal prison.

Anna Sorokin

Anna Sorokin, using the alias "Anna Delvey" and posing as a wealthy German heiress, deceived banks, hotels, and acquaintances in New York City into extending credit, waiving bills, and covering expenses she never intended to pay — total losses of roughly $275,000. A Manhattan jury convicted her in 2019 of grand larceny and theft of services, and she was sentenced to 4 to 12 years in state prison. Her story was later dramatized in the Netflix series "Inventing Anna."

Bernie Madoff

Bernard "Bernie" Madoff ran the largest Ponzi scheme in history through his investment firm, Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, paying supposed investment "returns" to earlier clients using money from new investors rather than any real trading profit. Account statements showing a combined value of roughly $65 billion were fabricated; the actual principal losses to real investors are estimated at around $17.5 billion. Madoff pleaded guilty to securities fraud and related charges in March 2009 and was sentenced that June to 150 years in federal prison. He died in prison in 2021. A court-appointed trustee has since recovered and distributed over $4 billion to victims.

Billy McFarland

Billy McFarland promoted the 2017 Fyre Festival as a luxury music festival on a private Bahamian island; attendees who paid thousands of dollars arrived to find unfinished tents, no real performances, and inadequate food and security. McFarland had raised the event's funding by defrauding investors of roughly $26 million using falsified financial documents. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud in 2018 and was sentenced that October to 6 years in federal prison; he was later charged again for running a fraudulent ticket resale scheme while out on bail.

Sam Bankman-Fried

Sam Bankman-Fried founded the cryptocurrency exchange FTX and the trading firm Alameda Research, and secretly funneled roughly $8 billion in FTX customers' deposits to Alameda to cover its losses, fund risky investments, and support a lavish lifestyle, while telling customers and investors their funds were safe. FTX collapsed into bankruptcy in November 2022. A federal jury convicted Bankman-Fried in November 2023 on seven counts including wire fraud and conspiracy, and he was sentenced in March 2024 to 25 years in federal prison.

Elizabeth Holmes

Elizabeth Holmes founded Theranos, a blood-testing startup, and raised hundreds of millions of dollars from investors by falsely claiming its technology could run comprehensive lab tests from a few drops of blood. In practice, the devices produced unreliable results and the company secretly relied on standard commercial lab equipment. Holmes was convicted by a federal jury in January 2022 on multiple counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud against investors, and was sentenced in November 2022 to more than 11 years in federal prison.

Anna Sorokin

Anna Sorokin, using the alias "Anna Delvey" and posing as a wealthy German heiress, deceived banks, hotels, and acquaintances in New York City into extending credit, waiving bills, and covering expenses she never intended to pay — total losses of roughly $275,000. A Manhattan jury convicted her in 2019 of grand larceny and theft of services, and she was sentenced to 4 to 12 years in state prison. Her story was later dramatized in the Netflix series "Inventing Anna."

Bernie Madoff

Bernard "Bernie" Madoff ran the largest Ponzi scheme in history through his investment firm, Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, paying supposed investment "returns" to earlier clients using money from new investors rather than any real trading profit. Account statements showing a combined value of roughly $65 billion were fabricated; the actual principal losses to real investors are estimated at around $17.5 billion. Madoff pleaded guilty to securities fraud and related charges in March 2009 and was sentenced that June to 150 years in federal prison. He died in prison in 2021. A court-appointed trustee has since recovered and distributed over $4 billion to victims.

Billy McFarland

Billy McFarland promoted the 2017 Fyre Festival as a luxury music festival on a private Bahamian island; attendees who paid thousands of dollars arrived to find unfinished tents, no real performances, and inadequate food and security. McFarland had raised the event's funding by defrauding investors of roughly $26 million using falsified financial documents. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud in 2018 and was sentenced that October to 6 years in federal prison; he was later charged again for running a fraudulent ticket resale scheme while out on bail.

Sam Bankman-Fried

Sam Bankman-Fried founded the cryptocurrency exchange FTX and the trading firm Alameda Research, and secretly funneled roughly $8 billion in FTX customers' deposits to Alameda to cover its losses, fund risky investments, and support a lavish lifestyle, while telling customers and investors their funds were safe. FTX collapsed into bankruptcy in November 2022. A federal jury convicted Bankman-Fried in November 2023 on seven counts including wire fraud and conspiracy, and he was sentenced in March 2024 to 25 years in federal prison.

Elizabeth Holmes

Elizabeth Holmes founded Theranos, a blood-testing startup, and raised hundreds of millions of dollars from investors by falsely claiming its technology could run comprehensive lab tests from a few drops of blood. In practice, the devices produced unreliable results and the company secretly relied on standard commercial lab equipment. Holmes was convicted by a federal jury in January 2022 on multiple counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud against investors, and was sentenced in November 2022 to more than 11 years in federal prison.

Anna Sorokin

Anna Sorokin, using the alias "Anna Delvey" and posing as a wealthy German heiress, deceived banks, hotels, and acquaintances in New York City into extending credit, waiving bills, and covering expenses she never intended to pay — total losses of roughly $275,000. A Manhattan jury convicted her in 2019 of grand larceny and theft of services, and she was sentenced to 4 to 12 years in state prison. Her story was later dramatized in the Netflix series "Inventing Anna."

Bernie Madoff

Bernard "Bernie" Madoff ran the largest Ponzi scheme in history through his investment firm, Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, paying supposed investment "returns" to earlier clients using money from new investors rather than any real trading profit. Account statements showing a combined value of roughly $65 billion were fabricated; the actual principal losses to real investors are estimated at around $17.5 billion. Madoff pleaded guilty to securities fraud and related charges in March 2009 and was sentenced that June to 150 years in federal prison. He died in prison in 2021. A court-appointed trustee has since recovered and distributed over $4 billion to victims.

Billy McFarland

Billy McFarland promoted the 2017 Fyre Festival as a luxury music festival on a private Bahamian island; attendees who paid thousands of dollars arrived to find unfinished tents, no real performances, and inadequate food and security. McFarland had raised the event's funding by defrauding investors of roughly $26 million using falsified financial documents. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud in 2018 and was sentenced that October to 6 years in federal prison; he was later charged again for running a fraudulent ticket resale scheme while out on bail.

Sam Bankman-Fried

Sam Bankman-Fried founded the cryptocurrency exchange FTX and the trading firm Alameda Research, and secretly funneled roughly $8 billion in FTX customers' deposits to Alameda to cover its losses, fund risky investments, and support a lavish lifestyle, while telling customers and investors their funds were safe. FTX collapsed into bankruptcy in November 2022. A federal jury convicted Bankman-Fried in November 2023 on seven counts including wire fraud and conspiracy, and he was sentenced in March 2024 to 25 years in federal prison.

Elizabeth Holmes

Elizabeth Holmes founded Theranos, a blood-testing startup, and raised hundreds of millions of dollars from investors by falsely claiming its technology could run comprehensive lab tests from a few drops of blood. In practice, the devices produced unreliable results and the company secretly relied on standard commercial lab equipment. Holmes was convicted by a federal jury in January 2022 on multiple counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud against investors, and was sentenced in November 2022 to more than 11 years in federal prison.

Anna Sorokin

Anna Sorokin, using the alias "Anna Delvey" and posing as a wealthy German heiress, deceived banks, hotels, and acquaintances in New York City into extending credit, waiving bills, and covering expenses she never intended to pay — total losses of roughly $275,000. A Manhattan jury convicted her in 2019 of grand larceny and theft of services, and she was sentenced to 4 to 12 years in state prison. Her story was later dramatized in the Netflix series "Inventing Anna."

Bernie Madoff

Bernard "Bernie" Madoff ran the largest Ponzi scheme in history through his investment firm, Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, paying supposed investment "returns" to earlier clients using money from new investors rather than any real trading profit. Account statements showing a combined value of roughly $65 billion were fabricated; the actual principal losses to real investors are estimated at around $17.5 billion. Madoff pleaded guilty to securities fraud and related charges in March 2009 and was sentenced that June to 150 years in federal prison. He died in prison in 2021. A court-appointed trustee has since recovered and distributed over $4 billion to victims.