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34 Facts About Cults, Schemes and Charismatic Conmen

If you’re easily influenced, you better skip this list

34 Facts About Cults, Schemes and Charismatic Conmen

October 31, 2023

You know the feeling: You’re researching cults for an upcoming film project, and you stop to think, “Hmm, this sounds a lot like the intense clique I’m involved in.”

That’s exactly how Michelle Pfeiffer came to the realization that she was literally in a cult and needed to get out, quick. It wasn’t her fault. Breatharianism sounds like a blast! You’ll see what we're talking about below...

34

CRACKED.COM In 1998, NFL player Fred Taylor handed over his $3.6 million signing bonus to his agent William Tank Black. Black then invested the money in a pyramid scheme and lost it all. — Source

33

Bernie Madoff

CRACKED COM 9 LEY CF T EY C FO John Malkovich and Larry King lost $1.7M and $700,000, respectively, to Bernie Madoff's investing scheme. King was fortunate enough to get all of his money back, while Malkovich only got $508,000 back, which he claimed ruined him financially. — Source

32

ES UNION A ES OF 2950 7 ARATESTA ICE EL DEV OP Kg 35926 12 2) L L 0582 Benjamin Ackerman scammed 620 his way 12 into a number of famous people's OEAME houses, including Usher and Adam L3 Lambert, by pretending to be a realtor. After casing the houses, he came back worth millions of dollars. and stole thousands of high-end stuff 12 CRACKED COM — Source

31

GRACKED.COM Jerry Seinfeld was hoodwinked by a shady accountant. Seinfeld gave him an envelope with thousands of dollars in it, the accountant spent it all on drugs. — Source

30

CRACKED BREAKING INTO THE FBI (BY ASKING POLITELY) BT FBY FBI FBI FBI F In 1971, the Citizens' Commission to Investigate the FBI managed to get into an FBI office by leaving a note on the door asking them not to lock it for the night. Man, the FBI is so much more badass in movies. — Source

29

CRACKED OPERATING A FAKE US EMBASSY A fake US embassy in Ghana was open for around 10 years, and gave out a lot of fake and stolen visas before it was closed. You really have to hand it to the scammers for their consistency and dedication. — Source

28

CRACKED GIOVANNI DI STEFANO WAS THE (FAKE) LAWYER TO THE (EVIL) STARS. Не presented himself as a lawyer to the likes of Saddam Hussein and Slobodan Milošević, earning himself the nickname the Devil's Advocate before it was revealed that he had zero legal credentials in addition to scruples. — Source

27

CRACKED THE FOX SISTERS HELD PHONY SEANCES. They swindled untold numbers of people during the 19th-century Spiritualism movement and were even authenticated by skeptics, none of whom could figure out that they were just cracking their joints to make otherworldly sounds. — Source

26

CRACKED MANUEL ELIZALDE PAID PEOPLE TO ACT AS A STONE AGE TRIBE. Не even fooled National Geographic before abruptly cutting off media contact to the supposed Tasaday tribe, who he said had lived in isolation for 1,000 years, until a journalist sneaked in and found them living in normal houses and wearing normal clothes. — Source

25

CRACKED MARK PEDLEY CREATED A FAKE COUNTRY. The Dominion of Melchizedek pretty much only existed to perpetuate massive bank fraud. Even the former president of Portugal's brother was taken in by a loan scam based in the country, which was located in several different areas over the years. — Source

24

CRACKED BORIS SKOSSYREFF SCAMMED HIS WAY INTO ROYALTY. Though only a minor noble, he insisted he was the rightful ruler of Andorra. His claim was extremely dubious, but they voted him in as king anyway. Of course, he was immediately deposed, but man, that's pretty baller. — Source

23

CRACKED ALEXANDER OF ABONOTEICHUS CONVINCED PEOPLE TO WORSHIP HIS PET SNAKE. Не handed out prophecies, including to some highly influential people, that he claimed came from his snake, who wore a wig. Honestly, it was Ancient Greece -- it was far from the weirdest way society was governed. — Source

22

CRACKED MARK HOFMANN PITTED AN ENTIRE RELIGION AGAINST ITSELF. Не sold forged documents proving their mythology to the Mormon church, and when they stopped paying, he started selling to a splinter sect instead. Не eventually just started killing people to create a diversion from his scams, which, well... you can't say it didn't work. — Source

21

CRACKED M UNKNOWN PRANK CALLER In 2004, an 18-year-old McDonald's worker was tricked into taking off her clothes while she was on the job. Somebody pretending to be a cop called her store manager and told them to strip-search the worker, and the manager obeyed. — Source

20

CRACKED SONY PIERRE BRASSARD In October 1995, Queen Elizabeth II was tricked into thinking she was talking to the Canadian Prime Minister... but really it was a radio host trolling her for 17 minutes. She agreed to give a speech on TV asking for everyone in Quebec to come together. — Source

19

CRACKED ANTI-SCAMMERS A group of people who like to play tricks on scammers managed to get a Nigerian scammer to write out, by hand, the entire 293-page Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets book in the (false) hope of eventually getting money from the group. — Source

18

Scam Artists

CRACKED ROBERT HENDY-FREEGARD This 34-year old car salesman tricked seven people into thinking he was a secret agent for MI5. Не made them run away from supposed terrorists, stole from them, and made them beg and borrow money to pay for his fancy lifestyle. — Source

17

CRACKED GUY GABALDON Gabaldon, a Marine Private First Class, single-handedly talked over 1,000 Japanese soldiers into surrendering during the World War II fight for Saipan. Time and again, he'd go behind enemy lines and just get enemies to surrender. — Source

16

CRACKED VICTOR LUSTIG Victor Lustig, nicknamed The Count, tricked a scrap-metal dealer into buying the Eiffel Tower. Не also sold a lot of money boxes to people who thought it could make perfect copies of $100 bills. — Source

15

CRACKED DAVID DENG Deng tricked over 100 Chinese nationals into believing they were part of an elite U.S. special forces unit. Не charged people who wanted to join his army a fee of between $300 and $450, and gave himself the rank of supreme commander. — Source

14

SHADY TIES DETROIT AND SADDAM HUSSEIN After Reverend Jacob Yasso of Chaldean Sacred Heart congratulated Saddam on his presidency in 1979, Saddam gave his church $250,000. Yasso presented Saddam with the key to Detroit city, courtesy of then-Mayor Coleman Young. CRACKED — Source

13

SHADY TIES JOHN KERRY AND JEFFREY EPSTEIN 2004's Democratic Presidential nominee and current Presidential Envoy for Climate, Kerry was found in Epstein's private phone book and flight logs. CRACKED — Source

12

SHADY TIES DENNIS RODMAN AND KIM JONG-UN Rodman has visited the North Korean dictator several times since 2013, calling Kim a friend for life. Не has even defended North Korea's infringement on human rights. CRACKED — Source

11

CRACKED SHADY TIES THE BEACH BOYS so VENTURA CAL 47623 AND CHARLES MANSON 22 APR 1968 Manson supplied Dennis Wilson with girls and drugs, and was a frequent guest in his home. One of Manson's disciples even babysat Mike Love's children. — Source

10

CRACKED SHADY TIES MICHELLE PFEIFFER AND THE BREATHARIANS The group claims to get all their nourishment from the sun. They were very controlling, Pfeiffer said. I had to pay for all the time I was there, so it was financially draining. When researching cults for a film, she realized she was in one, and left. — Source

9

SHADY TIES HARVEY MILK AND JIM JONES When Jones (who conducted the mass-suicide of 918 people) was getting bad publicity, Milk wrote a letter to President Jimmy Carter, praising the cult leader and the work he was doing. They left that out of the Milk biopic. CRACKED — Source

8

SHADY TIES NEIL YOUNG so VENTURA CAL 47623 AND CHARLES MANSON 22 A P R 1968 Manson had dreams of a music career, and Young really supported him. Impressed by Manson's improvised lyrics, Young suggested his work to record exec Mo Ostin. CRACKED — Source

7

Patricia and David Arquette CRACKED.COM The Arquettes grew up in a Vermont commune co-founded by their parents, called Skymont Subud. It was a utopian society that somehow didn't include electricity, running water, or really any modern bathroom technology whatsoever. — Source

6

Rose McGowan CRACKED.COM McGowan grew up in an Italian Children of God commune. She escaped at age 9, before she personally experienced any funny business, but says women existed in the cult solely to serve the men sexually. — Source

5

Keira Maguire CRACKED.COM Maguire, who was on The Bachelor (Australia) in 2016, says her own father founded The Seaside Sect, a polygamous cult in Victoria. Her mother, one of 9 sister wives, got them the hell out of there when Keira was 5. — Source

4

Jaden and Willow Smith GRACKED COM In 2014, the Smiths ... along with some other influencer types --started a group called The Orgonite Society, or A Secret Society Of Individuals Who Create And Place Orgonite To Balance Gaia's Energies. Besides playing with rocks, the group also dabbles in the teachings of the The Sex Guru, that horny li'l freak from Wild, Wild, Country. — Source

3

Winona Ryder rry 19-19.10 to CRAGKED.COM She spent three years of her childhood, starting at age 7, living on the Rainbow Family Commune -- a 300-acre plot with no electricity. She credits her mother secretly showing her movies in a barn for sparking her interest in acting. — Source

2

1

Andrew Keegan Andrew Keegan, on the other hand, absolutely has his own cult, with its own California temple and every- thing. Their beliefs are vague, rely- ing heavily on crystals and illegal kombucha, but what all the inner circle members can agree on is that Keegan has a knack for attracting and enlightening followers thank to his vortex of vibes, which is hippie for big dick energy. CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW — Source

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