Just too good to be true? The most famous scams of all time

The critically acclaimed ‘Can You Ever Forgive Me?’ has put confidence tricks back in the spotlight. Robert Hume looks back at some of the most famous scams.

An email from a well-known courier, telling you that your invoice: “is ready to be paid now”, even though you haven’t shipped any packages; messages about PayPal and Apple transactions you’ve not made; an “attorney” offering to represent you as the only surviving relative of a dead man who has left a fortune. A phone call from the “technical department” of your wifi provider, warning there’s malware on your computer; one from an insurance company claiming: “a member of your family has recently been involved in an accident…”. Just a typical week for your average net and phone user.