Let’s face it: we’ve all been dishonest. Whether it’s a little fib or a deception to avoid embarrassment, dishonesty is something we’re all guilty of. Throughout history, however, there have been some truly infamous instances of blatant deception that have had serious consequences. From fabrications and cover-ups to outright falsehoods, these acts of dishonesty have affected both individuals and society as a whole.
Take a look back and explore some of these shocking lies and the impact they’ve had.
The biggest Ponzi scheme in history ever
Bernie Madoff, an investment adviser and financier, made a startling revelation that profoundly impacted global stock markets. He admitted to orchestrating the largest Ponzi scheme ever recorded, as well as the most substantial financial deception in the history of the United States. His unlawful actions resulted in the loss of billions of dollars for countless investors. In 2009, Madoff received a prison sentence of 150 years, and he passed away in April 2021 while serving his term.
“Unsinkable!”
Shipbuilders Harland and Wollf did not assert the unsinkable nature of RMS Titanic when it was launched on May 31, 1911. Nevertheless, when White Star Line officials learned about the ship’s predicament after colliding with an iceberg on April 15, 1912, during its inaugural voyage, Vice President P.A.S. Franklin reportedly expressed “We place absolute confidence in the Titanic. We believe the boat is unsinkable.” Ultimately, the ship’s sinking resulted in the tragic loss of over 1,500 lives.
Trojan horse
One of Antiquity’s most enduring myths is the story about the subterfuge that the Greeks used to enter Troy. They built a huge wooden horse and hid a select force of men inside. The Trojans, believing it was a victory trophy left by their defeated foe, pulled the horse into their city. After dark, the Greek force crept out of the horse and opened the gates for the rest of the Greek Army. Today, a malicious computer program that tricks users into running it is called a “Trojan horse.”
Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD
In 2003, the United States, along with the United Kingdom and other coalition forces, invaded Iraq after concluding that the country, under Saddam Hussein’s leadership, had an existing weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) program. However, no evidence of WMD stockpiles or an ongoing program was discovered in Iraq.
The Berlin Wall
In June 1961, East German head of state Walter Ulbricht insisted that “Nobody has the intention of building a wall”. However, just two months later, construction on the Berlin Wall began. This wall came to represent division and oppression until its eventual demolition in 1989.
Royal resemblance
Anna Anderson, seen in the picture, asserted that she was Anastasia, the youngest daughter of the Romanov family. This family consisted of Russian tsar Nicholas II, the empress, and their five children, who were executed in 1918 by Bolshevik revolutionaries. In 1921, this woman who resembled Anastasia was admitted to a hospital, stating that she was the daughter who managed to escape the massacre. In a failed attempt to validate her claim, she filed a lawsuit in 1938. She passed away in 1984. Eventually, the remains of the Romanov family were found, and DNA testing revealed none of them matched Anderson’s. Subsequently, she was identified as a Polish factory worker named Franziska Schanzkowska.
Paul McCartney is dead!
In 1966, a popular urban legend emerged claiming that Paul McCartney had passed away in November of that year and had been substituted by a lookalike. The speculation gained more traction in 1969 with the release of ‘Abbey Road’: the album cover displayed the Beatle without shoes, out of sync with the other members of the band, which was interpreted as a representation of a deceased person. Additionally, the license plate on the Volkswagen in the photo featured the letters LMW 28IF, thought to symbolize McCartney’s age “if” he had survived.
Fraudster
Italian swindler Charles Ponzi is widely known for his enduring fraudulent scheme. In 1919, he devised a pyramid scheme centered on buying and selling international reply coupons. By luring investors with the promise of sky-high returns, Ponzi managed to con them into sending him millions of dollars. However, his scheme relied on using investments from later investors to pay off earlier ones. Thus, Ponzi’s operation was essentially a deceitful cycle.
Lip-syncing
German R&B duo Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus, known as Milli Vanilli, gained notoriety in the music industry in the late 1980s and early 1990s when it was discovered that they didn’t provide the actual vocals for their recorded music. The truth was exposed during a live MTV performance, where the pair were caught lip-syncing to their hit song ‘Girl You Know It’s True.’
Hit for six
The scandal, which continues to have an impact on the sports world today, involves certain individuals from the Chicago White Sox baseball team accepting a bribe to intentionally lose the 1919 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds. The bribe involved a significant amount of money, with estimates ranging up to US$100,000 (equivalent to approximately US$1.5 million in today’s currency).
Trumped!
Donald Trump’s tenure as president from January 2017 was marked by ongoing scrutiny from fact-checkers. One notable claim involved his inauguration, where he asserted that as many as 1.5 million individuals attended, boldly stating it was “the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, period.” However, subsequent investigations revealed this figure to be significantly exaggerated.
J’Accuse…
!©Getty ImagesAlfred Dreyfus, a Jewish officer in the French army during the late 19th century, faced allegations of selling military secrets to Germany. Following a conviction, Dreyfus spent five years in prison on Devil’s Island. However, it was later discovered that his accusation had stemmed from a false claim, initiated by French Army major Ferdinand Walsin Esterhazy. This case caused a rift in France’s society, resulting in novelist Émile Zola accusing the army of engaging in a significant cover-up.
“Great Moon Hoax”
A set of six articles were published in The Sun, a New York newspaper, starting on August 15, 1835. The articles proposed the existence of peculiar bat-like creatures found on the Moon. The newspaper attributed this information to the esteemed astronomer Sir John Herschel. However, the truth was revealed when Richard Locke, a reporter from the paper, confessed to orchestrating the hoax.
Loch Ness Monster
In 1934, a photograph depicting the Loch Ness Monster was featured in the Daily Mail, which led many in the United Kingdom to believe that a mysterious prehistoric creature inhabited the depths of the beautiful Scottish lake. However, this belief was shattered when it was revealed that the “monster” was actually a well-executed hoax. The photograph showcased a toy submarine cleverly disguised with a wooden head and neck made from putty.
Clinton and Lewinsky
“I did not have sexual relations with that woman”. In 1998, Bill Clinton was accused of involvement with intern Monica Lewinsky. However, it was the discovery of his DNA in a stain on Lewinsky’s dress that ultimately led the president to face consequences for his actions.
Piltdown Man
In 1912, Charles Dawson, an amateur archaeologist, and Arthur Smith Woodward, a geologist at the British Natural History Museum in London, made an announcement about the discovery of skull fragments and a jawbone from an early human in Piltdown, England. The remains were found in a gravel pit, and Dawson believed that he had found evidence of the “missing link” between ape and man. However, it was later revealed that the bones had been stained to resemble ancient fossils, and the teeth, likely from an orangutan or chimpanzee, had been altered to look human.
Declining career
American road racing cyclist Lance Armstrong, a cancer survivor and revered figure, faced continual allegations of doping following his victory in the 1999 Tour de France. Initially, Armstrong vehemently denied any involvement in doping, but in 2013 he admitted to it. Consequently, all his accomplishments starting from August 1998, including his remarkable seven Tour de France triumphs, were revoked. Armstrong’s confession greatly impacted his once-sterling reputation.
Enigma and the Ultra Team
In June 1941, Alan Turing, a British mathematician, successfully decrypted the Nazi Enigma code. The code had previously enabled German U-boats to carry out attacks on Allied shipping convoys in the North Atlantic. Following this breakthrough, Ultra, a classified Allied intelligence initiative, began misleading the Germans with a series of false information in order to prevent them from discovering the truth.
Cuban missile
The revelation of Soviet ballistic missile deployment in Cuba by the Americans could have led to a potentially catastrophic nuclear conflict. The Russians insisted that their motives were purely defensive, but photographic evidence of disguised missile sites convinced the Kennedy administration that Nikita Khrushchev, the Russian leader, had ulterior motives.
Martians have arrived here!
On Sunday, October 30, 1938, a radio episode of ‘The Mercury Theatre on the Air’ was aired. Actor Orson Welles directed and narrated the program, which was an adaptation of H.G. Wells’ novel ‘The War of the Worlds’. The episode took the form of live news bulletins, delivering increasingly alarming updates. The realistic nature of the broadcast caused a widespread panic as listeners genuinely believed that Martians were attacking the Earth.