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This diagram from <em>Modern Swindles</em> shows how card cheats work—and what happens to them when they're caught.
objects of intrigue

A Peek Inside a 'Scam Manual' Written to Help Immigrants Avoid Becoming Victims

Early 20th-century migrants from Europe had to be on their guard against marriage brokers, card sharps, ghost mediums, and more.
Nina Strochlic February 20, 2024
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 02: An aerial view of graffiti spray painted by taggers on at least 27 stories of an unfinished skyscraper development located downtown, with Cryto.com Arena visible (LOWER R) on February 2, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. Construction of the $1 billion Oceanwide Plaza luxury real estate development stalled in 2019 after a China-based developer ran out of funding leaving the three-tower project uncompleted. The project is located across the street from the Crypto.com Arena where the Grammy Awards will be held on February 4. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
abandoned

Wonder Is Everywhere: Vanilla Queens, an Ancient Arcade, and More From Around the Web

Get a peek into what we’re obsessed with right now.
April White February 16, 2024
The Middle Ages were rife with murder tales, such as the murder of seventh-century King Candaules of Lydia (shown here in this 15th-century illustration by Maître François).
murder

How a Medieval Murder Map Helped Solve a 700-Year-Old London Cold Case

It all started as a Cambridge criminologist’s macabre hobby.
Sofia Quaglia January 25, 2024
Bill G.B. Pallot, pictured here in his Paris home in 2017, has been at the center of a storm over counterfeit antique furniture.
crime

The Furniture Fraud That Threw the French Antiques World Into a Furor

Was it an elaborate scam or a highbrow battle of wits?
Nina Strochlic January 8, 2024
Boltaşlı, Cyprus

Panagia Kanakaria

This abandoned church was the site of one of the biggest art heists of the past decades.
Hanover, Germany

Der goldene Leibniz-Keks (Golden Leibniz Cookie)

This gilded emblem was once stolen by a Cookie Monster impostor, who demanded a charitable ransom for its return.
List

14 Heists, Robberies, and Other Great Capers

Who stole Dorothy’s ruby slippers?
Diana Hubbell December 29, 2023
Tacoma, Washington

'Top of the Ocean' Monument

This waterfront restaurant was the life of the party until a crime syndicate burned it to the ground.
This forged Paraguayan passport was one of thousands that helped spare Jewish lives during the Holocaust.
crime

The Master Forgers Who Saved Thousands of Lives During World War II

From the Polish embassy in Switzerland came a campaign that spared many from Nazi extermination.
Nina Strochlic December 4, 2023
Berlin, Germany

Berlin Coin Cabinet

One of the largest numismatic collections in Europe fell victim to a huge theft.
science

Wonder Is Everywhere: Ancient Lampreys, Outdoor Learning, and More From Around the Web

Get a peek into what we’re obsessed with right now.
April White November 10, 2023
Many of the California home owners still don't know about the con artist.
crime

Many Popular Houses in L.A. Were Part of a Scam by a Con Artist Who Disappeared

Yet the homes are still in high demand.
laurakaiser November 9, 2023
paintings

Podcast: The Art of the Heist With Noah Charney

Why the thefts of masterpieces have fascinated us through the generations.
The Podcast Team October 26, 2023
A wild vervet monkey, native to Africa, dines near the Fort Lauderdale International Airport rental car area in 2021.
mummies

Wonder Is Everywhere: An Accidental Mummy, a Murdered Tree, and More From Around the Web

Get a peek into what we’re obsessed with right now.
April White October 13, 2023
Lewisburg, West Virginia

Greenbrier County Courthouse

Step into the courtroom to learn details of the only case in history where ghostly testimony led to a murderer's conviction.
Bucharest, Romania

Solacoglu Inn

An abandoned pasta factory in the centre of Bucharest, once home to Bulgarian revolutionaries and a hub of crime.
New York, New York

‘The Gilded Lady’

A vibrant, 100-foot-tall mural dedicated to Evelyn Nesbit, the tragic icon of the Gilded Age.
dinosaurs

Wonder Is Everywhere: A Message in an Egg Carton, Millions of Confused Bees, and More From Around the Web

Get a peek into what we’re obsessed with right now.
April White September 15, 2023