They say honesty is the best policy, but where’s the fun in that? This week, we’re diving headfirst into the wildly unhinged world of white-collar wizardry, fake credentials, and people who decided that “fake it ’til you make it” is a lifelong career path. Grab your spreadsheets and your most skeptical side-eye—things are about to get legally questionable.
Research links below!
Britannica – “The Craziest Cam? Gregor MacGregor Creates His Own Country”
Historic UK – “Gregor MacGregor, Prince of Poyais”
Radical Tea Towel – “Gregor MacGregor: The most absurd radical of the 19th century”
BBC – “The conman who pulled off history’s most audacious scam”
History Today – “Gregor MacGregor, the Prince of Poyais”
Bruce Wilson Author – “Gregor MacGregor and the Poyais Scam”
Vanity Fair – “How Sarma Melngailis, Queen of Vegan Cuisine, Became a Runaway Fugitive”
Eater – “Raw Food Star Fugitive Sarma Melngailis Pleads Guilty to Fraud and Theft”
Oxygen – “Why Was A Dominos Pizza So Important In Tracking Down Sharma Melngailis From ‘BadVegan’?”
The Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office – “Owner of Vegan Food Business and her Husband Indicted for Allegedly Stealing from Employees, Defrauding Investors, not Paying Taxes”
Parade – “How Bad Vegan Sarma Melngailis’ Affair With Her Lawyer May Have Landed Her In Jail”