History’s Most Infamous Figures Part 1: Gregor MacGregor - The Greatest Scammer 🤞🗺️
Meet Gregor MacGregor, the Scottish soldier and adventurer who pulled off one of history’s greatest scams. An officer in the British army, Gregor MacGregor, journeyed to Venezuela to fight in the South American Wars of Independence, serving as a brigadier general under Francisco de Miranda and Simon Bolivar. On a fateful trip to the Mosquito coast, he met George Frederic Augustus I, the so-called king of the Miskito people, and hatched a grand scheme. In 1820, he returned to London, claiming to be the Cazique, or prince, of Poyais—a lush Central American paradise eager for settlers. Armed with forged documents, he convinced hundreds to buy land and government bonds in Poyais. But when settlers arrived, they found only a deadly jungle—Poyais was nothing but a cruel illusion. Did MacGregor face justice? Not a chance. He walked away scot-free, continuing his con across Europe before retiring to Venezuela as a celebrated war hero. Gregor MacGregor’s story is a grim reminder that not everyone gets what they deserve.
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