Did you know? See all facts 1. Sale of the Eiffel Tower

Did you know that the Eiffel Tower was once sold, not once, but twice, by an audacious con artist?

Victor Lustig, a notorious trickster known for his cunning charisma, fooled many with fraudulent deeds. In his 1925 masterpiece scam, Lustig targeted none other than France's iconic landmark, the Eiffel Tower. He set his plot into motion by posing as a government official, concocting a story of the Eiffel Tower's imminent demolition due to high maintenance costs. Victor convinced two scrap metal dealers of his authenticity and persuaded them to bid for the tower's supposed scrap. Whisked away by the enormity of the deal, the highest bidder handed over a sizable sum to Lustig before realizing he had been conned .

Embarrassment over their gullibility prevented the victims from reporting the crime, allowing Lustig to almost pull off the same swindle a month later. But his secret leaked out this time, forcing Lustig to exit the scene swiftly, leaving behind an astonishing tale of audacity and deception.

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