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Con Men for Celebs

Anne Hathaway Out $148,000

— September 4, 2008 — Celebs
Con men don’t only target old people, as Anne Hathaway learned when she was seduced out of $148,000. The actress was dating a con man named Raffaello Follieri, who made millions in elaborate schemes. In the end, he wound up in trouble, and Hathaway needed to support his expensive needs…

Follieri’s main con involved conning millionaire investors into buying real estate that he claimed the Catholic Church was trying to ‘unload’.

Hathaway, the starlet of ‘Get Smart’ was not one of these ‘investors’, so she wasn’t really the ‘mark’. However, even after she knew that Follieri was about to face his legal problems, she paid four months of his rent… at $37,000 per month.

After four months, Anne Hathaway ended her relationship… just hours before he was arrested for money laundering and wire fraud.

So how exactly do you con someone like Anne Hathaway Out $148,000? Sex appeal. She was once quoted, “It was totally love at first sight . . . He is sooo good-looking . . . He looks like a god,”

In short, don’t trust dudes that need you to pay their rent.
Trend Themes
1. Romance Scams - The rise of con artists using relationships to scam money presents opportunities for digital identity verification and fraud prevention solutions.
2. Real Estate Investment Scams - The prevalence of real estate investment scams highlights the need for increased due diligence and transparency in the investment industry.
3. Celebrity Vulnerability - The susceptibility of high-profile individuals to scams emphasizes the importance of private security and risk management services for the wealthy and famous.
Industry Implications
1. Digital Security - Digital identity verification and fraud prevention solutions can provide an added layer of security against romance scams and other forms of online fraud.
2. Real Estate Investment - Increased due diligence and transparency measures in the real estate investment industry can help prevent investment scams and protect investors' funds.
3. Personal Security - The vulnerability of celebrities highlights the need for private security and risk management services to protect high-profile individuals from scams and other threats.
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