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To describe what people are doing for money, you will need more paper than is spent on their production. So it seems there is no need to inspire people to new feats in this field. On the other hand, the routine is sticking. When day after day you bitch the same primitive way, it's boring. And I want to open courses of improvement of qualification for financial scams and show what heights achieved true masters of this business.

I want to tell here about the most, I think, outstanding. I apologize in advance, they refer to quite different areas of financial activity.

1. Biggest counterfeit money.

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Fake money ancient and respectable occupation. About the talents of counterfeiters are legendary, they write books, make movies, sometimes they are even taken to the civil service, where they reach if not of honours, awards. 

But what of difficulty, artistic ability, underground press and the hardest scheme of distributing counterfeit money? But it is so simple! In the end, money is constantly printed and distributed quite legally, by the government. All you need is to "infiltrate the system". This brilliant idea came to the head of the Portuguese Alves DOS Rios in 1924, which decided that it is no worse than the government, particularly the fact that the rule at the time in Portugal. By this time he had already been convicted of fraud while in jail a total of 54 days. In Portugal at that time, there has been a mitigation of punishment for economic crimes. Later researchers of his biography have found something that has eluded the investigation, namely, fake diploma, unsecured checks and stuff like that. 

After leaving prison, DOS Rios had fabricated one single document. Namely, the agreement with the Central Bank of Portugal for the printing of Bank notes. He assured this document at the notary (which is perfectly legal and worth a penny). Signature and seal of a notary he has collected the signatures and seals of 3 consuls of Portugal abroad (who is no relation to the finances had not, except for the finances in their personal pockets). With these remarkable documents he just went to the printer, which is officially printed money to Portugal. Perhaps this was the highlight of the plan, the money for Portugal (as for many other countries) then one printed very well respected English firm (by the way, many governments and still print the national currency abroad). Well, the printing press, equipped with a completely formal matrices and completely official paper work. It's that simple. DOS Rios just did what I do most governments with dismal regularity. Before the case came to light, was printed an amount equal to 1% of the national product of Portugal and puts a con on the 1st place among all associated with counterfeit money. Funny that revealed the Scam not alert the controllers of the Finance Ministry, not the investigators for especially important cases, and journalists, to the same provincial. 

On the funny part ends. The emergence of a large money supply has resulted in severe financial and economic crisis. Crisis-related social unrest.

2. The biggest inflation.

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Against forgery of money and inflation 1 step. The only difference is that the printing press manages endowed with all the powers of the government. Record inflation keeps Hungary in 1945-46. In may – June 1946, inflation reached 200% per day. In January 1946 was introduced in the parallel unit adopengo, initially equal to Peng, and by July of the same year — 2000 trillion Peng. In the same month, was issued a bill of 1 billion B.-Peng (sextillion, that is one billion trillion or 1021 Peng) is still the largest denomination banknote on the Ground. Hyperinflation in Hungary produced record for its time, the level of monthly inflation rate, when in July 1946, it amounted to 4,19•1016 %, meaning prices doubled every 15 hours.

However, the Hungarian inflation had been stopped only a month later. By August 1, 1946 introduced a new currency — the Forint, the exchange rate Peng which was 4•1029 to one that also has an absolute "record" for all of the monetary systems of the world..

3. The most famous Ponzi scheme.

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However, not everyone has access to the printing press. These people have to "make money" differently. For example, shifting them from one pocket to another.

What we know as a pyramid scheme, in the Western world is called a "Ponzi Scheme". Carlo Ponzi was born in 1882 in the small town of Lugo near Ravenna. In 1903 he immigrated to the United States. In 1919, after every ordeal, Charles Ponzi lent a relative $ 500, established a loan office and began to issue obligations to pay after 90 days, $ 1,500 for every 1000 deposited. "Pyramid" has poterialas just a year and brought by modern standards, not so much financial damage, 7 million of debt with 4.5 million of assets (although in those days it was quite respectable amount). Much greater was the impression made by simplicity and availability of the method. The largest today is the pyramid of Madora damage at 69 billion. However, it is not always ends with the criminal process. Many insurance companies and firms so-called multi-level marketing is built on the principles of Ponzi schemes and yet none of the arrest warrants for them not chasing.

4. Own money.

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Exchange values on colorful pieces of paper so attractive that everyone, whenever possible, tries to release its own. 

Of course, most often this is done by the state. Own money had (or have) all sorts of ephemeral state which occupied the place sometimes only in someone's fevered imagination and existed only a few weeks. But, in the end, sovereignty is sovereignty, even if no one recognizes, so that side the Golden Calf I'm missing.

More fun when your own money is not released in the States, and even imaginary, as private individuals, company or organization. The advantage here is obvious, to redeem any money you can, of course only in establishments owned by the person, company or organization. 

Such payment systems can have very diverse forms. All coupons, vouchers, and other vouchers regularly disseminated to the press. Shopping network produces its own client card and have a system of reward points, in exchange for which too it is possible to get. To them date back credit cards that also have a means of payment, produced in private.

Most famous perhaps is the story of the formation of Coke, which is inextricably linked to private tender. At the time, the company massively sent out coupons for free of their products, winning the market.