He told five scrap metal dealers the Eiffel Tower was being torn down and open for bids. One of them believed him completely — right up until he handed over a fortune in cash.
The Setup
In 1925, a con artist calling himself Count Victor Lustig posed as a senior French government official overseeing public buildings. He told five Parisian scrap metal dealers, in confidence, that the Eiffel Tower had become too costly to maintain and was slated for demolition, its roughly 7,000 tons of iron to be sold as scrap. He invited them to submit sealed bids for the material.
The Mark
Businessman André Poisson was informed his bid had won. When Poisson grew suspicious about why such a major deal was being handled outside official government offices, Lustig subtly suggested he required a bribe to finalize the paperwork — a request common enough in the era that Poisson didn't question it further. Poisson handed over a certified check along with a wallet of cash, and Lustig handed him a fabricated deed of sale.
Getting Away With It
Lustig and his associate, Dan Collins, cashed the check and left the country immediately, waiting in Vienna to see whether the scheme had been reported. Poisson, apparently too embarrassed to admit he had been conned, never went to police — leaving Lustig free to attempt the same scam on a second group of scrap dealers. That second attempt did lead to a police report, though Lustig and Collins were never caught for the Eiffel Tower scheme itself.
FAQ
Did Victor Lustig actually sell the Eiffel Tower?
He sold fraudulent rights to its scrap value, not the tower itself, convincing a businessman it was being demolished.
Was Victor Lustig ever caught for this scam?
Not for the Eiffel Tower scheme specifically — his first victim never reported the fraud to police.
Did he try the scam more than once?
Yes. He attempted to sell the tower a second time, though that victim did go to police.