Lord Gordon Gordon, The Con Man Who Scammed Elites Across 19th Century North America
The Scottish grifter was able to pull off multiple huge scams before he met an early end
Talented grifters can operate with near impunity if they are skilled enough in tricking others. Such was the case of of a mysterious man named Lord Gordon Gordon, who after pulling off successful swindles in Europe in the 19th century, turned his attention to North America where he absconded with a vast fortune after fooling some of the most prominent American businessmen in the midst of the building the transcontinental railroad.
There’s really not a lot that is truly known about the real identity of Lord Gordon Gordon, including his real name. It’s believed he was born around 1840 in Britain as the illegitimate child of a clergyman and his maid. During his run as a successful con man where he usually posed as an affluent Scotsman, using aliases such as Lord Glencairn and The Honorable Mr. Herbert Hamilton, in addition to Gordon. In order to make himself appear as legitimate as possible, he even employed a young valet, also known as a “gentleman’s tiger,” to dress impeccably and attend to his needs.
The basic technique that Gordon employed as a con man was building incremental trust. He would get…
