Calling himself 'the Phantom,' Michaels is a brazen, deluded swindler. His deceptions began when courting his wife, falsely claiming he was a millionaire's heir. That fortune never materialized, nor did the many fake investments he convinced his high-profile victims to buy into, leaving a trail of elaborate lies.
Up Next in Serial Swindlers
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Serial Swindlers: Achilleas Kallakis
Achilleas Kallakis, from a modest Merseyside family, became a notoriously audacious London property figure. He swindled some of Britain's biggest banks, amassing a fraudulent fortune of £250 million through repeated and elaborate deceptions.
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Serial Swindlers: Edward Davenport
Lord Edward "Fast Eddie" Davenport is a convicted fraudster and property developer. He first gained notoriety in the late 1980s for organizing the exclusive "Gatecrasher Balls" for wealthy London teens. Following a 1990 tax fraud conviction, he pivoted to a second career in property development.
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Serial Swindlers: Joel Barlow
Serial swindler Joseph Hikairo-Barlow conned those around him into believing he was a wealthy Tahitian prince with royal ties. In reality, he was an accountant at Queensland Health, funding his lavish life through an elaborate fraud that stole millions from taxpayers.
