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Crime Time Cafe

Crime Time Cafe

By: Scott Cardinal
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Crime Time Cafe: The business of crime. From white-collar schemes and art forgeries to bank robberies and elaborate financial cons — we dive into the profitable (and punishable) underworld of clever criminals.

Scott Cardinal Economics True Crime
Episodes
  • The Greatest Art Forger: Elmyr de Hory's Million-Dollar Deception

    The Greatest Art Forger: Elmyr de Hory's Million-Dollar Deception
    Apr 14 2026

    In this episode of Crime Time Cafe, we step into the glamorous yet shadowy world of high-end art forgery with Elmyr de Hory — the charming Hungarian-born master who fooled galleries, museums, and collectors for decades. Posing as a displaced aristocrat, he cranked out over 1,000 "in the style of" masterpieces by Picasso, Matisse, Modigliani, and more, injecting millions (in today's dollars) worth of fakes into the global art market. We explore the business side: how he built his forgery empire, the dealers who moved his work, the staggering profits, and why many of his pieces may still hang undetected in prestigious collections today. A tale of deception, style, and the ultimate con in the art world.
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    23 mins
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