Con Artist Characters So Good Even Viewers Were Fooled

10. Anna Delvey (Inventing Anna)

Based on the real-life Anna Sorokin, this TV miniseries shows a uniquely modern con. Anna's genius wasn't in elaborate schemes but in her sheer, unblinking audacity. She understood that in the world of the ultra-rich, projecting wealth and entitlement was the only currency she needed, weaponizing social media and "the hustle" into a six-figure scam.

9. The Kim Family (Parasite)

Starting with a fake tutoring job, the impoverished Kim family systematically and brilliantly cons their way into the lives of the wealthy Park family, posing as their new driver, art therapist, and housekeeper. The Kim family's plan is a masterpiece of teamwork, forgery, and psychological manipulation, allowing them to literally take over the house. Their con is the engine for a Best Picture winner and a devastating satire on class.

8. Freddy Benson & Lawrence Jamieson (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels)

This is the peak of the "con artist comedy." Their rivalry, which involves elaborate, hilarious disguises (like the "crippled" Ruprecht), is a masterclass in one-upmanship, all leading to one of the greatest "conned-the-conners" twists in film history. Their bet to be the first one to swindle $50,000 from a young heiress provided every penny worth of entertainment to the audience.

7. Moses Pray & Addie Loggins (Paper Moon)

A small-time grifter (Ryan O'Neal) and a 9-year-old orphan who may or may not be his daughter (Tatum O'Neal) team up to run Bible-selling scams on recent widows during the Great Depression. Moses is a smooth talker, but the real genius is Addie, a chain-smoking, tough-as-nails kid who is often smarter and more ruthless than her adult partner, turning their cons into a surprisingly heartfelt story that won an Oscar.

6. Danny Ocean (Ocean's Eleven)

Danny Ocean is the definition of "cool." He's a general, a strategist, and a master of misdirection. His con is a high-tech, stylish, and impossibly complex heist that works like a magic trick, all while he's also conning his way back to his ex-wife. He does all these actions while assembling his team of 11 eleven members to steal $160 million from 3 Las Vegas Casinos at once.

5. Tom Ripley (The Talented Mr. Ripley)

Ripley is a terrifying and brilliant villain. His "con" is a desperate, psychological act of self-invention. He's a master of forgery, imitation, and lying under pressure, showing how a con artist's charm can mask a sociopathic, hollow core. om Ripley, is hired to retrieve a rich man's son from Italy. Instead, he becomes so obsessed with the man's life that he murders him and steals his identity.

4. "Verbal" Kint (The Usual Suspects)

"Verbal" Kint is the ultimate unreliable narrator. His entire performance as a harmless, pathetic criminal is a flawless act, designed to mask the truth: that he is the mythical, all-powerful crime-lord Keyser Söze. The final reveal is one of the greatest twists in history, and it's all one perfect con. He convinces the police he is just a "weak," "gimpy," small-time con man.

3. Henry Gondorff & Johnny Hooker (The Sting)

After a small-time grifter's (Robert Redford) partner is murdered, he teams up with a legendary con man (Paul Newman) to get revenge by setting up an elaborate, fake, off-track betting parlor to bankrupt the mob boss responsible. This Best Picture winner is the definitive guide to the con. Their scheme is a complex, perfectly-timed piece of theater, involving dozens of actors and a brilliant, layered plot.

2. Frank Abagnale Jr. (Catch Me If You Can)

Before he was 21, Frank Abagnale Jr. successfully impersonated an airline pilot, a doctor, and a lawyer, all while forging millions of dollars in checks. Frank's genius was his versatility and his boundless, boyish charm. As portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio, he wasn't just a forger; he was an actor. He understood that a confident smile and the right uniform were all he needed to make the world want to believe him.

1. Jimmy McGill / Saul Goodman (Better Call Saul)

He is, without question, the most deeply explored con artist in history. Over 12 seasons of television (counting Breaking Bad), we see why he cons. It's his gift, his weapon, and his self-destructive addiction. Whether it's a simple "fake fall" or an elaborate, multi-step plan to ruin a rival, Jimmy's cons are clever, personal, and ultimately, tragic. He's the king.