An illustrated history of criminal fakes and deceptions, and how they were uncovered. For as long as historical annals have been kept, they have recorded the frauds and fakes that have been imposed upon innocent dupes. Fakes, Scams and Forgeries details many of the most notorious acts of forgery, fraud and fakery that have taken place over the centuries, describing how they were perpetrated, how those who considered themselves experts were led astray and fooled, and how--often after many years--they were detected. As well as providing entertaining and in-depth profiles of famous forgers and legendary frauds, the text deals with the many modern scientific techniques that have been developed for the examination of suspect materials.