Gregor MacGregor’s Fictional Kingdom of Poyais: A 19th-Century Scottish Con That Fooled Thousands

In the 19th century, Scottish conman Gregor MacGregor orchestrated one of history's boldest scams by fabricating the fictional Central American nation of Poyais. Using a meticulously crafted map and an equally convincing guidebook, MacGregor persuaded hundreds to invest in land and government bonds, even convincing shiploads of hopeful settlers to leave everything behind for a country that didn’t exist.

By the time authorities caught on, MacGregor had made a fortune. He eventually moved to Caracas, where he lived comfortably, leaving behind one of the most audacious cons in history—a legend of a place that existed only on a map.

Recently, rare map dealer Daniel Crouch acquired MacGregor's original 19th-century map of Poyais, further emphasizing how a map can create a fictional reality that people believed in.