So-called "fake" German heiress Anna Delvey has gained more popularity in the criminal space after her fraudulent schemes were featured in Netflix’s new docuseries “Inventing Anna.” For four years, the conwoman infiltrated the circles of monied socialites in New York City, ultimately scamming contacts out of $275,000.
Through “Inventing Anna”, which premiered on Feb. 11, the scammer, 31, was paid $320,000 for her life rights and has since used her earnings to pay back banks, such as Citibank, with $70,000. Another $24,000 was allocated for state fines, SCMP reported.
Russian-born Anna Sorokin moved to Germany at 16 after studying fashion at University of the Arts London’s Central Saint Martins College. In 2013, the woman managed to get her hands on an internship at Purple magazine under the guise of coming from well-connected circles during which she began branding herself as Anna Delvey.
As Delvey, Anna claimed to be born with a silver spoon, forging bank statements to get a $22 million loan, which she would reportedly use to create a Soho House-type private club for the art scene, according to the Daily Beast.
Her “fake it till you make it” lifestyle saw Delvey fly on private jets and host mates at lavish restaurants, during which she evaded the bill by transferring it to her hotel tab.
In late 2017, authorities arrested the conwoman on theft of services for not paying for hotel stays amounting to $50,000. At the time, police had also approached then-Vanity Fair photo editor Rachel DeLoache Williams, who was left $62,000 out of pocket after Delvey borrowed money for a luxury trip to Morocco only to cut her off.
In early 2019, the designer fashion-loving scammer caused a stir for delaying her trial over an issue with her outfits. During court hearings, she hired a stylist to dress her in brands such as Yves Saint Laurent and Miu Miu.
At the time, her Instagram following would also rise more than 8,000 as people closely watched her courtroom looks, including Kanye West’s new muse Julia Fox, who publicly thanked Delvey for sending birthday wishes earlier this month. The model would also note in an IG comment that Delvey had her phone number and that she had called her.
Delvey was convicted on eight counts, including grand larceny in the first, second, and third degrees, in 2019. However, due to good behavior, the conwoman was released from prison in Feb. 2021 after serving less than four years of her four to 12 years sentence.
She is currently in Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention, waiting to learn her fate on whether she would be deported to Germany, Time noted.
© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
