Did you know… In 1974 con artist Geraldine Elizabeth Carmichael carried out one of the most outrageous cons in history, known as the “dale scandal”. She began this con game by starting an automobile company, Twentieth Century Motor Car Corporation, She then subsequently unveiled “the dale” which was a three-wheeled two-seater automobile designed and built by Dale Clifft. It was marketed as the solution to the 1970s gas crisis, claiming to be a high-tech, lightweight and exceptional fuel-economy automobile.

To fuel further interest from investors, Carmichael claimed that she had millions of dollars in backing and that prototypes were being built. As such, with people looking for alternative smaller and more efficient vehicles due to the fuel shortage crisis, the dale raised over $30 million in investments.

However, rumours of fraud began to emerge and an investigation by Car and Driver, revealed that there were no manufacturing plants, no production plans, and no car. Shortly after this, Carmichael went into hiding and was on the run as a wanted fugitive. She was eventually found and arrested. In the end, the sham led to the loss of millions of dollars people had invested, without there ever being a single car built.