You can't con an honest John...or can you?

With the recent spate of financial fraudsters hitting the headlines, from romantic hustlers to cash scams and high profile business swindles, it seems our vulnerabilty to 'the kindness of strangers' has never been greater.

A 'confidence' trick is an attempt to defraud a person or group by gaining their trust, and it is often said that these scammers are simply exploiting the human characteristics of greed and dishonesty. But recent cases may suggest otherwise.

Here we take a look at some of the world's biggest cons, ranging from the audacious and elaborate, to the sneakily sinister, in an attempt to prove that you can indeed con an honest John.

Click here or on the image to launch our guide to ten of the biggest conmen