In the heart of New York City, there is a towering apartment Central Park Tower,
The price starts at 630,000 yuan per square meter, which is known as the "billionaire base camp" by the outside world.
Every morning, residents wake up by the first rays of sunlight in the skyline, and large floor-to-ceiling windows allow for a panoramic view of the entire city;
Not only can you taste the cuisine prepared by Michelin chefs, but high-end cocktails are also available at any time;
Downstairs is LV and Dior, buying luxury goods is as simple as breathing;
All the residents are either rich or expensive, and when they go out for a walk, they can meet the rich Arab princes.
What can a person who has no money and no fame want to live in it?
Scam.
Andi Schmied is a photographer from Hungary.
A few years ago, she traveled to New York and, like a regular tourist, checked out many iconic attractions.
Ascending the Empire State Building, she was amazed by the view.
Looking at the tall buildings standing around, a curious thought welled up in her mind:
What kind of life do the people who live in these mansions live?
When she returned, she found information about the Central Park Tower apartment. As one of the most expensive houses in the world, the requirements for tenants and visitors are extremely high.
With her status as a photographer, it is almost impossible to get in.
Thinking about it, she had a plan:
Pretend to be a celebrity, and use the name of viewing the house to let the real estate agent take her in.
With the idea of trying his luck, Andi first called an agent to reveal the idea of buying a house,
The other person only asked her one question: Who is your husband?
It turns out that the intermediary has to conduct a background check through this method to confirm whether the other party has sufficient ability to pay.
After hanging up the phone, Andi realizes that a rich "husband" can be the most powerful stepping stone to enter the building.
Coincidentally, she met a friend who opened a gallery in her hometown and was an antique dealer.
Even more bluffing, his personal website on Google looks very high-end.
Money plus art, double buff successfully let him fool through.
The second step is to disguise your identity.
As a photographer, Andi once published his work online under his real name, and the agent revealed the stuffing as soon as he checked it.
Therefore, she deliberately changed her name for herself, and could not find any information on the Internet.
After making sure nothing was lost, she embarked on the third step: people rely on clothing.
She took out her savings, bought clothes and bags that she didn't dare to look at before, and even armed her nails in place.
Standing in front of the mirror, she looked at her glamorous self and decided to officially start the "cheating" plan.
For well-informed intermediaries, is Andi's disguise really not easily recognized?
Unexpectedly, not only will it not, but it will also go exceptionally smoothly.
When she first booked a viewing, Andi was very nervous.
She specially rented a luxury car 100 meters away from the mansion, but unfortunately the agent did not see it.
In casual conversations with intermediaries, she is always wary of revealing flaws.
Because she had no upper-class life experience, she answered vaguely every time.
When asked about jewelry, she should say: from a low-key Hungarian designer.
She was even more vague about "business", claiming that everything was taken care of by her assistant Coco, and she was at ease as a noblewoman at home.
The lie that even he had a weak heart fell in the eyes of the intermediary, but it became the strange and mysterious of the rich.
The early stage went very smoothly, which made her more emboldened and took the initiative to ask the agent if she could take a few photos.
Unexpectedly, with the identity of an art billionaire, the agent not only did not doubt, but also praised the film camera she used for being very temperate.
During the viewing process, Andi was also very impressed by the way the agent was promoted.
Their methods are very "meaty", which makes Andi often cry and laugh.
Once, the agent suddenly asked her if she liked the famous French singer Édith Piaf, and seeing Andi give an affirmative answer, he asked her to close her eyes and play the singer's work for her.
After listening for a short while, the agent took her to the window, opened the curtains, and Central Park came into view.
And said a line like an ancient love movie: Just imagine that you will live this life every day in the future.
In this way, Andi looked at 25 apartments, each of which started at billions.
For her three months ago, she couldn't even think about it.
To her surprise, these mansions are not as sought-after as expected, but most of them are for sale, and some of them are even rough houses.
What's even more interesting is that the interior of these luxury apartments is basically the same.
For example, the best view is usually the living room, and facing the park, the scenery is not bad;
The kitchens are all open plan and decorated with marble;
The objects in the apartments are more about taste than branding, and are niche handicrafts scavenged from all corners of the world.
Looking at the photos taken, Andi decided to organize them into an album and make a fortune by relying on the curiosity of the public.
Sure enough, the album sold very well as soon as it was released, and her photography career improved.
But after the news got out, the agents in New York were embarrassed and annoyed and teamed up to pull her into the blacklist.
Accustomed to rich people, they were deceived by an unknown photographer.
There is more than one similar thing.
The "fictional Anna", which once caused a sensation, is a super-large-scale "scam" carried out by ordinary people in high society.
The protagonist is the "fake lady" who once thrived in New York's social circle: Anna Delvey.
She was once considered the heir to Deutsche Oil Group, but was actually the daughter of a Russian truck driver.
London's academic background at Central Saint Martins was the cornerstone of her entry into high society.
After graduating, she took the borrowed money to stay in a five-star hotel for a long time, and luxury goods filled the room.
Daily tipping starts at $100, so everyone firmly believes in her status as a "rich man".
Elegant speech and generous hands, and relying on a little "actor's talent", she successfully mingled with celebrities.
Before the scandal was broken, she came close to getting a $22 million loan to open an art club and make a real class leap.
By this time, she had been cheating for five years.
What's even more outrageous is that because the mask has been worn for too long, it has grown on her face:
In court, she looked innocent and insisted she had done nothing wrong.
Her defense attorney described her as "a humble girl who dreamed of getting ahead."
In the end, she was convicted of major theft and imprisoned.
But the sentence left during the trial made people interpret and think more about this case:
"Anna didn't wait for an opportunity, she created it."
There are rumors that a really rich person is surrounded by at least three fake rich people.
Andi and Anna, big or small, tear off this "money" filter, and inadvertently complete a mockery of the rich.
And this also reflects the truth of a so-called upper class:
"A glamorous life on the surface may be full of more lies."
Picture丨Network
Responsible editor丨Honey, prince
Editor丨Cabbage