In 2013, a 22-year-old woman calling herself Anna Delvey, a German heiress with a purported $60 million inheritance, infiltrated New York’s elite social circles. She treated acquaintances to lavish meals, boasted about her luxurious accommodations, and planned extravagant international trips.

But Delvey’s opulent lifestyle concealed a dark secret: she was not an heiress. She wasn’t even German. Born Anna Sorokin to working-class parents in Russia, she funded her extravagant lifestyle through fraud. Using forged wire transfers, invalid credit cards, and bad checks, she defrauded hotels, banks, and even friends out of an estimated $275,000 over four years.

Anna Delvey during a trip to Morocco funded by her fraudulent activities. Photo: *Daily Mail*

Arrested in October 2017, Delvey was convicted of larceny and served three years in prison. Released in 2022, her story, so outlandish it seemed fictional, was adapted into the Netflix series *Inventing Anna*. Since her release, Delvey has appeared on the American television show *Dancing with the Stars*, recorded a country song, and launched a podcast.

How did Anna Delvey pull off this years-long con?

Anna Sorokin’s story began far from the glitz and glamour of New York City. Born in January 1991 in Domodedovo, a quiet, working-class town near Moscow, her childhood was modest. Her father drove a truck, and her mother ran a small shop. Like many families in post-Soviet Russia, they were simply trying to make ends meet.

At 16, Sorokin’s family relocated to Germany, settling in a small town in North Rhine-Westphalia. While language presented a barrier, she worked to integrate. However, her interests diverged from her classmates'. While they focused on school, Anna became captivated by the world of fashion and luxury, devouring *Vogue* and dreaming of a life filled with first-class flights, designer clothes, and glamorous art exhibitions.

After completing her schooling in 2011, she moved to London to study at Central Saint Martins art school. Dropping out after less than a year, she returned to Germany briefly before relocating to Paris. There, she secured an internship at *Purple*, a trendy fashion magazine. She began presenting herself not just as an intern but as the wealthy “Anna Delvey,” a German heiress with a substantial trust fund. She continued to use this fictitious persona as she embarked on yet another new life, this time in the US.

In 2013, Delvey arrived in New York City, marking the true beginning of her elaborate scam. She leveraged her *Purple* internship to infiltrate Manhattan's art and social scene. Not content with simply observing, she wanted to be at the center of it all. She began discussing a bold and expensive idea: establishing a private arts foundation combined with an exclusive members-only social club.

Delvey knew she needed more than charm to achieve her ambitions; she needed cold, hard cash, or at least the appearance of it. She fabricated financial documents to "prove" access to a substantial trust fund, forging wire transfers, presenting bad checks, and convincing those around her of her legitimacy.

Banks, hotels, and even wealthy acquaintances were taken in. She lived in luxury hotels without paying, attended exclusive parties, and mingled with New York's elite. "She managed to be everywhere relevant," one person who met Anna at a 2015 tech party in Berlin shared in 2018. "She was dressed head to toe in designer gear and someone even mentioned she flew in on a private jet.”

She chartered a private jet to Omaha for Berkshire Hathaway’s annual investment conference to meet Warren Buffett, enjoyed a week-long stay at a private beach resort in Morocco, and dined at upscale restaurants with celebrities. All of this was meticulously documented on her Instagram account.

From the outside, Delvey seemed unstoppable. But behind the designer clothes and Instagram selfies, it was all a lie.

In early 2017, while attempting to secure a $22 million loan, Anna convinced City National Bank to grant her a “temporary” $100,000 to cover due diligence expenses. She promised repayment from her $60 million “trust fund.” She used some of the money to pay overdue hotel bills, but also spent lavishly on designer clothes, beauty treatments, and a personal trainer. At New York’s most luxurious hotels, Anna was well-liked, tipping staff generously, often $100 or more, but never providing a valid credit card.

From November 2016 to August 2017, Anna defrauded her way into private jet travel and luxury Manhattan hotels without paying. Her victims initially saw no red flags when she asked them to cover airfare or taxi fares, claiming her assets were tied up in Europe. When pressed for repayment, she’d simply laugh it off, claiming forgetfulness.

Anna in court in April 2019, charged with grand larceny. Photo: *NYT*

In May 2017, she invited a friend on an all-expenses-paid trip to a luxury resort in Morocco. Delvey’s credit card was declined at the hotel, leaving her friend to cover the $62,000 bill. The friend soon realized she wasn't Delvey’s only victim and alerted authorities.

Back in New York, Anna drifted between hotels without paying, dining and dashing, and writing bad checks to cover expenses. By mid-2017, she was effectively homeless, estranged from former friends, and in the crosshairs of prosecutors.

Anna Delvey was finally apprehended in a sting operation in October 2017 at a rehabilitation facility in Los Angeles.

Her 2019 trial became a media sensation. Arriving daily in designer outfits styled by a hired stylist, the public was captivated by her fashion and apparent composure despite the serious charges.

Delvey's crimes also estranged her from her family. Her parents notably did not attend her trial, and her father publicly disowned her, stating he had no control over her choices.

On 25/4/2019, Delvey was convicted of grand larceny and sentenced to 4-12 years in prison, fined $24,000, and ordered to pay nearly $199,000 in restitution.

Meanwhile, her story inspired the Netflix series *Inventing Anna*. Delvey reportedly earned $320,000 from the deal, much of which went directly to restitution and legal fees.

Anna turned her court appearances into fashion shows, even with an ankle monitor. Photo: *Page Six, Instagram*

Released from prison in February 2021, she was immediately detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for overstaying her visa. After 18 months in custody, she was released on bail in late 2022 under strict conditions, including house arrest and a ban from social media.

However, Anna Delvey did not fade quietly into the background. In 2023, she launched a podcast, *The Anna Delvey Show*, and in 2024, with ICE's permission, she appeared on *Dancing with the Stars*, sporting her ankle monitor with a sparkly overlay.

Delvey currently remains under house arrest in Manhattan, but she is still actively involved in New York’s fashion and media circles, even walking the runway during Fashion Week while wearing her ankle monitor. She continues to face ongoing legal challenges, including deportation proceedings, while her story remains one of the most audacious and bizarre scams in recent history.

Hai Thu (*ATI, CNN, ABC*)