Not Munchausen, but cooler: a swindler invented states and lived on them for 9 years (6 photos)

Harshvardhan Jain, 47, has been arrested in Delhi. Since 2016, he has been actively operating on behalf of several fictitious countries at once: Westarctica, Seborga, Ladonia, Paulovia, and a couple more like them.





The man opened a serious "embassy" in his house, where he hung flags, installed coats of arms, handed out business cards, put stamps, and issued "visa" documents on behalf of non-existent states. He was even officially called "Honorary Consul Baron".



Fake diplomatic license plates were found.

The garage was also fully furnished: cars with DC (Diplomatic Corps) diplomatic license plates, and he kept photoshopped photos of the President of India and the former Prime Minister in his phone for the sake of appearances. He had prepared thoroughly, not a single mosquito could get a nose in.





Jain made money simply: he sold fake visas and work permits to those who wanted them, helped them open accounts in supposedly “extraterritorial banks,” and even promised real estate in virtual countries.



He moved the money through shell companies in London and Dubai, and received some in cash through the hawala system. In one of these "diplomatic missions," security forces found an entire archive: 12 fake passports, 18 diplomatic license plates, a bunch of fake IDs, press credentials, seals, brochures, as well as 4.5 million lakh Indian rupees in cash, expensive watches, and currency from different countries, the amount of which is not specified.



During a search of an illegal embassy in the Indian city of Ghaziabad, police found a bunch of fake seals.

Everything was going well for the guy until a mysterious anonymous person gave him away. Now a criminal case has been opened against Jain under several articles at once - forgery of documents, fraud, and money laundering. He's already in jail, his property has been confiscated, and his microstate ambitions have been annulled.



The irony is that this whole scam was based on external entourage: a bit of diplomatic brilliance, a drop of pathos, the ability to take pictures at the right facades, and here you are, an ambassador of a virtual state. Jain turned out to be a level 80 temschik and at the same time a living example of how easy it is to sell status these days, especially if it is well packaged.