William Thompson (confidence man)

William Thompson (c. 1820s - 1851), often considered the original "confidence man," was an American swindler active in New York City in the mid-19th century. Thompson's modus operandi was remarkably simple yet effective. He would approach well-dressed strangers and engage them in conversation, eventually asking if they had the "confidence" in him to trust him with their watch (or, sometimes, money) until the following day. He promised to return it, or an equivalent value, the next day, but invariably disappeared with the property.

Thompson's success stemmed from his apparent affability and the implicit suggestion that he was a respectable individual simply down on his luck or requiring a temporary favor. He preyed on the victims' vanity and their unwillingness to admit they had been taken in by such a transparent ruse.

His activities came to an end in 1849 when he was arrested and charged with grand larceny. His case gained considerable notoriety, primarily due to the novelty of his particular method of deception. He was dubbed the "Confidence Man" by the New York press, and the term quickly entered the lexicon to describe similar swindlers and their methods.

Thompson was eventually convicted and sentenced to five years in Sing Sing prison. He was released in 1851 but died shortly thereafter. While his scams were relatively low-stakes, his legacy as the first "confidence man" endures, and the term continues to be used to describe individuals who gain trust to exploit others.