Hochstapler

The deal seemed legitimate; he'd said he would invest the money in a promising new start-up company -- until he just disappeared with his investors' life savings. He was a "Hochstapler." At first glance, the German word looks like a compound of the words for "high" and "stacker," which seems completely reasonable. After all, a conman probably quite enjoys stacking money. But, as is so often the case, the word has its roots in antiquated vocabulary. "Stapeln" likely came from an old slang word for "to beg," while "hoch" in this sense implies courtliness. But that doesn't stop the Hochstapler from stacking his money up high.