An impostor (also spelled imposter) is a person who pretends to be somebody else, often through means of disguise, deceiving others by knowingly falsifying one or more aspects of their identity. This is in contrast to someone that honestly believes their false identity due to psychosis (break from reality), mistake (e.g. mistakenly switched at birth, or memory problems), or having been lied to about their identity by another (e.g. by a parent, or kidnapper).
Reasons for imposture Many impostors try to gain financial or social advantages through social engineering or through means of identity theft, but also often for purposes of espionage or undercover law enforcement. Their objective may be one of sexual gratification, giving a false name, false claim of being single or unwed, and/or false age in order to hide adultery, bigamy, or to catfish (e.g. a pedophile pretending to be a youth online).
Those in witness protection, those fleeing abusers or persecution, and criminals evading arrest may also assume a false identity.
Economic migrants may pose as tourists (visitor visas) or as international students (international student visas with a non-accredited university or college). In some countries, such as Canada, students from abroad on educational visas sometimes then present as asylum claimants to obtain residency or citizenship.
Some impostors may do it for pathological reasons, such as having a personality disorder that involves an excessive need for attention and emotional reactions from others (be it praise and/or sympathy), an excessive sense of self-importance or being special, an excessive sense of entitlement, an excessive need to control others, a lack of remorse or emotional empathy, chronic and frequent exaggeration or lying about one’s abilities or life events, and exploitativeness. These psychological conditions may include narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), antisocial personality disorder (psychopathy and sociopathy), Munchausen syndrome (factitious disorder imposed on self) and Munchausen-by-proxy (factitious disorder imposed on another).
According to forensic psychologist Ian Joblin, people who invent extraordinary life stories often do so to overcome feelings of inadequacy. By inventing an identity that embodies qualities admired within their culture, they seek validation, confidence, and influence. Such deceptions usually begin with small exaggerations that expand as they are accepted by others. As the fabricated narrative grows, it evolves to resolve inconsistencies, and the confabulator's insecurity may develop into an inflated sense of power and invulnerability.
People have also posed as others as a hoax or prank, sometimes for amusement, but also for publicity or as part of a protest, sometimes later revealing their true identity.
Many women in history have presented themselves as men in order to advance in typically male-dominated fields. There are many documented cases of this in the military during the American Civil War. However, their purpose was rarely for fraudulent gain. They are listed in the List of wartime cross-dressers.
Spies have often pretended to be people other than they were. One famous case was that of Chevalier d'Eon (1728–1810), a French diplomat who successfully infiltrated the court of Empress Elizabeth of Russia by presenting as a woman.
Historically, when military record-keeping was less accurate than today, some persons—primarily men—falsely claimed to be war veterans to obtain military pensions. Most did not make extravagant claims that would attract attention and possible exposure. In the modern world, falsely posing as a member of the military or exaggerating one's service record is almost always only to gain undeserved respect and admiration.
Scientists and filmmakers may also engage in imposture for the purposes of conducting a social experiment or public education; later revealing the deception to participants and public is a key part of the experiment. For instance, James Randi's Project Alpha; Derren Brown's Messiah, and Fear & Faith; and Vikram Gandhi's Kumaré.
Notable impostors
False nationality claims Princess Caraboo (1791–1864), Englishwoman who pretended to be a princess from a fictional island Korla Pandit (1921–1998), African-American pianist/organist who pretended to be from India George Psalmanazar (1679–1763), who claimed to be from Taiwan Micheál Mac Liammóir (1899–1978), notable actor in Ireland, born in England as Alfred Willmore but falsified an Irish birth and identity
False minority national identity claims H. G. Carrillo (1960–2020), American writer and assistant professor of English at George Washington University who claimed to be a Cuban immigrant despite having been born in Detroit to American parents Asa Earl Carter (1925–1979), who under the alias of supposedly Cherokee writer Forrest Carter authored several books, including The Education of Little Tree Chief Buffalo Child Long Lance (1890–1932), an African American who claimed to be the son of a Blackfoot chief Iron Eyes Cody (1904–1999), Italian American actor (the "crying Indian chief" in the "Keep America Beautiful" public service announcements in the early 1970s), who claimed to be of Cherokee-Cree ancestry Helen Darville (born 1972), Australian writer who falsely claimed Ukrainian ancestry as part of the basis of her novel The Hand that Signed the Paper about a Ukrainian family who collaborated with Nazis in the Holocaust Misha Defonseca (born Monique de Wael, 1937) wrote a fraudulent autobiography in which she claimed to be a Jewish survivor of the Holocaust, when in fact she has no Jewish descent and was born to Catholic parents. Her book, Misha: A Mémoire of the Holocaust Years, received international fame. A documentary, Misha and the Wolves, detailing the investigation into the fraud, was released in 2021. Rachel Dolezal (born 1977), former president of the NAACP in Spokane, Washington, who claimed African-American heritage despite being born to white parents Grey Owl (1888–1938), born Archibald Belaney, an Englishman who took on the identity of an Ojibwe Jamake Highwater (1931–2001), writer and journalist, born Jackie Marks into an Ashkenazi family who later claimed he was a Cherokee American Indian Daniel Lewis James (1911–1988), novelist who wrote under the name Danny Santiago Jessica A. Krug (aka Jess La Bombalera, born 1982), former associate professor at George Washington University who falsely claimed African, African-American, and Caribbean-American heritage throughout her career, despite being born to Jewish parents Sacheen Littlefeather (Marie Louise Cruz, 1946–2022), model and activist who rejected Marlon Brando's Academy Award at the 1973 Oscars out of protest. Her Apache Indian impersonation was not made public until her funeral, when her sisters asserted their Mexican descent. BethAnn McLaughlin, neuroscientist who impersonated a bisexual Native American using the Twitter handle "@Sciencing_bi" Red Thunder Cloud (1919–1996), an African American who claimed to be the last speaker of the Catawba language Buffy Sainte-Marie (born 1941), an American singer-songwriter who claimed to be Canadian with Canadian Indigenous ancestry Andrea Smith, an American academic, feminist, and activist against violence who claimed Cherokee identity without proof or acceptance by the Cherokee nation Two Moon Meridas (c. 1888–1933), seller of herbal medicine who claimed that he was of Sioux birth Ulrich Schnaft (1923–2013), former Waffen-SS member who posed as a Jew in order to immigrate to Israel and escape post-war Germany. After immigrating in 1949 he joined the IDF. After getting discharged he moved back to Germany and became an Egyptian spy.
False royal heritage claims
Count Alexander of Montenegro (d. 1648) claimed to have been a brother of Mehmed III Maddess Aiort claimed to have been Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna of Russia Granny Alina claimed to have been Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna of Russia Michelle Anches claimed to have been Grand Duchess Tatiana of Russia Anna Anderson (1896–1984), who may have really believed she was the Grand Duchess Anastasia of Russia, daughter of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia Bardiya (d. 522 BC), ancient ruler of Persia, widely regarded as genuine but was claimed to be an imposter by his successor Mary Baynton (fl. c.1533), pretended to be Henry VIII's daughter, Mary at a time many considered that her father should be deposed in her favour Bhawal case, concerning a "resurrected" Indian prince who may have genuinely believed he was who he claimed to be (d. 1496), alleged half-brother of Mehmed II, he was in contact with Pope Callixtus III and Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I amongst others Natalya Bilikhodze (1900–2000), appeared in the year 1995 and went to Russia in the year 2000 where she tried to claim the "Romanov fortune" as Grand Duchess Anastasia of Russia, daughter of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia Marga Boodts, claimed to have been Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna of Russia Helga de la Brache (1817–1885), claimed to have been the secret legitimate daughter of Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden and Frederica of Baden Alexis Brimeyer (1946–1995), Belgian who claimed connection to various European royal houses Mary Carleton (1642–1673), who was, amongst other things, a false princess and bigamist Count Dante (1939–1975) is the assumed name of John Keehan, who claimed to be descended from Spanish nobility. In his campaign to promote his system of martial arts, he also claimed victories in various secret deathmatches in Asia, and mercenary activity in Cuba, none of which was proven. Suzanna Catharina de Graaff (1905–1968), was a Dutch woman who claimed to be the fifth daughter of Nicholas and Alexandra, born in 1903 when Alexandra was reported to have had a "hysterical pregnancy". There are no official or private records of Alexandra giving birth to any child at this time. Pseudo-Constantine Diogenes, pretended to be a son of Byzantine emperor Romanos IV Diogenes False Dmitriy I (c. 1581 – 1606), False Dmitriy II (died 1610), and False Dmitriy III (died 1612), who all impersonated the son of Ivan the Terrible Harry Domela (1905 – after 1978), who pretended to be an heir to the German throne Anna Ekelöf (fl. 1765), claimed to have been Crown Prince Gustav of Sweden Anthony Gignac (1970), falsely took on the identity of Saudi prince Khalid bin Al Saud to entrap victims in investment scams and other schemes, currently serving an 18 year jail sentence Michael Goleniewski (1922–1993), was a CIA agent who in the year 1959 claimed to be Tsarevich Alexei of Russia Anna Gyllander (fl. 1659), claimed to have been Queen Christina of Sweden Anatoly Ionov claims to be the son of Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia Tile Kolup (d. 1285), also known as Dietrich Holzschuh, an impostor who in 1284 began to pretend to be the Emperor Frederick II Eugenio Lascorz (1886–1962), who claimed connection to the royal house of the Byzantine Empire Terence Francis MacCarthy (born 1957), styled himself MacCarthy Mór and "Prince of Desmond" Šćepan Mali (d. 1773), who claimed to be Peter III of Russia, and managed to rule Montenegro False Margaret (c. 1260–1301), who impersonated the Maid of Norway Emperor Norton (1818–1880) self-proclaimed "Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico" Pierre Plantard (1920–2000), the mastermind behind the Priory of Sion hoax who claimed to be Merovingian, a pretender to the throne of France Princess Tarakanova, claimed to be the daughter of Alexei Razumovsky and Empress Elizabeth of Russia Yemelyan Pugachev (c. 1742–1775), who claimed to be Peter III of Russia Raiktor (fl. 1081), an Eastern Orthodox monk who assumed the identity of Byzantine Emperor Michael VII Frederick Rolfe (1860–1913), better known as Baron Corvo Lambert Simnel (c. 1477 – c. 1525), pretender to the throne of England