How a Russian immigrant posed as a German heiress to defraud New York
In short: Anna Sorokin, known to the world as Anna Delvey, used forged documents and fake identities to infiltrate Manhattan's elite. By pretending to manage a multi-million-euro trust, she tricked banks and socialites alike, funding a lavish lifestyle of luxury hotels and designer clothes before her elaborate scheme finally unraveled.
Born in 1991 near Moscow, Anna Sorokin emigrated to Germany as a teenager before moving through London and Paris. By 2013, she had relocated to New York City, where she began a high-stakes deception. She adopted the surname "Delvey"—a name her parents do not recognize—and presented herself as a wealthy German heiress to gain access to the city's most exclusive social and financial circles. While she claimed to be German, her passport actually confirmed her Russian birth. She previously interned at the French fashion magazine Purple.
Her method relied on sophisticated forgery. Using Microsoft Word, she created fake bank statements claiming to hold €60 million in Swiss accounts. She even used Google to search for how to "create fake untraceable email" addresses to support her personas. These documents allowed her to apply for massive loans, including a $22 million application to City National Bank in November 2016, and to trick hotels and acquaintances into paying for her extravagant lifestyle.
The deception eventually collapsed under the weight of its own contradictions. Her 2017 arrest followed a sting operation involving former friend Rachel DeLoache Williams, who claimed Delvey stole $62,000 from her. A New York court handed down a 4 to 12 year prison sentence in 2019 after convicting her of larceny and theft of services. She was released on parole following two years of incarceration, but was subsequently detained by U.S. authorities. ICE custody for deportation to Germany. The investigation was aided by a sting operation involving Williams. After her release, she faced detention by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Anna Delvey
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