How ruthless were ancient con artists?

Mildly, they could bankrupt you completely;
Severely, they could destroy your family and cause death!
Today, let's take a look at some of the ruthless methods used by ancient scammers.
We often hear about the "Eight Gates and Eight Generals":
Zheng, Ti, Fan, Tuo, Feng, Huo, Chu, Yao...
There are also eight tricks in deception,
And the most classic one is Feng Ma Yan Que (also known as Wind Horse Swallow).
The art of deception has existed since the dawn of humanity.