Art Theft & Fraud
Art theft and fraud costs between $6-7 billion worldwide every year. Here we track some of the biggest art heists and frauds from the files of the FBI Art Crime Team, Interpol and other credible sources.
The French Job: Canberra’s Multi-Million-Dollar Antiques Heist
French Gang Flew to Australia for $10m Luxury Heist It’s not every day Canberra finds itself cast in a plot worthy of Lupin, but October...
Maurizio Cattelan’s ‘America’ Golden Throne Heads to Auction
Golden Toilet ‘America’ at Auction Our toilets have never sat quite so proudly on the pedestal of art history—until now. The tongue-in-cheek masterwork America, a...
The French Crown Jewels stolen from the Louvre, Paris
For centuries, the French Crown Jewels have embodied the splendour and turbulence of France itself — symbols of royal power, revolutionary fury, and national...
Iconic Guitars Stolen from Music Legend Joe Camilleri’s Home
Nine Iconic Vintage Guitars Stolen from Music Legend Joe Camilleri’s Home The Australian music scene has been rocked by the theft of a priceless guitar...
Sacred Larrakia Cultural Objects Repatriated from the USA
Coming Home: Sacred Larrakia Cultural Objects Returned from the US to Australia In a moving ceremony at the Fowler Museum in Los Angeles on May...
Stolen 1813 Holey Dollar Worth $525,000 Returned to Poland
Stolen 1813 Holey Dollar Worth $525,000 Returned to Poland with AFP Assistance A rare 1813 Holey Dollar, stolen from a Polish museum and later sold...
The Angry Penguins movement: A Mad Dance in Art and Scandal
The Angry Penguins movement in 1940's bohemian Melbourne The Angry Penguins movement was as wild as its name—a swirling creative rebellion, a frenzy of paint...
Koonalda Cave Vandals Destroy Ancient Aboriginal Treasure
Koonalda Cave Vandalism: Desecration of an Ancient Aboriginal Treasure Deep beneath the windswept expanse of the Nullarbor Plain lies Koonalda Cave, one of the most...
Aboriginal Warrior Pemulwuy and the Fight for Repatriation
Pemulwuy: Warrior, Resistance Leader, and the Fight for Repatriation Pemulwuy, an Aboriginal warrior from the Bidjigal people, is remembered as one of Australia’s first resistance...
Stuff the British Stole: Antiquities and Repatriation
Stuff the British Stole: Antiquities, Empire, and Repatriation Throughout the British Empire’s reign, artifacts, treasures, and cultural symbols were systematically taken from colonized nations. From...